Klarinet Archive - Posting 000007.txt from 2005/06

From: Tim Roberts <timr@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Re: Bb versus C Clarinet?
Date: Wed, 01 Jun 2005 12:59:41 -0400

On Wed, 1 Jun 2005 02:17:56 +0200, willy kostucki <wk@-----.be> wrote:

>-The C clarinet allows one to play the "real" notes and not notes
>that are one whole tone of difference with the non-transposing
>instruments. Isn't this an "advantage"?
>
>

In my view, it's neither an advantage nor a disadvantage. It just
"is". The typical concert band, for example, consists mostly of
transposing instruments. The flutes, double reeds, trombones, and tubas
do not transpose. The clarinets, trumpets, and tenor saxes are in Bb.
The alto and bari saxes are in Eb, along with Eb clarinet. The
euphoniums sometimes transpose and sometimes not, depending on whether
they are reading bass or treble clef. Science has not yet firmly
established the key in which french horns play, although some modern
researchers suspect it may be F.

With all of that mixture, there is no particular advantage to being
non-transposing. Flutes get accustomed to playing in flat keys. Alto
saxes get used to sharp keys.

There IS an advantage in some situations. In liturgical music, for
example, where one is accompanying organ or piano, it is certainly
easier to read the organ music with a C clarinet than to transpose on
the fly.

>-Why do so few clarinetists play on Bb (beside the fact most of the
>classical pieces are writen for Bb).
>-Why is most classical music writen for Bb and not for C?
>
>

Your assertion here is false. Bb parts are NOT more prevalent in the
classical literature. A few years ago, one of our illustrious
contributors, a member of a major orchestra, did an unscientific
inventory of the pieces in his library to determine the actual
distribution. He found a nearly even split between pieces for A and Bb
clarinet, and a surprisingly high (to me) percentage of parts in C. The
ratio was nearly 2:2:1.

In band music, the A clarinet is practically unknown, but the orchestral
repertoire is very different.

--
Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

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