Klarinet Archive - Posting 000577.txt from 2001/09

From: Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Recognizing what is on the page
Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2001 11:43:28 -0400

<><> David Hattner wrote:
about studying his clarinet part to a work and thinking that what he was
looking at was an accompanimental line.

Thank you for the comments, David. They help me understand what
actually happened, which is:

My instructor earns her living playing in several different environments
--- musical theater, classical on stage, teaching at public schools,
private lessons, etc. When I tried (still trying) to write a duet for
two Bb clarinets, and when I asked her to play the lower part with me
(lower on the printed page and also lower in pitch), she automatically
played gently. However I had imagined two voices playing separate
melodies with equal strength. I had marked the two parts identically,
and I had assumed that this would convey my intent.

Yet it didn't. She played gently and the upper voice became the
primary line.

I used the phrase "competent clarinetist" in my original question
because she's definitely competent and mainstream. So what would I
write to convey, at the very outset, to someone such as her what I had
in mind? Clearly marking both parts with the same 'mf' is not enough.

Based on Tony's comments, I added (in English) "Equal voices"; but deep
down in my heart, I know that this will make an experienced musician
chuckle at the amateurish style. Tony's point, of course, was that
this isn't usually done.

It makes me think of the old joke: "Doctor, it hurts when I do this",
and the doctor replies, "Then don't do that." Probably the music that
I'm trying to write won't work, and hence there is no suitable
instruction for it in the first place.

Thanks and Cheers,
Bill

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