Klarinet Archive - Posting 000545.txt from 2006/03

From: Adam Michlin <amichlin@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Transposed Parts
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2006 12:09:54 -0500

Those wishing to read to original excerpt=20
regarding the Paris Conservatoire can find it (courtesy of Google Books) at:

http://tinyurl.com/hhvbo

Unfortunately, there is no reference to the=20
original document where the statement about=20
Mueller's clarinet was taken from (at least not=20
on the page, I do not have direct access to the=20
book itself right now). I'm not entirely sure how=20
representative Cherubini and Mehul are of all=20
composers prior to the 20th century, but I'll=20
give them to you along with Strauss and Mahler.

On the same page, however, one will find this=20
quote from a Lazarus method book circa 1881:

"... those various pitched clarinets (A, B flat,=20
C) are made so as to avoid writing music keys=20
which would render the fingering extremely=20
difficult were there only one clarinet, and not=20
for the change of timbre, as many think."

My intent was never to advocate for the arbitrary=20
substitution of pitched clarinets, my intent was=20
to argue that substituting a pitched clarinets=20
against the the composers specified instrument is=20
not always a cut and dry demonstration of=20
arrogance and that we really do not know to what=20
degree most pre-20th century composers were=20
influenced by the tone color of the various sizes of Bb, C and A clarinets.

I don't know how Berlioz could be referring to a=20
practice that was practically impossible (various=20
inventions, not withstanding) during his time, so=20
I can, at most, take from the Berlioz quote that=20
he didn't approve of arbitrary substitution of=20
instruments in general rather than different=20
pitched instruments of the same family. More power to him!

-Adam

At 11:43 AM 3/26/2006, Joseph Wakeling wrote:
>Adam Michlin wrote:
> > I'd be curious to see the original source of the first statement
> > regarding the Paris Conservatoire. Even so, I do not believe it speaks
> > to the intention of composers throughout the European Continent. I'm
> > happy to be corrected.
>
>I don't have the reference to hand, but it's mentioned in the Cambridge
>Companion to the Clarinet among other sources.
>
>
> > perhaps even Berlioz, but that might be a stretch
>
>"As a general rule players should only use the instruments specified by
>the composer. Since each of these instruments has its own special
>character it is at least likely that the composer chose one rather
>another because he preferred this particular timbre, and not through any
>caprice." ---Hector Berlioz, /Grand Trait=C3=A9 d=E2=80=99Instrumentation=
et
>d=E2=80=99Orchestration Modernes/.
>
>
> > I'll keep the rest of the pre-20th century composers and could argue
> > that Strauss was as much, if not more, a 20th century composer than a
> > 19th century composer. And by keeping the rest of the pre-20th century
> > composers, I mean I will maintain that we don't know to what degree
> > they wrote for individual tone colors of pitched clarinets. This does
> > not mean they didn't, just that to suggest they did is speculation.
>
>I don't have references to hand, but I think you'll find that the
>clarinet treatises of the time note the colour differences.
>
>
> > We do know, very clearly, the key related rules behind choosing
> > pitched clarinets in the 19th century. This is not speculation.
>
>Yes. But it *is* speculation to suppose that this was the *only* factor
>they considered.
>
>
>
>

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