Klarinet Archive - Posting 000405.txt from 2002/09

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Could use eefer help
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 12:42:33 -0400

The Skokie Valley Symphony is performing the "Four Sea Interludes" from "Peter Grimes" by Benjamin Britten in November.

I volunteered to play the second part which has eefer on movements 2 and 4.

Here's the problem. The eefer part has quite a few high G#'s and A's. Some of them can be played down an octave, the part actually has "ossia" notes for these.

Some of the G#'s and A's really need to be there for musical reason though.

Well, I hate to confess this, but anything above my F# (for which use thumb, register key, one and two of left hand, and the Eb/Bb key, and is pretty good) comes out as a hellish squeal of indterminate pitch.

I consulted my Peter Hadcock book and tried several of the fingerings he suggested. I was able to find a couple of good high G's.

So far, my G#'s and A's are awful.

Does anyone have suggestions? Sean, you must have played this piece 100 times.

As far as reed strength, I'm using as hard a reed as I can and still get acceptable tone on the lower registers.

Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
clarinet repairs

---------------------------------------------------------------------