Klarinet Archive - Posting 000316.txt from 2010/10

From: "Clinton F. Nieweg" <proofferr@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] =?iso-8859-1?q?Mozart_Clarinets_in_Cos=EC_and_Idomeneo?=
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2010 11:08:14 -0400

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Sutherland =

To: Clinton F. Nieweg [proofferr at comcast dot net]

In Mozart's original manuscript of Cos=EC and Idomeneo, he does indeed wri=
te
for Klarinett in H. In all of the Engraved full scores that I have seen,
these passages were written for Clarinet in A. The published orchestral
material also has these passages written for Clarinet in A. The only place
I have ever seen Clarinet in B natural is in Mozart's manuscript.
=

I did a quick flip through the facsimile of both operas and came up with
the
following. One should keep in mind that Mozart did not always specify the
pitch of the clarinets in his manuscript. This is especially apparent in
Act I of Idomeneo. However there is never any question as to the pitch of
the instrument that he was writing for. I notated where it was specified,
or not, in greater detail for Cos=EC.
=

Idomeneo
Act I: Cl in A / B flat / C
Act II: Cl in C / (No. 15 Coro "Placido =E8 il mar, andiamo" specified in =
H =3D
B natural) / B flat
Act III: "Zeffiretti lusinghieri" =3D in B natural (not specified) / B fla=
t /
C / B flat / =

=

Cos=EC fan tutte
Overture: Clarinet in C (not specified)
Act I: Cl. In A (specified) / B flat (unspecified) / in A (specified) / B
flat (specified) / in C (unspecified - share line with oboes) / in B flat
(specified) / in A (specified) /
Act II: Cl. In C (specified) / in B flat (specified) / "Per piet=E0 - in H
(specified) [appears as Cl. In A in engraved full scores] / in B flat
(specified) / =

=

Anyone who has only played the operas will have never run into Clarinet in
B
natural so I can understand why there would be differing opinions. As
mentioned, I have only seen it in Mozart's manuscript score. (I have not
looked at manuscript orchestral material from the late 1700's. I am only
familiar with engraved editions from the 1800's to present)

Robert Sutherland
Chief Librarian
The Metropolitan Opera
Lincoln Center
New York, NY 10023
=

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