Klarinet Archive - Posting 000445.txt from 2003/12

From: "Kevin Fay" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] C Clarinet
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2003 22:56:51 -0500

Forest lamented:

<<<...but often conductors or other players will refuse a player the right
to use a C clarinet. I have observed this on more than one occasion.>>>

...to which Tony [re-]replied,

<<<By which I meant: I'd like to see a conductor, or other player, refuse
*me* the right to play a C clarinet that the composer had specified.

Or are 'other parts of the world' even more awful than I'd already
imagined?>>>

Sigh. I'm afraid that they are, unfortunately. I don't think "other parts
of the world" are a geography, necessarily, but perhaps the circles in which
one (for lack of a better term) circulates.

I played a gig w/ choir about three years ago where the conductor, upon
being told that I was using a C as called for in both the score and part,
asked me not to - said he the tone quality of the Bb was "better" with
voices.

I would have gladly pulled a Dan Leeson and done the whole concert on A just
to spite him, but I'm afriad that my C to A transposition was not all that
strong. Instead, I made a great show of pulling off the mouthpiece,
reapplying a different reed and ligature "necessary" for the Bb, and played
to his satisfaction on the other horn. (Of course, I hadn't switched
clarinets at all - I put all of the parts right back on the C; I did switch
mouthpieces for a different sound.)

This same conductor, at one time a trumpet player, made a similar
pronouncement that only C trumpets should be played in an orchestra. Go
figure.

I can't imagine Christopher Hogwood doing something like that.

kjf

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