Klarinet Archive - Posting 000628.txt from 2001/06

From: "Tony Wakefield" <tony-wakefield@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Thumb and Wrist, Breathing, Print, Composing Problems.
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 15:51:26 -0400

----- Original Message -----
From: "Blake Arrington" <klarinetteman@-----.com>
Subject: Re: [kl] Thumb and Wrist, Breathing, Print, Composing Problems.

> Tony, was the clarinet part that you are talking about the "Dance
Movements"
> by Phillip Sparke? We played that at North Texas and it's
> definitely....."fun.?!?" The last page has basically nowhere to breathe,
> but it's such a fun piece.

> J. Blake Arrington
> Clarinet Performance Major
> University of North Texas
> Principal Bass & Eb Clarinet--Irving Symphony Orchestra

OH!!! So there`s <another> in addition to "The Year of the Dragon" which is
ridiculously written/composed/arranged/printed. You got the composer in one
tho`. I`m thinking that there maybe lots of quite dissatisfied clarinet
players out there, who like the sound of this music and wish they could
contribute much more musically and efficiently to the overall ensemble, but
find that they can`t.

How do your clarinettists` feel about these pieces Blake? What may your
comments be other that "fun"? Does this kind of music enhance the band
repertoire when you know that the clarinets are indeed struggling, and the
only way(?) round the problem is to enlist them en masse.
There IS a better way, but I suspect that a lot of composers couldn`t care
less. They have their publisher to "sort" out (or ignore) bad writing and
orchestration, so why bother with ultimate finesse when sloppiness will
enable them to move on quickly with writing the next bit of "rubbish".
I`m appalled, certainly at the British and Continental styles of band
orchestration. I have to say that Americans can and do write some very good
stuff which is well orchestrated. I would indeed enlist into a band that
plays exclusively American music. But I will <not> play in such awful
scrabbling clarinet sections where the brass are almost half a bar in front.
The wind band could indeed seriously compete with the symphony orch. if it`s
music writers had another ounce of talent.

I`m off to contact Mr Sparke. I`ll be in touch.

Best,

Tony W.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org