Klarinet Archive - Posting 000291.txt from 2003/01

From: Karl Krelove <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Rach PC 2
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 10:53:29 -0500

The score calls for Clarinets in A in the second movement and the first 20
bars of the third. The rest is for B-flat. It must have been a fairly
standard practice earlier to transpose the second movement to B-flat to
avoid playing the solos on a cold instrument. When I studied the solos with
Gigliotti back in the 1960's, he taught it as a transposed solo, so I assume
that's how he did it (at least with Ormandy), and I'm sure he wasn't alone.
I don't know whether or not this is still done in major orchestras anymore -
the players on the list who play full time could certainly say what they've
done. I have to admit I've played it both ways - it lies more easily on the
A and I prefer to play it this way, but that first solo entrance can be
brutally difficult to tune anyway (just listen to some of the commercial
recordings that are available), and a cold A clarinet makes it that much
harder.

Karl Krelove

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lorne G. Buick [mailto:lgbuick@-----.ca]
> Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 2:52 PM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] Rach PC 2
>
>
> Greetings all - happy new year etc. from a long-time lurker and
> occasional participant...
>
> I've just been handed a part for Rachmaninov Piano Concerto 2, we're
> playing the slow movement on a big pops mish-mash concert next week.
> The part is all on B-flat, but there's also a photocopy from the
> Bonade book of the A transposition which makes far more sense
> "clarinetistically". Does "everybody" play this on A clarinet? Is
> there any compelling evidence of Rachmaninoff's intentions one way or
> the other?
> --
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------
> Lorne G Buick Principal Clarinet,
> Newfoundland Symphony
> lgbuick@-----. John's,
> Newfoundland
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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