Klarinet Archive - Posting 000349.txt from 2001/11

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Music and instruments of different nationalities
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2001 13:38:29 -0500

Walter Grabner wrote:

> Tony Pay says:

> > nevertheless the cumulative effect of a whole wind section
> > simultaneously changing instruments from French to German is quite
> > another matter.

> I have two thoughts on this:
>
> 1.) What happens to intonation when entire sections change instruments?

It's a good question.

To begin with, the pitch of the tuning A itself sometimes changes,
because we decide amongst ourselves what is the most convenient pitch
for the instruments we have available, taking into account also the
period of the pieces we are playing.

So for example we played Symphonie Fantastique and Romeo and Juliet at
A@-----. This was tricky for the second clarinet, whose (antique)
French instruments go better at a slightly higher pitch. She
complained.

On the other hand, we played Mahler at A=437, on different, German
instruments, and Glinka and Borodin at A=436, because the bassoon player
felt that to use the later German instrument he'd used for the Mahler
would be wrong, and the earlier German instrument needed to be lower.
So we compromised a little bit.

Though all this sounds very complicated, in fact you can play these
instruments at different pitches more easily than you think, if you've
only ever played modern instruments.

But the answer to your question about intonation is, that you do have to
address a whole new set of problems for each instrument.

Fortunately, in general we schedule more rehearsal time for a concert
than a modern symphony orchestra would be able to. For the Russian
programme, we had two string rehearsals, a wind sectional and three
tutti rehearsals. That's for a programme that consisted of Glinka's
Russlan and Ludmilla overture and dances, plus his Valse-Fantasie,
followed by Borodin 2.

We don't do that simply in order to play in tune, but in order to be
able to take the time to investigate questions about style, different
playing techniques and so on. We don't regard ourselves as having a
fixed playing style, independent of the music. Of course, the extra
time does help a great deal towards solving intonation problems.

> 2.) Who subsidizes the musicians for the cost of additional
> instruments, mouthpieces, reeds, etc.?

The players do. Many of us have lots of different instruments that
we've accumulated over the years. And we lend them to each other. I
count myself particularly fortunate, over the years to have been trusted
by Nick Shackleton, of this list, with several wonderful instruments
from his enormous collection.

The only difficulty is that I have to give them back!

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE GMN artist: http://www.gmn.com
tel/fax 01865 553339

.... Bad command or file name! Go stand in the corner.

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