Klarinet Archive - Posting 000411.txt from 2004/01

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Bass Clarinet part in C
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 12:47:11 -0500

OK, I have to chime in here. If you are going to play bass clarinet in
anything other than a concert band, you will need to read bass clef as well as you
read treble clef, and you must be accomplished in C and A transposition.

Also, you have to be tolerant of some confusion and ambiguity in terms of the
notation. Sometimes, with parts written in both treble and bass clefs, it is
almost impossible to really know which register the composer wanted.

I remember once, when I was in the Toledo Symphony, we were doing an
all-Spanish concert. We were doing a piece written in manuscript, I believe it was by
Albeniz, but I can no longer be sure.

The part was in bass clef, in Bb, easy enough. When it ascended to treble
clef, several of the passages made no sense. I tried it in regular treble clef
notation, and I tried it in "one octave higher" style. Neither seemed to really
fit, one way or the other, the tessitura didn't fit with what the rest of the
orchestra was doing.

Finally, in desperation, I took it to our conductor. He perused it for a
while. He couldn't figure it out either. He finally said, play it where ever you
are most comfortable, but not too loud! LOL!

Part of the life of a bass clarinet player, I am afraid!

Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
world class bass clarinet mouthpieces

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