Klarinet Archive - Posting 000559.txt from 2006/03

From: Patton Hunnicutt <bass9396@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Let's get real (was Transposed Parts)
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2006 19:36:01 -0500

Confused?

Think student ensembles for a minute.

--- Adam Michlin <amichlin@-----.com> wrote:

> Grainger wrote the Hill Song Number 2 in 1907, long
> before wind band
> instrumentation was standardized. Some might say it
> still isn't
> standardized, but it is clear that the A clarinet
> did not fair well
> in large wind band music after Grainger's early
> contribution. This is
> hardly surprising given the community roots of most
> large wind bands,
> "We have to buy *what* for our Fourth of July
> concert?" There are
> plenty of wind chamber ensemble pieces which require
> A clarinets (the
> Stravinsky Octet comes immediately to mind), but I
> think it is safe
> to say that A clarinet parts in large wind bands are
> rare. As an
> example, I'm told that John Paynter's transcription
> of Debussy's
> Orchestral Nocturne "Fetes" uses Bb clarinet
> throughout, a cruel and
> unusual punishment in my mind. The medium sized wind
> ensemble as
> started by Fennell at Eastman in the second half of
> the 20th century
> confuses the issue thoroughly, so let's not go
> there.
>
> As to what 18th century composers would have
> preferred, it is just as
> possible that they would have preferred the older
> instruments. We
> have clear examples of 19th composers who wrote for
> antiquated
> instruments. Wagner and Brahms wrote for natural
> horns, for example.
> The metal flute wasn't fully accepted until the 20th
> century and
> people are still playing traditional jazz on albert
> system clarinets
> to this day.
>
> We just don't know. We can't know. Most importantly,
> if we choose to
> speculate we have no business doing so in the
> composer's name.
>
> To wit:
>
> I think K622 played on a baritone saxophone would
> sound really cool.
> - Stupid, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.
>
> vs.
>
> I think, if only a baritone saxophone was available
> to Mozart, he
> would have preferred K622 played on a baritone
> saxophone. - Stupid,
> but more importantly illogical under the premise of:
>
> If A then B
>
> Where A can never be shown to be true.
>
> -Adam
>
> At 06:36 PM 3/26/2006, Roger Hewitt wrote:
> >Well, Dan, I stand corrected - I suppose I guessed
> that such a definite
> >and positive assertion would be proved wrong, so
> thanks for that. I
> >have played for over 20 years in
> concert/military/wind bands and never
> >seen A parts, so I took a view. I am very pleased
> to know that there
> >are precedents for Clarinet in A in the genre. I
> know that there are
> >many non-professional (but extremely good amateur)
> musicians who have
> >never played anything but bands and so don't own
> anything but Bb (if
> >they do it may be Eb or Bass or possibly alto, but
> not A). They are
> >missing out on so much!
> >
> >The percentage is tiny, so my point is not trivial,
> although not as
> >strong as I first thought.
> >
> >I would say one further thing: my first email was
> dashed off quickly as
> >I had to go out, so I forgot to make my main point!
> Which is that
> >often (definitely not always) a composer does the
> easy or most usual
> >thing because of time or practicality reasons and
> that the tone colour
> >variations between C/Bb/A are much less important
> than dynamics, tempi,
> >legato/staccato, etc., so let's not get too
> stressed about everything,
> >unless a totally professional result is the aim.
> >
> >Someone else pointed to the fact that a C clarinet
> part is usually for
> >a period instrument anyway and this will have much
> more influence on
> >tone colour than a modern Boehm system "standard" C
> clarinet. And most
> >18th century composer would much preferred to use
> Modern violins,
> >pianos, valve horns, if only they could have!
> >
> >Again I duck in anticipations of the missiles.
> >
> >Thanks again for the authoratative correction - I
> love learning from
> >this list.
> >Roger H
>
>
>
>
>
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