Klarinet Archive - Posting 000811.txt from 2000/10

From: HatNYC62@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Mozart and clarinet range
Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2000 14:25:44 -0400

For some reason I have been thinking about this issue. The question seems to
involve the fact that Mozart never utilized the extended high range of the
clarinet. Should we then, as musicians 200 years later similarly limit
ourselves to only those notes used by Mozart? I will try to keep it short.

The easy answer is yes, of course. But is it really all that simple? Mozart
quickly embraced the novelty of the extended low range of Stadler's
instrument, if Stadler had been similarly adept at producing very high notes,
perhaps Mozart would have written some of those as well. We cannot know the
answer. Perhaps the clarinetists of that time produced sounds that were
unpleasant and out of tune in the upper range. Since that is still a problem
for some players now, that is certainly possible.

I ask another provocative question: if Mozart were alive today and had an
extended range keyboard instrument on which to perform music he had written
for a limited range instrument, would he utilize the new notes in his improvi
sation? No one can answer this question either. But does the fact that the
question is unanswerable mean that a contemporary performer should
AUTOMATICALLY AND WITHOUT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION pretend that those notes do
not exist?

I suggest that these questions must be answered by each performer of a work
by Mozart. Relying on 200 year old evidence and obsolete musical instruments
is, in my opinion, a cop out. It robs the musician of the chance to speak for
Mozart, which is what he or she must do. Mozart is not here to speak for
himself.

Thus it is up to the listener to accept or reject the performer's (hopefully)
carefully considered decisions. And if the listener is provoked to anger or
irritation, then the performer is just as successful in conveying SOMETHING
as he or she would be if the listener is transported to aural heaven. The
greatest danger is in provoking nothing, leaving only apathy. That is the
true sign of an UNSUCCESSFUL performance, in my opinion.

David Hattner, NYC

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