Klarinet Archive - Posting 000115.txt from 2000/12

From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Mahler 4
Date: Sat, 2 Dec 2000 13:34:27 -0500

Anthony, your point has considerable merit. On one hand, one is faced
with practical problems. On the other hand, one is faced with the
specific an unambiguous directions of the composer.

The road to hell is always paved with the best of intentions. "Here I
will use an A clarinet instead of a C because ..." and then some really
good reasons are given for that action. And because of the clarity of
those reasons, you allow yourself to violated the composer's directives.
After a while, one considers that the composer made a minor mistake, and
before you know it, the composer is alleged to have no brains at all
"for allowing only 10 beats to make that change."

It is a slippery slope by which, eventually, EVERYTHING may be done
under the guise of musical wisdom and clarinetistic necessities. And
once you take that first step, then anything is permissable.

Knaphet@-----.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 12/2/00 7:12:39 AM, leeson0@-----.net writes:
>
> << I suggest that there is a distinct and noticeable difference between the
> sound character of an A and a B-flat bass clarinet. And the clarinetist
> should NOT be making the decision about what the composer meant, or what
> s/he knew, or what s/he really wanted. >>
>
> I think that this is true in some circumstances, but not all. Of course,
> many of us own A and Bb clarinets, and occasionally I play and transpose for
> some practical reason, whether it be pitch or ease of fingering. (I agree
> that C clarinet has a different sound than the other soprano clarinets, no
> argument there.) But sometimes I will choose another clarinet in order to
> avoid screwing up. In professional orchestras where you have a lot of music
> to learn in a short amount of time, I believe you have to choose your battles
> carefully. I think that I would rather play a passage in a slightly
> different color than run a higher risk of missing notes in the passage.
>
> --Anthony Taylor
>
> --Anthony T
>
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--
***************************
** Dan Leeson **
** leeson0@-----.net **
***************************

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