Klarinet Archive - Posting 001132.txt from 2003/03

From: "Matthew Lloyd" <Matthew@-----.uk>
Subj: [kl] C clarinet, D Clarinet, Bb Clarinet, A Clarinet, Eb Clarinet..... Bass Clarinet in A
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 17:40:36 -0500

Dan,

You are obviously very passionate in your belief in the use of the
correct clarinet but please don't assume that you are the only one to
understand and know about the history of the instrument! <vbg> What you
said was very well said but none was news to me....

I don't think there is any real excuse for not playing C parts on a C.
Over here in Blighty you can pick up a new C clarinet for as little as
UKP 430 (an Amati) or a choice of budget Buffet or Leblanc in the region
of UKP 675-700 and then upwards to top Buffet/Selmer/Leblanc at about
UKP 2500. You can get a trio of E11 instruments for less than a single
Bb Prestige. Who is going to be the one to get the better overall sound?
I'd have thought that the chap with the three E11's is going to be
closest to the composer's intention. Interesting point for discussion
anyway, isn't it?

Equally I think it is presumptive to suggest that Mozart, Beethoven and
Schubert knew less than we do - and quite clearly Berlioz and Strauss
intended the different sounds to be present as the technical argument
was long gone.

Isn't the same point true of the Eb/D instruments?

And what about Bass Clarinets - Wagner wrote for Bass in A - should we
all go out and buy one??

Where do we stop?

Matthew Lloyd

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