Klarinet Archive - Posting 000567.txt from 1999/04

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Bells up continued
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 21:17:47 -0400

Mahler actually was hoping for *six* instruments, presumably, as some of
the bass clar. part is written for an instrument in A.
Roger Shilcock

On Fri, 9 Apr 1999, arehow wrote:

> Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 22:02:02 -0500
> From: arehow <arehow@-----.net>
> Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] Re: Bells up continued
>
> 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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