Klarinet Archive - Posting 000031.txt from 2004/04

From: "Dan" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] free clarinet and bassoon duet (tranposed!)
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 19:02:07 -0500


JB Linear Music wrote:

"Regarding the free Mozart Marriage of Figaro duet for
clarinet and bassoon, David Blumberg suggested the
clarinet part would be better written for A clarinet.
He's right. The key of E major is not a nice one for
us, so I will do a transposed version for A clarinet
and bassoon for those who want it. I think I probably
left the bassoon part in the original key of D for the
benefit of the bassoon. Please email me and I will send
it to you by an email attachment. Give me a day or two,
though."

Because it is not clear to me if the key of the piece is E major or if it is
in D major which would put a B-flat clarinet in E major, I have to reserve
judgement.

But if my assumption about the piece being in D major is correct, that David
Blumberg is 100% right. While in today's environment, playing in written E
major on a B-flat clarinet would not raise an eyebrow, that key/instrument
combination would have been unheard of in 1790. So if you want to respect
the tradition (which arose because of a very practical reason), by all means
play it in F major on the A clarinet.

Alternatively, if the piece is in concert E major, then David's comment is
still correct and it would be played on an A in G major, though this is
unusual. I think I once counted the number of times that Mozart wrote for
any clarinet in the written key of 1 sharp, and it was pathetically small.
It just was not a key that had frequent use on a clarinet in the 18th
century.

All of this may sound like using an elephant gun to kill a flea, but it is
important to recognize the keys in which a clarinetist could play in at that
time, and I don't mean physically but by the rules of 18th century
composition.

Dan

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