Klarinet Archive - Posting 000836.txt from 2002/03

From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Transposition
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 18:31:13 -0500

Oi!! Mark you are in deep doody. Your note is designed to make some
people bristle!!

I know that Mark asks for opinions, but I think, judging from the
wording and flavor of his request, that his mind is already made up on
the subject.

Just how can I make such a conclusion from his posting? Look at the
first sentence of the second paragraph: "Some 'purists' believe that if
Brahms wanted the 2nd movement of his 1st symphony on the Bb clarinet,
he would have written it accordingly." Now that is one hell of an
opening of his intellectural kimono. I can see all the way to his brain
pan on this idea.

PURISTS!!!! Imagine that! Some "purists" believe something. Not 'some
people believe...,' or some players believe...,' but "purists." What a
pejorative term displaying an already formed opinion and letting anyone
who reads the material know Mark's position. He's standing there, fists
clenched, teeth gritting, a dark look in his eye. "Disagree with me and
I'll label you a 'purist'," [which is somewhat to the left of "sex
offender" or "child molester."])

May I suggest that neither you nor I have any idea of what Brahms
wanted. All we know is what he wrote. And, if you will please excuse my
rapid dash to the thrust of this attack at the jugular, neither of us
has any business deciding what was on his mind (barring evidence to the
contrary). This is nothing more or less than the equivalent of "If
Brahms had had a tenor saxophone, he would have used one. But since he
did not, it is perfectly sound to substitute one today since we are
older, smarter, play better, and are in much more full realization of
what Brahms really wanted than he did. He was an old fart anyway, and
my other clarinet is cold, so screw the changeover."

Mark, I am of the opinion that since you have asked this question, you
may not be fully knowledgeable about why there are such a plethora
of clarinet pitch types, including ones in B-natural, E-natural, F and
G). It seems reasonable that since you appear to conclude that
substituting one for the other is a decision that any clarinetist has a
right to make without concern for the impact of that decision on the
sonic pallette of the music, you are not yet fully formed on this
issue. There is history behind it and some technical and acoustical
considerations involved.

Why should the clarinet, of all the woodwind instruments, has such a
bizarre and peculiar collection of pitched instruments, the largest of
any orchestral family. This is the issue that has given rise to the
problem about which you are inquiring.

So when Mozart or Verdi or Beethoven wrote for C clarinet (or A or
B-flat), you appear to be suggesting that, in every case, it was a
casual decision on their part, one that tolerates and even invites you
or I to change the type of clarinet called for.

Do I understand you correctly or am I being to harsh with you? And
under no circumstances am I going to permit you to marry my daughter!

Would you play the Mozart clarinet quintet on a B-flat clarinet and
transpose it? You probably would not, but why not? If you will make
that kind of a change in Brahms, why not in K. 581? What's the
difference? Be specific. Don't mumble. You are in Florida. Eat an
orange and ask yourself the question, "Why are there so damn many
clarinet pitches"?

That a player needs to be able to transpose is clearly a required skill.
That is not at issue. Much more central to your question is a response
that states, "Even though one can transpose, should one?" What are the
precise circumstances when you should transpose or are there no
conditions under which you should be constrained from changing the
clarinet type specified by the composer?

Now I know I am answering your question with a question, to which I
could respond, "Who always answers a question with a question?"

Frank Kowalsky is a wonderful teacher and a thoughtful musician. So I
have to conclude that you did not get these evil ideas from him.

Fess up. Did the devil make you do it?

Dan Leeson

P.S. Richard Strauss (another old fart) wrote Elektra requiring 8
clarinets. Of the quantity, 2 are in B-flat and 2 are in A. Do you
suggest that this is an accident? Stravinsky's three pieces calls for a
change of clarinet in the middle. Also an accident? Mozart's "Il Mio
Tesoro" aria in Don Giovanni happens to use a B-flat clarinet. Was
there a reason for his action at this point or could you advance the
argument that an A clarinet would sound "better" (whatever the hell that
means)?

Beethoven's 1st piano concerto uses clarinet in C and has an extended
solo for it in the second movement I think. Why would you prefer a
B-flat or A clarinet in its place? Why? Why not?

Mozart uses a basset horn in G in one of the six notturni for clarinets
and voices. What are you going to do there?

And getting back to Strauss, both of his big pieces for 16 winds call
for 7 clarinets including 1 C, 2 B-flats, and 2 A's. Another accident?

Michael, you accidentally stepped into a 30 foot hole. Be cautious. It
is or should be one of the most important issues that a clarinetist
needs
to think about: Who is the boss, you or the composer?

Dan Leeson

Mark Greeley wrote:
>
> Greetings fellow "Listers" -
>
> For the past few years, I have subscribed to the List, "chiming" in on
> occasion. I felt it was time I actually started a thread on a new topic. I
> am a doctoral student of Frank Kowalsky's at Florida State University, and
> recently did a masterclass here for the studio on transposition. In the
> masterclass at FSU, I focused on several things, the most obvious, honing
> the skill as a part of daily practice, like we do with scales, long tones,
> etc..
>
> However, I am very interested in other people's opinions on the use of it in
> other situations. My former teacher, Ron de Kant, whom I studied with while
> getting my MM at the Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music, wrote an
> article in The Clarinet on this subject, and focused in excerpt classes at
> CCM on tranposition, more than just your typical Italian opera, which is
> typically most, or all in C. For instance, a lot of clarinetists will
> transpose famous passages such as Shostakovich 5, Brahms 1, Bartok Concerto
> for Orchestra, Strauss Don Juan, etc... These are obviously not passages
> for the C Clarinet, but for the A and Bb clarinet. Reasons for this include
> consistency of line, pitch (cold horns after a movement or two), ease of
> fingers, registration, etc.. I found it very interesting as I was
> presenting the material, how many different opinions there are regarding
> this.
>
> Some "purists" believe that if Brahms wanted the 2nd movement of his 1st
> symphony on the Bb clarinet, he would have written it accordingly. However,
> others think that we need to do whatever we can as musicians to make it
> easier on ourselves to have the most successful result in performance. As
> an aside, I played the Brahms and the Shostakovich excerpts on both the Bb
> and the A clarinet, asking the students to close their eyes and tell me if
> they could detect any difference in the tone, connections, etc.. The
> results were interesting. In some classes, I was able to "fool" them, while
> in others it was obvious to them. I was curious as to what everyone on the
> List thinks about this subject, if you have transposed in similar instances
> (not just "C" clarinet passages), or you have just gotten "used to" making
> it work on the intended instrument.
>
> Looking forward to hearing back -
>
> Mark
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------

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** Dan Leeson **
** leeson0@-----.net **
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