Klarinet Archive - Posting 000374.txt from 1999/05

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] A-flat high soprano clarinet?
Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 22:22:07 -0400

On Sun, 9 May 1999 13:40:31 EDT, LeliaLoban@-----.com said:

> The threads on the C clarinet and timbres of different clarinets
> interests me a lot, and makes me wonder about the A-flat "high
> soprano clarinet" I saw advertised in the 1932 Selmer catalog. I
> hadn't realized anything higher than the eefer was manufactured as
> late as the 1930s. The Ab can't have been a very popular instrument,
> since Selmer didn't illustrate it, although all the other clarinets
> are illustrated with the exception of the BBb contrabass (a monster,
> below the Eb contrabass). The 1932 Selmer Ab was available in the
> Master Model (professional, Selmer's top of the line at the time).
> It's unclear to me whether it may also have been offered as a Bundy
> (intermediate) and/or Barbier (student) clarinet. Has anyone ever
> played an Ab soprano? I'm afaid I know what it would sound like if I
> played it (every rabid rat in the neighborhood would come running to
> mama), but what's it sound like when you play it?

I had to play one once in a piece written by the English composer John
Tavener, called 'A Celtic Requiem'. We played and then recorded it,
around 1971, with the London Sinfonietta under David Atherton, but I
don't have the disc anymore.

What happened was that Tavener wrote a stratospheric part for both
piccolo trumpet and soprano saxophone, but was told by Alan Hacker that
the latter was unplayable, and that his only chance was the Ab clarinet.

So I borrowed one for the recording.

I remember that there were lots of very loud passages, of which the
highest note was a written A, sounding F# (ie, the equivalent of written
super-G# above high C on the Bb clarinet, and that one had to be REALLY
loud.

I have to say that Tom Ridenour wouldn't have been impressed by the
embouchure I had to use to get it on the disc.

(Blood on the reed.

String players writhing on the floor.

You know the sort of thing.)

I believe the instrument used to be known popularly in this country as
'the pig squeal'.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE GMN family artist: www.gmn.com
tel/fax 01865 553339

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