Klarinet Archive - Posting 000096.txt from 2008/12

From: Bear Woodson <bearwoodson@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Gran Partitta: Alto versus Basset
Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:04:55 -0500

Hi, Nancy.=20

I hope you have a wonderful Chanukkah AND a Happy
Rockerfeller!=20

> Bear,
> I love your music, but DON"T mess with Mozart!

"Mess with"? All I'm suggesting is:

a) That when any work is gorgeous, that a lot of musicians
would want to play it; and

b) when they play the original, or a Transcribed Version, they
have to use Available instruments. (Frankly, I wouldn't be
surprised if there are Transcriptions of the Gran Partitta for
Strings Alone, or for Brass Alone.)

Who here is suggesting that the Gran Partitta is NOT a
gorgeous work?=20

Who here is suggesting that it is NOT worthy of many
musicians wanting to play it?

Who here is suggesting that Bach, Mozart, Beethoven,
Brahms, Prokofieff, Samuel Barber and Hindemith, did
NOT transcribe at least of few of their own works, while
deliberately choosing NOT to transcribe other works of
theirs?=20

Who here is suggesting that Alto Clarinet Players NOT
wish that the Gran Partitta, Requiem and other Masterworks
by Mozart and other good composers, had been written for
Alto Clarinets rather than Basset Horns?

For those who don't know me well, please realize, that not
only was I never an Alto Clarinetist, but I was never a Player
of ANY woodwind instrument on a long term basis! I've
never touched ANY size of clarinet, other than a Bb Soprano,
and that was briefly over 30 years ago!

Plus, I've never even seen a Basset Horn in person, but as
I listen to the Bassets on my Marlboro CD of the Gran Partitta,
it would have been nice to have written a sonata or concerto for
it, when I was still composing. At least I got to write several
accompanied sonatas and Konzertst=FCcke plus 7 concerti, each
for a different solo instrument, before I was forced to stop
months ago. Oh, well.

Bear Woodson =20

Home: 520 - 881 - 2558
"Bear Woodson" <bearwoodson@-----.net>
=20

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