Klarinet Archive - Posting 000281.txt from 2002/07

From: "CLARK FOBES " <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Contra Bass clarinets
Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 15:59:01 -0400

In an earlier post someone wrote about the contrabass clarinet:

"I want to know why this thing is a weapon"

Joking or not, it is this type of thinking that has relegated a potentially
dramatic and beautiful instrument to the bottom of the band room closet
under the pile of old Sousaphones.

The problem is not that the instrument is faulty, rather that few players,
conductors or composers are willing to take the instrument seriously.
Perhaps it is part of the erroneous assumption that you must put your worst
players on the low clarinets. In fact this is where many of the best
players are needed. Contras (especially BBb) are often not in proper repair
or have terrible mouthpieces. No wonder they cannot be played properly.

Fortunately, there are a few of us who have taken the instrument seriously
and are trying to advocate the instrument to composers and conductors.

There are a fair number of good compositions that feature contra bass
clarinet and thanks to the virtuosity of several LA studio musicians it is
used quite frequently in movie scores.

Probably the most challenging piece written for BBb contra bass clarinet is
the Martino Triple Concerto (Available on CD). A wonderful composition.
Another that comes to mind is the very challenging "Penthode" by Elliot
Carter. I was instrumental in convincing Steve Mackey to write a contra
bass part for a recent SF Symphony commission called "Pedal Tones". John
Adams is writing a commission for the SF Symphony European tour in the
spring of 2003 and I am trying to communicate with him about including
contra bass.

If there are any young players out there now playing bass clarinet, I would
urge you to have some fun and go find that moldering contra in the band
closet and give it a try!

Clark W Fobes

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