Klarinet Archive - Posting 000131.txt from 2005/06

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] hardest music?
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 15:36:06 -0400

The hardest piece I ever had to perform in PUBLIC was the bass clarinet part
to Richard Strauss' opera "Salome". The part, being Strauss, is full of very
fast notes, and tricky rhythms, and extended register. Worse, it is written
in bass clef; many parts for bass clarinet in A. I had NO TIME to re-write
the part, so I just had to read it and transpose on the fly. (I took over for
another bass clarinet player who couldn't do it). I got two rehearsals then
had to do the performances. This was for the Toledo Opera Association
(professional union orchestra). I was 18 or 19 years old.

Talk about sweating bullets.

Walter Grabner
www.clarinetXpress.com
World-class clarinet mouthpieces

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