Klarinet Archive - Posting 000907.txt from 2001/05

From: "Rien Stein" <rstein@-----.nl>
Subj: [kl] Re: Third Clarinet
Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 18:22:40 -0400

On Wed, 30 May 2001 13:11:40 EDT Don Gross wrote

>>

Rein,

With all due respect, Clarinet III in a "wind band" is just as important to
the overall harmonic structure of any composition as is Clarinet I. In
fact,
the wind ensembles I play in routinely have twice the number of Clarinet III
players as Clarinet I for that reason. I would also venture a guess that
the
Clarinet III players in the US Marine Band -- or any first-class wind
ensemble for that matter -- would agree. Perhaps we would not have the
unnecessary competition and hard feelings in many high school bands if the
prima dona clarinet players who "challenge and win" fully understood the
harmonic importance of ALL the members of the section. No player in any
performing group should consider himself or herself anonymous.

Don Gross
La Canada, California

<<

Dear Don

My point was not, that playing the third clarinet in a wind band is
unimportant or inferior, my point is, that it is rather an anonymous
activity. In our country (The Netherlands, to some people ''Holland'') in a
fully manned ''Harmony orchestra'' the clarinets are usually divided into
two or three ''solo clarinets'', three or four ''first'' ones, five seconds
and five or six ''third clarinets''.

Saying that the third clarinets are unimportant is somewhere near saying you
can do with double bassoon, or bass clarinet, isn't it? The point is nobody
will see that there was a beautiful player in the back of the third row,
unless she is really pretty, but everybody will talk about that wonderfully
played or very virtuoso solo in the first trumpet.

I was one of two solo clarinets in the orchestra in Zeist, but because of
the unbalance in the orchestra (we had three first clarinets, only two
rather poor second clarinets, and three third clarinets) it was my own
suggestion that I play second clarinet. The conductor at first did not like
the idea, but when I suggested to combine it with bass clarinet he agreed.

Rien

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