Klarinet Archive - Posting 000223.txt from 2008/11

From: Bear Woodson <bearwoodson@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Alternatives to bassoon for a quintet? Part 2
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:43:05 -0500

> > Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:18:42 -0700
> > From: Bear Woodson <bearwoodson@-----.net>
> >=20
> > I had an excellent experience in substituting a Bb Bass
> > Clarinet for the bassoon in my "Second Woodwind
> > Quintet" some years ago. . . . (Written for Flute, Oboe,
> > Bb Clarinet, Horn in F, and either Bassoon or Bb
> > Bass Clarinet.)
>=20
>=20
> Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:55:19 +0000
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> From: Martin Baxter <martinbaxter@-----.net>
> Cc: Martin Baxter <martinbaxter@-----.net>
> Subject: Re: [kl] Alternatives to bassoon for a quintet?
> Message-Id:=20
> <C2343194-DE5E-49CC-9AF7-4248FD8F3B38@-----.net>
>=20
> How about performing "Mladi" with Bass and contra-alto
> clarinets, alto clarinet on the horn part, Bb and 2 c's on the
> flute and oboe lines. (Or even transpose the flute for Eb.
> Now THERE'S a clarinet sextet!
> Martin

Hmmm??? It sounds like you are suggesting using 6 Clarinets
as a transcription for my "Second Woodwind QUINTET". There
might be a small problem with the arithmetic.

Also, I made a point to use the Horn in some places to expose
its Unique Brassy Timbre, as the only one of its kind in the wood-
wind group. For example, the 5th (and last) Movement is like a
small Horn Concerto in ABA Form, with a Coda that Cycles back
to the Beginning Theme from the First Movement. Using any kind
of clarinet as its Substitute for those Bold, Heroic Horn Calls,
might not suit the mood.

In the same way that I make exchangeable Bass Clarinet or
Bassoon Parts in some of my Chamber Works since then, I've
often thought of transcribing the Horn part in this Quintet of mine
to Euphonium! Their players would probably get a kick out of it, so
it might be a welcomed and fun addition to their literature. (I'm also
a big fan of the Euphonium and other instruments, that I feel are too
often neglected by composers.)

Were you referring to the Mladi Chamber Orchestra in Los
Angeles? I had a bad experience with them a few years back.
Basically they gave me the same old Bigotry, that:

1) 'if you're not already famous, we won't help you get there',
and=20

2) 'since your music is MUCH harder to play than Baby Simple
Popular Music, we don't see the merits in working that hard, when
the audiences are not expecting, nor missing, your Non-Famous
Name on our programs', and

3) 'your music is MUCH harder to play than many famous Pre-
20th Century, and we're still not comfortable with Post Key
Signature Bart=F3k and Hindemith-styled (100 year old) Harmonies'!

I can think of a LONG List of NOW-Famous Works, that were
initially shunned by players as "too difficult to play", but that are
now Standard Repertoire! I get that contradiction a LOT, no matter
what instrument I write for, since I usually write for Professional
Level Players.=20

The other year ago, my Oboe Concerto got BANNED by the
Bush "White House Marine Band", the "President's Own"
because I had written a 3-Voiced Bart=F3k-styled Canon in the 1st
and 2nd Violins and Viole, in a passage just for the Tutti. They
whined that it is be WAY beyond their Playing Skills! I guess
when you're only competent enough to play JUVENILE,
TACKY Johann Strauss Waltzes and John Philip Sousa oom-
pah Marches, yes, I guess every kind of Adult, Music-Theory-
Polished Music WOULD INDEED be Overwhelming! I guess
history and the voters might forever see Mr. Bush, as Music
Theory Experts like me see his orchestra: as being no more
competent than his international and financial strategies were.
Oh, well.=20

However on the subject of Woodwind SEXTETS, in the Late
1980's I took some Composition Classes under Dr. Beverly
Grigsby at CSUN (California State University at Northridge,
which is in Los Angeles). One of the other Student Composers
was a guy who wrote a Wonderful Woodwind SEXTET piece,
scored for Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, Horn in F, Bassoon AND a
Bb Bass Clarinet! It had a Rich, Dark Timbre, that left a BIG
Impression on me! Someday I would LOVE to write a full Sextet
for that Scoring!=20

Bear Woodson =20
Composer in Tucson, Arizona, USA

Home: 520 - 881 - 2558
"Bear Woodson" <bearwoodson@-----.net>

"Just exactly HOW is someone supposed to be able
to tell the difference between a Kosher Pickle and a
Non-Kosher Pickle, just by looking at it? Do they
cut something off one end of it? And even if they do,
do you REALLY want to put that in your mouth?"
- Bear Woodson (2007)
(Who happens to be allergic to cucumbers,
whether they are soaking in vinegar, or not.)
=20

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