Klarinet Archive - Posting 000510.txt from 2001/08

From: Claaronet622@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] For Ken Shaw
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 04:51:49 -0400

In a message dated 8/29/01 12:07:33 PM, leeson0@-----.net writes:

<< So now I reverse the question and ask one of you. Why are you so
opposed to using the particular clarinet requested by the composer? To
be even more blunt, who are you (or me) to ignore clear, unambiguous
directions from the person who created the sonic palette in the first
place? Do you think your ear is better than Beethoven's, than Mozart's,
than Mendelssohns? >>

I never said that was opposed to using the clarinet specified by the
composer. In fact, I for the most part agree with you that whenever
possible, the "correct" clarinet should be used. I simply wanted you to
clarify what seemed to me contradicting arguments. I agree with you that
different clarinets have different "sonic palettes," but I am not convinced
that the sound of the clarinet should take precedence over everything else,
since sound is so flexible. Which would you think is a worse "crime": a
French player on a Boehm system C clarinet playing Beethoven's 1st Piano
Concerto or a German player on a Oehler system Bb clarinet transposing? Not
to mention that the clarinets (and the other instruments in the orchestra) in
Beethoven's day were far different, so the whole orchestral sonic palette
would be different. I am not advocated the use of "period" instruments here.
I do think, however, that musicians should be aware that Beethoven, for
instance, wrote for a different orchestra and adjust the balance accordingly.

You bring up an interesting point about composers' ears. While I would
never say I have a better ear than Mozart or Mendelssohn, I must profess my
ear is far better than Beethoven's. Joking aside, I have often wondered how
intimately some of the great composers knew the clarinet. Some of them, of
course, worked closely with clarinetists. Let's take it for granted that
someone of, say, Brahms's genius could discern between an A clarinet and a
Bb. I read recently that Brahms originally scored the two solos in the 3rd
Symphony for Bb clarinet, but later changed them to A clarinet on someone's
advice that it would sound better. For kicks, I played the solo on Bb and
then A, and I have to agree; it sounds better on A clarinet. Why? I'm not
quite sure. But the point is, in that instance, Brahms valued the sound of
the A clarinet over the technical issue of rapidly switching clarinets in
less than 3 bars. My question is: How well do you think composers knew the
keywork of clarinets? I'm willing to bet that after working with Muhlfeld,
Brahms knew the clarinet well, but what about before then? Brahms admitted
that the only instrument he truly felt comfortable composing for was the
piano. Of course the statement is bathed in typical Brahmsian modesty, but
nevertheless, perhaps he didn't feel as comfortable writing for clarinet or
oboe or bassoon because he didn't have as intimate a knowledge of them, to
know that a certain passage that might appear simple might in fact be very
awkward. After all, he worked very closely with Joachim on the Violin Co
ncerto. Now don't get me wrong; I'll be the first to attest to the supreme
genius of Brahms, Mozart, etc., but just because they were geniuses, doesn't
automatically mean that they really knew the clarinet. What, I think, they
would know are (a) the sound of the different clarinets (you surely agree
with this), as the Brahms 3rd Symphony example illustrates, and (b) that as
the number of accidentals increase, so do the technical difficulties. I
would think that the issue of key signatures would be more important in
Mozart's time, when the number of keys a clarinet could play in was extremely
limited, than in Brahms's. So I'll pose another question: Did Brahms write
the first movement of the 4th Symphony for A clarinet because he preferred
its sound, or because he knew that it would be awkward for a Bb clarinet to
play in F# and a C clarinet to play in E? It seems obvious to me that the
key signature had to have been a factor and not just the sound of the
instrument. There is no reason that a Bb clarinet of Brahms's day couldn't
play in F# (unlike a two-keyed clarinet), but Brahms knew (perhaps only in a
vague sense) that it would be more difficult. The third movement of the same
symphony presents a more interesting scenario. This movement, is one of the
few (or perhaps the only, I'll have to look it up) time Brahms calls for a C
clarinet. The key is C. Major. There is no reason why he couldn't have used
a Bb clarinet in the key of D. So what is it about this movement that made
him make that decision? The clarinet is hardly heard in that movement, so
why would be make this decision based on sound?
Anyway, the real issue at hand is whether clarinetists have the right to
use an instrument other than the one specified. Where I disagree with you is
that you absolutely say "no." Let me offer an example where I agree with
you. The solo in the 2nd movement of Brahms's 1st symphony is sometimes
transposed to Bb clarinet to avoid the high C# and to warm up the Bb clarinet
for the solo that starts the 3rd movement. I disagree with this. The leap
to C# is awkward, but not impossible and it is up to the player to negotiate
this difficultly. A skilled one can. The cases where I have no problem with
transposing are those where the passage is extremely awkward or a bad trill.
Would a composer rather hear a sloppy, out-of-tune trill on the "correct"
instrument or a clean trill on an instrument in another key? While I don't
think that clarinetists should transpose haphazardly, I think it is the
player's right, since he has a more intimate knowledge of his instrument to
transpose if the pros outweigh the cons. My main point is that, while I
agree with you that the composer had a certain sound in his head when he
chose a certain clarinet, I don't believe sound is as important as you make
it out to be, and that composers perhaps do not take well enough into
account the technical consequences of chosing a particular clarinet.
Regards,
Aaron

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