Klarinet Archive - Posting 000182.txt from 2006/05

From: "Thiel, Mark" <thielm@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Clarinet Quartets, music for, sources of
Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 14:09:35 -0400

I thought that I would share some resources for clarinet quartet music
that some may not be aware of.

First is www.cacophonix.com which mostly arranges for string quartet,
but at my instigation has transcribed some of their arrangements for
clarinet quartet and are supposed to be working on some more. They are
also open to suggestions for new arrangements and new transcriptions of
what they have. They have a lot of songs that are frequent requests if
you happen to be on the wedding / funeral / gallery opening / bar/bat
mitvah circuit=20

Another source of mostly string quartet music is www.latham-music.com
. They have a few pieces which include an optional 3rd violin for viola
(search for "optional" in their quartet section). My quartet has their
complete Handel Water Music which works pretty well on 3 Bb & bass. Of
course the bass needs to read bass clef and fake something if it goes
into tenor clef.

Also (if you're into this sort of thing), www.virtualsheetmusic.com
similarly has a wedding album for string quartet with a treble clef 3rd
part. I haven't tried this one.

Of course the whole world of string quartet music is out there ripe for
pillaging by clarinet quartets. If you agree to take a piece down a
step, the first and second fiddle and 'cello parts can be read directly;
the problem of course is the viola part. (Side note: My quartet has
often told our 3rd player that with a little effort his bar pickup line
of: "Hey good-looking -- whatcha drinking there? -- I play in a Band -
and I play ALTO CLARINET" (which causes some amount of confusion) can be
revised to: "Hey good-looking -- whatcha drinking there? -- I play in
a Band - I play ALTO CLARINET --- AND I CAN TRANSPOSE ON SIGHT FROM
_VIOLA_ _CLEF_!!" (which I'm sure would end any hesitation on the part
of the addressee).) So lacking the skill or will to develop the skill
to make this transposition one can scan the viola score into music
software (if only ^%&#@ Photoscore would learn to recognize C clefs
instead of translating them into random garbage) and produce an alto
clarinet or basset horn part. Then you just need to deal with
pizzicato, multiple stops and occasional squeaky-high first fiddle
parts.

I expect that this message will prompt the usual replies that inability
to transpose is a sign of gross moral turpitude. Well maybe we _can_ do
these transpositions but just happen to make fewer mistakes if we don't
have to. Some of us need all the help we can get.

Mark Thiel

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