Klarinet Archive - Posting 000342.txt from 2000/10

From: Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] All keys are not the same
Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 14:26:22 -0400

<><> Dan Leeson wrote:
One of the most joyous pieces of music ever written is the minor-key
movement of the Mendelssohn octet and whatever plaintive is, it's hard
for me to conclude that it applies to that movement.

....well, I'm off to the music store to buy a recording and perhaps
the score and to listen/read it. I'll reply another day.

<><> Perhaps I misread what you wrote (though I have looked it
over on several occasions to confirm my belief in it), but did you
suggest that the clarinet pitch selected (and by this I mean which
clarinet is to be used, not the key of the piece) is done to achieve a
particular sound character?

So long as you replace "is" with "can be", yes, this is what I
meant.

<><> That is to say, if a composer wants to achieve a plaintive
quality (and I'm not sure what that is, but I'll go along with the
term), the he or she would more naturally choose an A clarinet than a
B-flat clarinet because an A is better attuned or better suited to
plaintive music?

No, I didn't say that an A clarinet is more suited to plaintive
music. I said that for certain notes (in the area of
E-on-the-bottom-line), the tone of an A clarinet is 'sweeter'. My
strong memory is that Benade has graphs of the overtone ratios, but I
must leave the keyboard now, and it will take me a while to search
through Benade's books to locate the graphs.
More later (probably not today).

Cheers,
Bill

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