Klarinet Archive - Posting 000502.txt from 1999/04

From: arehow <arehow@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: Bells up continued
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 23:02:02 -0400

Another issue brought up in the "Bells-up" argument is the purported
inapplicability of this technique to the bass clarinet. This is not
necessarily so. Mid-19th century bass clarinets are often straight in
form, played with the bell pointing straight down onto the floor like an
English horn; see the catalogs of the Sax compnay in Wally Horwood's
book, "Adolphe Sax", for an illustration. Such instruments were made by
Heckel--a purveyor of instruments to the region of the world where
Mahler lived--into the 20th century, and for all I know may have been
common. It is entirely posible, then, that the direction was meant
seriously by the composer for the bass clarinet.

Mahler was a professional composer, a conductor who knew every
idiosyncracy of the orchestra, and a genius of proportions that we on
this list can only hope to dimly understand. We must presume that
(editorial screw-ups aside) he meant what he wrote. It is our duty as
performers to analyse the problem, practice various solutions, and make
it work, not to dismiss it out of hand. Do we dismiss the second Eb
clarinet part in the third movement of the first symphony, merely
because it is inconvenient for the fourth clarinet player to truck 5
horns (Eb, C, Bb, A and bass)?

By the way, I own an Eb clarinet by Stecher, Wien, that most likely was
used in the US premiere of the 1st and 5th symphonies, under Mahler.
Unfortunately, it dosen't answer when I ask it if Mahler meant what he
wrote on this issue.

Robert Howe

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