Klarinet Archive - Posting 001560.txt from 2000/10

From: ShawThings@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] What is it? (Masochism)
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 20:57:57 -0500

In a message dated 1/11/00 7:04:38 AM AUS Eastern Daylight Time,
Tony@-----.uk writes:

> Note, *having to*, not *choosing to*.

> But, not to be left out, I'm dangling a chicken's guts down this
> instrument I've just got, in order to flatten it -- it's the right
> period, but the wrong pitch -- and filling up some tone-holes with
> clotted blood....it all helps....
>
> We're starting rehearsals the day after tomorrow, you see. But I'd much
> rather go to that orgy round the corner....
>
> Clue: this instrument is only in one movement...

In previous e-mails Allen Levin suggested Berlioz; Leila Loban narrowed it
down to the "witches sabbath" part from his "Symphonie Fantastique".
I don't recall whether that's the only movement which calls for sopranino
clarinets, but I do think there were at least two of them (would something
like "gaggle" be the right collective noun for >1?).
I think the parts were written for Eb clarinets, not D clarinets, which were
fairly common in France at the time (1830/31). "Right period, wrong pitch"
suggests that either Tony has a higher pitch 19th century Eb clarinet which
needs to be flattened to Eb or even D. Playing a sopranino clarinet is
difficult enough; I imagine that playing a period instrument unnaturally
tuned would be horrendously difficult (even for Tony Pay) which would explain
the *having to*, not *choosing to*.
(and if it's not Berlioz ... does the orchestration of Muzzorgsky's "Night on
bare mountain" call for anything peculiar in the clarinet department?
Tim.

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