Klarinet Archive - Posting 000319.txt from 2010/10
From: "Dan Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] =?iso-8859-1?q?Mozart_Clarinets_in_Cos=EC_and_Idomeneo?=
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2010 12:03:13 -0400
I thank Bob Sutherland for his thorough response to the matter of clarinet =
in B natural. We are on the same page.
The reason for the recommended use of clarinet in A for the passages specif=
ied is a function of a rule for writing for clarinets in the classic period=
. The rule established that clarinets could not be written in a key callin=
g for more that 1 sharp. In fact, in studies undertaken with Mozart by a ma=
n named Thomas Attwood, Mozart wrote (and in English, no less) that "The cl=
arinet should only be written for in the key of C and F." =
If you had something in other than C and F, you changed clarinets to get it=
back to C and F.
Eventually Mozart loosened the restriction for flat keys (using up to four =
flats in several compositions), but never went beyond the written key of G =
for sharp keys. In fact, whenever he had to write for 2 or more sharps, he=
disgusted what he was doing by writing in written C major and then adding =
the accidentals on the notes themselves right in the part but not in the ke=
y signature. For an example of this see the last movement of the C minor w=
ind serenade where it goes from C minor to C major. He deliberately writes=
the clarinet parts in the wrong key so as not to have them play in the rea=
l key of written D major.
Given the material in Cosi and Idomeneo, an editor looking at what Mozart w=
rote would be hard put to use any clarinet other than one in A. I don't ha=
ve the score in front of me (it's packed away in preparation for a move), b=
ut I believe that the concert pitch of the Cosi aria is a pile of sharps, I=
think the key of B major. For a B-flat clarinet, that would be written C-s=
harp major, which Mozart would never have used for a clarinet. By using a c=
larinet in H, it would be written in C major, which is why he used the inst=
rument in the first place. =
So the only choice, considering the traditional three clarinet pitches avai=
lable to an editor, would have to be for the A clarinet.
But that is an unfortunate but necessary choice. The sound character of a =
B-natural clarinet is as lively as a C clarinet. The A clarinet is much mor=
e somber. To approximate the right character of sound, it should be played =
by a C clarinet, which puts the clarinets in written B-major. =
And that is why it is always played by a clarinet in A. Same thing for Ido=
meneo.
Bob Levin and I did a paper together for the 1998 Mozart Jahrbuch (pp. 139-=
152), the title of which is "Mozart's Deliberate Use of Incorrect Key Sign=
atures for Clarinets." It discusses this entire phenomenon, which came fro=
m the fact of multiple clarinet pitches. And if you want further corrobora=
tion of this, take a look at the signature for clarinets in the Mozart oper=
a, Don Giovanni, when the piece goes from minor to major. Both clarinets a=
re written in the wrong key, deliberately!!
Bet you never noticed that!! Now everyone on this list owes me a pizza.
=
Dan Leeson
----- Original Message ----- =
From: "Clinton F. Nieweg" <proofferr@-----.net>
To: <klarinet@-----.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2010 8:08 AM
Subject: [kl] Mozart Clarinets in Cos=EC and Idomeneo
-----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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