Klarinet Archive - Posting 000197.txt from 2007/02

From: "Forest Aten" <forestaten@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Lohengrin clarinet parts
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 13:09:35 -0500

As many of you know, I perform with the Dallas Opera in the capacity of 2nd
clarinet/bass clarinet. I slide to the bass chair when a part is called for
in the score.

Lohengrin presented several nasty bits for me, both musically and
politically.

I post this as some of the list may have interest...

I received my bass part about a month before the first rehearsal. Not
unreasonable considering that there are only 7 pages of music (important and
exposed) in the bass clarinet part. (you can't believe how long it takes to
perform a single page of a Wagner score....;-) So to work I went...
The part is written for both Bb and A bass and is also in both treble and
bass clef. Things change constantly. There are notation and registration
mistakes throughout the Kalmus score...

The score (Kalmus) is scored for 3 clarinets and bass. The third part is
often performed by the bass player as the two parts do not overlap. I should
say that it's performed by the bass player if the publisher includes the 3rd
clarinet part in both the conductor score an in a unified part with both
bass and 3rd clarinet. In this case the player is paid at a rate that
includes a "double" (a premium of usually 10-20% dependent on contract). In
the case where the two parts are separate (as in Kalmus) the company, per
contract requirements) must hire a 3rd player or pay the bass clarinet
player fully for both parts to be played. Without a unified part, the moving
back and forth between the parts is difficult and tedious. (and
risky..remember this is almost a full 4 and a half hour opera). Companies
will often try to "get away" with dumping both parts on the bass player and
pay the doublers rate....and the Dallas Opera, in fact, tried to do just
that. Ten minutes before the first rehearsal of Lohengrin started, the
librarian dropped the 3rd clarinet part on my stand. A discussion followed,
followed by a grievance filed and finally with the opera agreeing, per the
contract, to pay the bass clarinet player (me) for both parts.

A step further...(they never learn)...next year...

The very next day, as I arrived for the rehearsal, the conductor/music
director was talking to the 1st clarinet player about the very difficult
clarinet parts in the Strauss, Salome (we perform next year). I overheard,
"these are the most difficult clarinet parts in the opera rep and we MUST
have them in hand very early for proper preparation". In the next sentence,
"we will have you play the first Bb part and then divide the other parts so
that we can reduce the 6 parts to 5"....(yeah right).
Looking for ways to cut costs...should NOT always start in the pit...by
reducing forces...especially when clearly these parts are difficult and
called for by the score. There are several "reduced" arrangements available
for this Strauss opera but we are not performing from these scores next
season...but from the score requiring the largest orchestra ever to play in
the pit at Fair Park, Music Hall.
The singers will have to take it up a notch and the Dallas Opera board needs
to get out the checkbook. ;-)

Forest Aten
Clarinet
Dallas Opera

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