Klarinet Archive - Posting 000961.txt from 2002/06

From: "Forest E. Aten Jr." <forestaten@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] New Thing
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 16:06:10 -0400

Bill,

Considering the "color" differences....

I bought my RC Buffet C clarinet about 5 years ago. I started using it in
the Dallas Opera orchestra the year I made the purchase. It is a very fine
clarinet.

I played this clarinet in the orchestra for 4 years before our principle
clarinet player figured out I was using the instrument. She never knew.

The flute section never knew...the conductor never knew.

In a sudden revelation a member of the woodwind section took note of my
"smaller" clarinet and it became a big deal. A visual revelation....not
aural. The difficult part was convincing everyone that I had been using this
clarinet for the past 4 years completely un-noticed???

The excitement was over before the week was out.

Regards,

Forest

----- Original Message -----
From: "William Wright" <w7wright@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] New Thing

<><> Dan Leeson wrote:
Joe is quite correct and one could spend considerable time writing about
compositions in which color differences are exploited.

There are two separate issues, and much of the 'argument' is caused by
confusing the two of them. I hear both issues in the current
discussion: (1) Does sound character (color) make a difference? (2)
Do different instruments in the same family actually have different
characters?

When I think about (1), I ask myself: "Would I like this composition on
an accordion or trombone or violin?"

When I think about (2), I think about differences between two
instruments of the same pitch, as well as about instruments of different
pitches. Examples: Bb clarinet with large bore vs. small bore, or a
modern 'nominal C" instrument vs. a period instrument.

I wonder if you could find a period C instrument somewhere whose sound
character (color) came closer to my modern Howarth S2 Bb than (say) an
R-13 Bb does? Probably some performer somewhere has said: "Yes, this
was written for <whatever #1>, but I can come closer with my <whatever
#2> than the <whatever #1>'s that are available now.

????

=========================

What is the purpose of a language? To be beautiful or wise or
pleasurable in itself? Or to describe many different things ---
beautiful or not --- to other people? This is why the question of
whether music is a 'language' is relevant.

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