Klarinet Archive - Posting 000111.txt from 2008/01

From: "Daniel Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: Bartok Contrasts' B-flat clarinet part
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:43:13 -0500

I do not think that there is a good solution to the problem of which
clarinet to use in the Bartok. There are probably other pieces that also
will not yield to the rational approach of "it's the composer's decision,
not the performer's." I admit that this conundrum exists, sometimes.

But, in the broadest sense, the problem of which clarinet pitch to use is
completely out of control today. In my observations, people use a particular
clarinet of their choice to lighten the weight of what they have to bring to
a performance. Or else the statement is made that "it sounds better on a
clarinet in XX," as if that personal decision was universally agreed to.
There are probably a dozen reasons offered for changing that which the
composer explicitly requested and for which there may have been a very good
reason, thought personal to the composer. And not owning the instrument is
the most often presented reason, to which the response should be, "You are a
professional. Go buy one. Take out a loan. But play what is asked of you on
the instrument that is requested. It is not your decision to change that
situation to one that is more amenable or cheaper or less heavy or sounds
better or whatever."

The fact that clarinettists do not, in the main, even consider the use of
the C clarinet for music in which its unique character adds a special sound,
is a demonstration of just how out of control the situation finds itself.
(Major exceptions exist here.) The fact that this problem does not arise for
other woodwinds, allows the clarinet world to conclude that it is perfectly
all right to do as one wishes. Bullshit!

Dan Leeson
dnleeson@-----.net
SKYPE: dnleeson

-----Original Message-----
From: Alexander Brash [mailto:brash@-----.edu]
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 10:10 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: Re: [kl] Re: Bartok Contrasts' B-flat clarinet part

butbutbut! You can't do the low Es! Unless you had some kind of extension
I guess?

On this one, I kind of agree with Dan, caveating it with the statement
that you should consider carefully the composer you're dealing with, and
why the instrument was chosen. I don't think anyone is going to argue that
Bartok chose the two clarinets in this piece for anything *but* color and
character considerations, and as such it should be respected in
performance. The name of the piece is "contrasts" after all, not "medium
well please" :) It's the same issue with violinists fingering the opening
of the third movement.

Of course if your options are not to share this great piece with an
audience, or to play it entirely on Bb (if you didn't have access to an
A), then of course I'd say perform it all on Bb :)

That said - I cheat on some of the changes in the third movement because
I'd otherwise never make it at the tempo we like to go. On an unrelated
note, it makes one of the passages phenomenally easier ;)

There is an excellent recording of this put out recently by a rather
famous clarinetist that does the first page of the first movement on the
Bb, and at some point that would not be possible if not in a studio,
switches to an A clarinet (gasp!).

On Mon, January 7, 2008 9:34 am, Margaret Thornhill wrote:
> Both of my copies of the Bartok Contrasts (Boosey and Hawkes) were
> printed with two clarinet parts. One of them is entirely for clarinet in
> B-flat
>
> There is nothing arrogant about a clarinetist playing the piece on one
> clarinet. Some people actually consider the first movement easier in
> B-flat.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Margaret Thornhill
> Artist/Teacher of Clarinet
> Los Angeles
> http://www.margaretthornhill.com
>
>
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