Klarinet Archive - Posting 000837.txt from 2001/06

From: "Aimee" <kratofil@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Thumb and Wrist, Breathing, Print, Composing Problems.
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001 07:05:48 -0400

Tony,

I've been thinking about your post on difficult clarinet parts. My
experience through college helped form an attitude of "if you can't play
it, someone else will." So, I've always felt I had to prove myself. At one
point as a graduate student, I was giving the Eb part to a student (?)
composition. The part was all above the staff and flutter tongue. The
other instruments involved were piccolo and percussion. The piccolo part
was about the same as mine (yes, just as you are imagining) and she was
great! She could flutter anything up there. I really struggled. And felt
quite inadequate. When I told my teacher about it later, he said, "Why
didn't you tell them that's impossible!" That made me feel a little better,
but still nagging me was the thought that *someone* probably could play it!

I still play in a wind ensemble (Keystone Winds) with my beloved wind
ensemble conductor/composer, Jack Stamp. We have recorded some really
difficult and not "instrument-friendly" things. And always, the expectation
(from conductor and composer) is that we will play the parts. No excuses.
It seems to me that they feel the way I've heard Mozart did. Stadler
supposedly complained about a passage. Mozart said, "Do you have the
notes?" Reply: "yes." Mozart: "So play them."

We all visibly cringe at the mention of Sam Adler.......but we played the
parts.

Competition is fierce. If the young players can't play the parts, someone
else will. Now that I'm a bit older and away from that (almost), I find
that I don't play hard stuff just to prove myself, I tend to play things I
think are worth the effort, and musically satisfying. But, I didn't land
any big jobs, either.

Aimee
Greensburg, PA
http://www.pamusicteachers.org

> I can`t say that I`m getting many replies to my undermentioned post. Only
> Jim Hobby so far: and his refers to 50 year old band music. YOU SEE, THE
> PROBLEM IS STILL AROUND TODAY. Is it perhaps a subject which is not of
> particular interest, perhaps "taboo"? Or do those of you who play in wind
> bands just treat these difficult clarinet parts as a bit of fun, without
> wanting to put too much effort into practising and playing them to the
best
> of your ability, <because> you know beforehand that there are going to be
> several slip ups.

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