Klarinet Archive - Posting 000613.txt from 2002/09

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] formalizing ideas, the "right" instrument, etc.
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 15:54:20 -0400

At 01:26 PM 9/28/2002 -0400, LeliaLoban wrote:
>Bear Woodson wrote,
> > Since I didn't want to burden future players by
> >forcing them to transpose highly chromatic music,
> >and since I am my own Publisher, I simply put all
> >4 movements of the Trumpet's Part in Bb, followed
> >by all 4 movements in C, bound in one book!
>
>Good common sense solution, IMHO. My instincts are purist; I try to play the
>instrument the composer wants, unless it's really convenient not to...but
>I'll bet most composers run into similar situations, and have to choose an
>instrument purely because somebody plays X instead of Y at the time, not
>because the gods of music demand a certain instrument for some refined nuance
>of sound. (The nuances may disappear into the acoustics anyway, depending on
>whether the venue is Carnegie Hall or the high school gym...).

Composers over the years have shown considerable pragmatism. Again,
according to Adam Carse (The History of Orchestration) , compositions were
frequently "orchestrated to suit the resources of a particular theatre or
concert-orchestra; thus, Mozart wrote 'Prague' and 'Paris' symphonies,
Masses for Salzburg, operas for Milan, Munich, Prague, and
Vienna; similarly, Haydn wrote a large number of works for the orchestras
maintained by his employer, Prince Esterhazy, six symphonies for Paris, and
twelve for London...Parts are even occasionally added to or deleted from
scores when a work was transferred from one centre to another where the
orchestra differed in constitution. Further, there is abundant evidence
that composers often adapted their orchestration to suit even individual
players, and would contrive an exceptional part for a conspicuously good
player, and allot insignificant matter to inferior players, or would write
no part at all for instruments which in particular orchestras were not
available or their players incompetent."

Bill Hausmann bhausmann1@-----.net
451 Old Orchard Drive
Essexville, MI 48732 ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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