Klarinet Archive - Posting 001007.txt from 1999/03

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] orchestra opening
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 08:53:06 -0500

On Thu, 18 Mar 1999 GrabnerWG@-----.com wrote:

> Bass clarinet is the Rodney Dangerfield of the orchestra..... No
> respect!!!!!!!!!

I've never experienced this in my years as an orchestral
bass clarinet player. Most non-clarinetists, and even
many clarinet players as well, assume that the bass clar-
inet is more difficult to play than soprano, simply by
virtue of its size. They assume it takes more work, re-
quires more air by serveral orders of magnitude, and that
it is less technically weildy than the soprano. When I
perform difficult and exposed passages in rehearsal, the
other members of the ensemble perk up and pay attention,
because they do not expect such "wizardry" to come from
such a big and difficult instrument. I never give in to
the pressure to let them know that the bass clarinet is
much easier for me to play and requires no more work than
soprano. Typically, it requires the same attention to
scales and exercises, and when this diligence results in
technique equal to what is possible on soprano, the
respect-meter goes off the scale!

Neil

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