Klarinet Archive - Posting 000126.txt from 2008/01

From: mrusinek@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Bartok Contrasts
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:45:58 -0500

I find this an interesting discussion. I have to admit that in the
orchestra I often play passages on clarinets that are not specified by
the composer. I do have at my disposal an A, Bb, and C. Even still, I
switched the last time we did Fantastique between playing the 4th
movement on Bb and C from night to night. If we are to strictly adhere
to which clarinet the composer specified, should we then play only
german music on german clarinets and french music on french clarinets?
I certainly find a greater difference between french and german
clarinet playing than I do between A and Bb. I wonder how many french
players could identify correctly a german player playing the same
passage on Bb and A and likewise, I wonder how many german players
could tell the difference if I played some orchestral passages on both
clarinets. Do we extend this argument and only allow our bassoon
playing colleagues to play rite of spring on french bassoon? What do we
do then for the third movement of Brahms 4? Play on C, and play the low
Eb an octave up, or play the whole thing on Bb and get the low Eb in
the proper register? I certainly prefer the latter. For me, I tell my
students to play whichever clarinet and fingerings allow them to play
the most musically, smoothly, and beautifully. Certainly at an
audition, the only people that possibly will care if you are playing on
the "wrong" clarinet are the clarinet players, if they can tell at all.
However, everyone will be able to tell if one is playing with beautiful
singing intervals, and playing the passages with a true understanding
of the functions of the notes, leading to an intelligent, musical
performance.

Michael Rusinek

-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Leeson <dnleeson@-----.net>
To: klarinet@-----.org
Sent: Sun, 6 Jan 2008 7:43 pm
Subject: RE: [kl] Bartok Contrasts

This matter of clarinet pitches and which to use, lies at the heart of a
non-trivial problem, namely this: who is responsible for dicting which
clarinet types are used? There are only three choices: the composer, the
publisher, the performer. I include the publisher because there many
existing clarinet parts calling for a clarinet type that differ from the
ones the composer requested. We had such a case not more than a few
weeks
ago when someone wanted to know how he could get a certain work printed
in a
B-flat clarinet rather than a C clarinet. And an investigation showed
that
one publisher issued a part entirely for B-flat clarinet as a
convenience to
the player, while another made the part available with both clarinet
types
included, also as a convenience to the player.

Now to Thomas Hill. I have no idea why he chose to use one clarinet,
though
it is a dramatic demonstration of his skill. That piece is a killer
and to
add an additional complication of transposing as well as playing is a
courageous thing to do.

But at the same time, it is an arrogant thing to do. The player says,
"I
don't care what the composer requested in terms of the orignal clarinet
pitch. I am changing his expliciit request for any of a number of
reasons,
and I will not tolerate being challenged in this decision. It is mine to
make." And there is yet another sense of the performer's arrogance,
because
to do it is equivalent to saying that the only thing that matters is the
pitch of the note, and its character is of lesser importance.

Now look how far that perspective can be streched: I am a doubler and
play
both clarinet and oboe. I have a gig which requires a lot of stuff
including A clarinet, and an oboe d'amore, an instrumet that is in A.
Not
wanting to shlep all that stuff, I recognize that I can either play the
A
clarinet music on an oboe d'amore, or the oboe d'amore music on an A
clarinet.

You might think that the anology is ridiculous, and I would agree with
you
to a considerable degree. But what is the difference between this silly
situation and going to a gig without a C clarinet when you are certain
that
the music calls for one? It is entirely a matter of degree, not kind.

The player figures that conductor won't know the difference and won't
care
in any case. Have any of you been called out by the conductor because
you
were playing the C clarinet music on an A clarinet? They don't really
know
or care what you are doing as long as the notes come out OK. But would
they
know and care if you used the oboe d'amore instead of an A clarinet.

Just how much of the slippery slope does the music world tolerate here?

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

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom McKay [mailto:tjmckay@-----.edu]
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 3:59 PM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: Re: [kl] Bartok Contrasts

I recently heard a performance by the Boston Chamber Players, with
Thomas
Hill playing clarinet. He did a beautiful job. He played it all on
B-flat
clarinet.

(Maybe it would have been even better if he had used his A clarinet.?)

Tom McKay

On 1/5/08 4:50 PM, "Keith Bowen" <bowenk@-----.com> wrote:

> Yes that is how they are written (two clarinets). They are quite
difficult,
> and would become much more so in transposition!
>
> The violin also plays two instruments (one tuned as G#, D, A Eb).
>
> As for acceptability, I would give a resounding NO, but opinions
differ
:).
>
> Keith Bowen
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: klarinet-return-92478-bowenk=compuserve.com@-----.org
> [mailto:klarinet-return-92478-bowenk=compuserve.com@-----.org] On
Behalf
> Of Fred
> Sent: 05 January 2008 21:33
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] Bartok Contrasts
>
>
> Are the Contrasts -supposed- to be played on Bb and A clarinets, or
> is it very acceptable to do the whole thing on Bb?
>
> Fred
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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