Klarinet Archive - Posting 000345.txt from 2001/09

From: "Dave Spiegelthal" <Spiegelthal.Dave@-----.COM>
Subj: [kl] Really tough orchestral pieces
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 12:34:44 -0400

A question to the professional clarinetists (and other musicians) out there:
Are there any orchestral works that are so difficult that even professional
orchestras have real problems playing them? This question comes to mind every
time I hear Ravel's Daphnis & Chloe, for instance, which just sounds to me like
it's horrendously difficult to play for every section of the orchestra (I've
never played it myself so I don't have first-hand experience). I used to think
that Rite of Spring was probably one such work, but having played it on bass
clarinet some years ago, I discovered it's not as hard to play as it sounds, but
nevertheless.......Some liner notes for one recording I have of Janacek's
Sinfonietta mentioned that the flute/piccolo parts in one of the movements, as
originally written, were so difficult that for many years every orchestra played
them down an octave. Are there other examples of this phenomenon?
A related question: If and when such a hypothetical piece of music is tackled
by a major symphony, how do the players handle it? Is there ever a situation
where a first-chair player in a major orchestra simply cannot play the music as
written, and if so, what happens? (no names need be mentioned, of course.)
David Spiegelthal
Calverton, VA
spiegelthal.dave@-----.com

p.s. This may be a duplicate posting --- if so, I apologize!

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