Klarinet Archive - Posting 000213.txt from 2009/02
From: Michael Wnight <michaelwhight@-----.uk>
Subj: RE: [kl] Brahms quintet
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:08:00 -0500
Jonathan...there is no such thing as should in music...only infinite possib=
ilities and anyone who has worked with great composers will know that they =
are very pragmatic and open to variance.=20
Michael Whight=20
-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.org>
Sent: 10 February 2009 16:45
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: Re: [kl] Brahms quintet
At 9:21 AM +0000 2/10/09, Tony Pay wrote:
>That M=FChlfeld played a small section of the slow=20
>movement on another clarinet amounts to nothing=20
>more than a small puzzle. Such a decision by=20
>one performer need have no bearing on what is=20
>done today; even today's players differ in what=20
>they can make different setups do.
By the way, you didn't consider the possibility=20
that Muhlfeld simply moved his barrel and=20
mouthpiece together over to the B-flat clarinet=20
that he (and obviously Brahms) preferred for the=20
passage. Given the difficulties of moving a=20
mouthpiece by itself, and the obvious problems of=20
playing a setup that has been sitting unused for=20
20 minutes, this is the more likely scenario.=20
[Another problem besides the reed sitting unused=20
for 20 minutes is that the temperature of the air=20
column in the tube will have reverted to whatever=20
room temperature is by that point in time, which=20
will make the pitch flatter as well.]
But clearly, given that Muhlfeld preferred it on=20
the B-flat (with Brahms' obvious approval), and=20
given the fact that on modern day clarinets=20
(Buffet, Yamaha, Selmer, Leblanc, Rossi,=20
Wurlitzer, etc....) it sounds better, lies=20
better, is smoother and works better in general,=20
modern-day players SHOULD play it on B-flat when=20
possible. Yes, SHOULD.
For your edification, Tony, "should" is used "to=20
indicate duty, propriety, or expediency".=20
Clearly, (1) it is our "duty" as classical=20
musicians to adhere as closely as humanly=20
possible to the desires of the composer, (2)=20
clearly it is appropriate to the circumstances to=20
use the B-flat ("propriety"), (3) clearly it is=20
suitable for the purpose and conducive to=20
advantage or interest to use the B-flat=20
("expediency").
One SHOULD use the B-flat clarinet when playing=20
this passage today on a modern clarinet. Whether=20
or not you do so is your choice, of course.
>Jonathan Cohler wrote:
>
>> Tony presented no scientific data of any kind at any point in the
>> discussion. In fact, all he did was to continually ridicule science.
>
>Not science, old sport. Just you.
I stand corrected. You are right. I should have=20
said, "all he did was to continually ridicule=20
science and make ad hominem attacks."
Best,
--=20
Jonathan Cohler
Artistic & General Director
International Woodwind Festival
http://iwwf.org/
cohler@-----.org
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