Klarinet Archive - Posting 000058.txt from 2009/02

From: Tony Pay <tony.p@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Brahms quintet
Date: Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:53:28 -0500

On 3 Feb, Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.org> wrote:

> Except, of course, the passage at m82-m93 of the 2nd movement. That re=
ally
> should be played on B-flat clarinet as that is how M=FChlfeld played it=
for
> Brahms, and of course the F-minor passages on B-flat sound much better
> (Smoother, more in tune, more resonant, because of the nature of the
> fingerings. This is not a subjective statement, for those who are goin=
g to
> want to argue, but rather one based on obvious physics) than the F-shar=
p
> minor passages on A (which is no doubt why Brahms preferred it).

This is an ill-considered, parochial judgement. Actually, F# minor and D=

major on the Ottensteiner instrument that M=FChlfeld used involve 'simple=
r'
fingerings, in the sense of your 'obvious' physics, than do F minor and D=
b
major.

That's a consequence of the fact that the top C# and throat F# are finger=
ed
using just the thumb +/- speaker key, and the clarion F# using just RH1 (=
plus
LH, of course).

Perhaps Brahms preferred it; but if he did, it wasn't 'without doubt' bec=
ause
the fingerings are 'more in tune, more resonant' -- because they're not, =
as I
can attest from personal experience, having played the piece on both an
original Ottensteiner and a modern copy.

I made a speculative post about this a few years back:

http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/Klarinet/2000/01/000539.txt

Tony
--=20

_________ Tony Pay
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