Klarinet Archive - Posting 000109.txt from 2004/05

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Questions on Bartok Concerto for Orchestra
Date: Thu, 6 May 2004 14:31:53 -0400

I almost put a "Dan Leeson - do not read" disclaimer on my earlier post. But
I didn't.

Dan says:<<The original poster questioned the pitch of the clarinet of a
passage in the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra solely because of
his opinion that "it worked better on the other clarinet.">>

Dan, whether you know it or not, I do very much appreciate your opinions, and
have learned much from your many posts to this list. I know one of your
life-long crusades is to get clarinetists to play the music on the clarinet that
the score asks for. In fact, partly as a result of your arguments, I bought a C
clarinet two years ago. I am playing it tonight on some Rossini arias.

I hear you, and I respect your opinion. You must, of course, realize that
there are many equally qualified people with other opinions.

A year or so ago, I took a lesson from a "very prominent player" here in the
Chicago area. We were doing "Capriccio Espagnol" and I wanted a little help.

We got to a certain passage, and this teacher said "Why the heck are you
playing this on the Bb? It's so much clearer and easily played on the A". This
person has had a very distinguished career, playing in a major American orchestra
for 30 years. I value his opinion, in fact, I paid to hear his opinion.

Personally, I would rather play a passage well and musically on the "wrong"
clarinet, than clobber it on the "right" clarinet. I think we have to agree to
disagree.

Again, respectfully -

Walter Grabner
www.clarinetXpress.com
"Kaspar-style" mouthpieces - now two facings 11 and 13

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