Klarinet Archive - Posting 000120.txt from 2004/05

From: "Film & Music Promotion Management" <FilmPromotion@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Questions on Bartok Concerto for Orchestra
Date: Thu, 6 May 2004 17:11:19 -0400

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klarinet@-----.org
From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subject: Re: [kl] Questions on Bartok Concerto for Orchestra
Message-ID: <140.28c69815.2dcbde58@-----.com>

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
----------------------------------------------

My opinion (NSHO) is to play it on whatever Clarinet makes the most
sense. Keeping the composers intent - or "lack of" in mind.
Cause a lot of the time they could probably give a damn less - it's
written to keep the Clarinet in a decent key, not for the sound of the
timbre of the fingerings.

David Blumberg
http://artists.primetones.com/blummy

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