Klarinet Archive - Posting 000437.txt from 2006/03

From: Joseph Wakeling <joseph.wakeling@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Alto Clarinet in the Orchestra
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 12:58:34 -0500

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Curtis Bennett wrote:
> Is the alto clarinet doomed to the path of the basset horn - a remnant
> of a bygone era that's only seldom played?

The basset horn's status is hardly "a remnant". It may be less commonly
played than others in the clarinet family, but when it *is* played it is
almost always an important part. It also has a wide repertoire---from
Mozart-period works through to Mendelssohn's Konzertst=C3=BCcke, the Stra=
uss
operas, and now a striking number of modern works (particularly
Stockhausen, but also others such as Boulez, Ligeti, Sessions...).

The problem with the alto clarinet is exactly the opposite. It's very
widely written for in wind band music through the 19th and 20th
centuries but the number of truly *important* parts are negligible.

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