Klarinet Archive - Posting 000876.txt from 2002/10

From: "Forest E. Aten Jr." <forestaten@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Beethoven "clarinet" concerto
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 15:41:36 -0500

Bill,

I'm not sure I understand about your views on clarinet not being able to
produce a sharp or biting attack?

Thanks,

Forest

----- Original Message -----
From: "William Wright" <b5w@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] Beethoven "clarinet" concerto

<><> Joseph Wakeling wrote:
Surely the obvious reverse arrangements are the viola versions of the
Brahms clarinet sonatas.

I assume that such viola recordings exist --- my shallow musical
education is showing again. I'm off to the store to see if they do.
Thanks.

Perhaps, however, the reverse of violin-to-clarinet will not apply
because:

(1) Violin can produce a gentle, smooth attack if the player wishes,
whereas clarinet cannot produce a 'biting' attack even if the player
wishes. I suspect that a clarinet's strongest 'pop' would not have the
same shape as a viola's strongest 'bite' if we saw a spectral graph of
the two attacks.

(2) Compositions that are entitled "for Clarinet or Viola" --- my copy
of the Brahms sonatas does not have this phrase in the titles, however
--- offer the alternative of playing the same notes on one instrument or
the other. Thus the viola version would not add double-stopped
harmonies, whereas in the opposite direction, the clarinet would
necessarily eliminate them.

So perhaps the reversal is not 100%. But thanks for the citation.

Cheers,
Bill

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