Klarinet Archive - Posting 000617.txt from 2003/09

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Francaix Concerto Questions
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 18:59:59 -0400

On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 15:38:42 -0600 (MDT), stmoore@-----.edu said:

> Recently I received my copy of the Francaix Clarinet Concerto and
> thought it might be a very effective competition piece. I do have
> some questions though..

Yes, it might be a very effective competition piece.

I well remember encountering this masterpiece on a tour of Australia. I
had just played the Mozart concerto, and was invited to a student party.
The first thing that happened was that someone showed me an LP of the
Francaix, played by a French virtuoso, and asked me what I thought of
it. I had to admit that I'd never even *heard* it. Smirking, they then
played it to me, and I came to realise that what I'd done myself that
evening paled into insignificance by comparison. I'd obviously have to
go away and regroup.

(But I never made it.)

> 1) I have always heard that the greatest hinderance to this piece is
> the fact that it is in the key of B major, making many of the passages
> akward. Would it be legal for me to load the part into Finale and
> transpose it for A clarinet, providing I don't give my copy to anyone?

Actually playing the concerto was never 'possible' for me; but my
opinion is that it would certainly be legal -- and perhaps even
desirable -- to do this. Certainly, 'Francaix's understanding of the
clarinet' doesn't IMO preclude it.

[snip of other questions to which I don't know the answer]

Fernando said,

> Hi Stephen, you said you would attend some contest with that concert.
> Is it true? If so, you should be more concerned about transpose it for
> A clarinet. As I alread be a member of the jury of some international
> clarinet contests, I can say to you that any good clarinet player will
> know if you play it with an A clarinet. Think about that...

Gosh. Then they'd all be out to *get* you, of course.

An international clarinet jury (note the lower case) is much more
concerned with what instrument you played it on -- and whether that made
it *easier* for you than it was for the others -- than whether you
inspired, entertained and moved your audience with how you played it.

Hence the lower case. Because I also have already been a member of
such a jury, I'm not so cynical about juries.

But of course, if you aren't capable of inspiring, entertaining and
moving your audience, you may well want to take his advice.

Fernando further said:

> No, I am saying that on one contest the main meaning is that any
> attendant should have the same level of dificults and show their best
> with the same conditions.

That's the *main* meaning, you see. Not to show that you are a
musician worthy of winning an international competition.

On the other hand, I understood rather that the Francaix concerto was to
be a part of Stephen's chosen concerto repertoire, and not a set piece
to be played by all competitors.

Sean then said,

> I think it's a great concerto, and hope it doesn't remain out of
> print.

With the greatest respect for Sean's view, and with an already
established respect for Sean himself, I totally disagree. I think it's
a tawdry potboiler.

(Someone will now tell me that that's because I've just admitted I
'can't' play it:-)

Bye the bye, how are you doing with the Castelnuovo-Tedesco Sonata,
Stephen, now I've finally actually completed the research for you?

http://www.woodwind.org/Databases/Logs/2003/05/000449.txt

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

.... Bottomless pit of needs & wants.

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