Klarinet Archive - Posting 000458.txt from 2004/08

From: <duffyl@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: RE: [kl] Bass Clarinet in A - historical evidence?
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 07:45:15 -0400

Dear Dan"

Thanks for the post, and with some thought I agree ..

certainly around Beethoven's time the theory I have begins to fall apart
somewhat. Berlioz would certainly be in my mind the beginning of the
Romantic school of orchestration if there is such a thing...there is also
some great clarinet music in his works....

However, interestingly enough the persistence of the Bass Clarinet in A does
certainly merit careful thought about the merit of it's tone and sound.

I believe Stravinsky knew Ravel very well, a CBC documentary on his visit to
Canada has Stravinsky speaking of Ravel a good bit and about Ravel's
illness too. A good freind of mine did an interview with Stravinsky as
well for CBC Radio...her name is Margaret Ann-Ireland and I believe the
interview was from Stravinky's visit in the mid 60s.

As to tonal colour the A bass I have only heard a couple of times when
studying in France under Desplus...Guy Desplus felt it was used in Germany a
good deal at one point... more in the time of Wagner etc....

As to the expense I am sure the firms like Selmer and Leblance would make
one but for a price and this would be quite high. I also feel that Selmer
may have a slight edge in the production on an A Bass Clarinet simply
because they have made Bass clarinets for over a hundred years now.

David Dow
Symphony NB

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