Klarinet Archive - Posting 000130.txt from 2009/08

From: "Doug Potter" <doug@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Clarinets in F
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:50:00 -0400

Regardless of what Dan thinks, this is a wonderful document. I've =
always wondered about many of the details on various instruments - and =
here they are. I especially liked the comments on bowing (why do we =
need someone to mark bowing on top of what the composer wanted?).

Thanks.

Doug
http://ConicWave.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Wakeling [mailto:joseph.wakeling@-----.net]=20
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 9:04 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: Re: [kl] Clarinets in F

Dan Leeson wrote:
> The Stravinsky work of which I speak is the Symphonies for Wind
> Instruments, and the part reads, "Clarinet in F."

Yes, my mistake. I don't know why I thought it was Firebird.

A little piece of historical trivia. I recently got hold of a PDF copy
of Berlioz' 'Treatise on Orchestration' -- it's freely downloadable from
the International Music Score Library project at:
http://imslp.org/wiki/Treatise_on_Instrumentation_(Berlioz,_Hector)

-- and this being a 19th-century work it has some interesting notes on
the alto clarinet in F (then a much more common instrument) and the
basset horn:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- The Alto Clarinet --

This is simply a clarinet in low F or Eb, and consequently a fifth below
the clarinets in C and Bb; it has their full range. It is written
transposed; the first one is a fifth, and the second one a major sixth
above their real sound.

It is a very beautiful instrument, but unfortunately is not to be found
in all well-constituted orchestras.

-- The Basset-Horn --

The basset-horn differs from the alto clarinet in low F only by having
the added little brass bell extending its lower end, and by its faculty
to descend chromatically to C, a third lower than the lowest note of the
clarinet.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am wondering who, out of Dan and Leinsdorf, will be more upset at
Berlioz' words ... :-)

Best wishes,

-- Joe

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