Klarinet Archive - Posting 000149.txt from 2008/01
From: Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.org>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: Bartok Contrasts' B-flat clarinet part
Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:15:05 -0500
I absolutely agree with Dan on his main point that it's not up to the
performer to decide what he/she likes. It's up to the performer to
follow the composer's instructions. That's our job in classical
music.
I would add one twist to the discussion, however...
I think we would all agree that composers choose a particular
clarinet (A/Bb/C/D/Eb...) for two possible reasons. First and
probably foremost is the "color" or "tone-quality" which is different
on each. Second is for the resultant fingerings, which changes the
ease of performance and to a lesser degree has some impact on the
"color" as well.
Lets restrict ourselves to the color argument for the moment. One of
the most important things that Arthur Benade proved in his work on
clarinet acoustics is that the single most important factor in
determining a clarinet's "color" is its cutoff frequency. Without
getting into the physics/mathematical details, suffice it to say that
the cutoff frequency for a particular fingering on the clarinet is
determined by the precise shape and placement of the tone-holes.
A higher cutoff frequency means a brighter sound, because when there
is a higher cutoff frequency, more high-frequency content of the
sound is radiated out of the tone holes.
Benade discovered a few important things in his research on cutoff
frequency of instruments:
1. A "good" instrument has a very consistent cutoff frequency from
note to note. In other words, the color doesn't change very much from
note to note.
2. When a cutoff frequency did change dramatically from one fingering
to another, professional players identified this as a problem in the
instrument.
3. The cutoff frequency of a modern day Buffet C clarinet is HIGHER
than that of a modern day Buffet B-flat clarinet, which is higher
than that of a modern day Buffet A clarinet, which is higher than
that of a Beethoven period C clarinet.
This means that a Beethoven period C clarinet was/is darker than even
most modern day A clarinets, and modern day C clarinets are MUCH
BRIGHTER than Beethoven period C clarinets.
Therefore, if color is the argument for instrument choice, and only
modern-day instruments are at hand, then using a modern day A
clarinet to play a Beethoven C clarinet part would be a BETTER choice
than using a modern day C clarinet!
--Jonathan
At 10:43 AM -0800 1/7/08, Daniel Leeson wrote:
>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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>
>
>
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--
Jonathan Cohler
Artistic & General Director
International Woodwind Festival
http://iwwf.org/
cohler@-----.org
--
Jonathan Cohler
Artistic & General Director
International Woodwind Festival
http://iwwf.org/
cohler@-----.org
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