Klarinet Archive - Posting 000324.txt from 2010/10

From: "Dan Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] H?
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2010 12:38:40 -0400

Hi Shawn,

The problem is caused by a flaw in early instruments that overblew a 12th
and not an octave. That had an enormous impact on the history of the
clarinet. Having a fully chromatic clarinet in Mozart's time was inhibited
by a technical problem in manufacture.

For an instrument that overblows a 12th, adding a hole that gave a new note
(and a key to cover the hole if necessary) sometimes presented a note that
was in tune in one register but not the other. I don't know why. This single
fact is the primary underpinning for having clarinets in multiple pitches.
For other wind instruments, when you needed to change keys, you just change
keys by using the touchpieces on the instrument.

But with the Mozart-era clarinet, when you needed to change keys, you
switched to a differently pitched clarinet that allowed you to play in the
needed key without having to have a key signature of more than 1 sharp!!

Today, that is an anachronism, but it was not in Mozart's time, and we are
stuck with clarinets in C, B-flat, A (and H) because of this phenomenon.

And you owe me a particularly large and complex pizza.

Dan Leeson

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sean Osborn" <feanor33@-----.net>
To: <klarinet@-----.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2010 8:58 AM
Subject: Re: [kl] H?

> Dan,
>
> Thanks for the clarification. Very strange! It seems so unnecessary
> for Mozart (or anyone who had a fully chromatic clarinet) to ask for
> such an unusual instrument.
>
> Sean
>
>>The reason why you never see the request for clarinet in B-natural
>>(or clarinet in H) in the performance parts of either Idomeneo or
>>Cosi is because it has been edited out of the published editions,
>>probably because no one believes that they can ask a clarinetist to
>>find one of those. But I have the Neue Mozart Ausgabe volumes of
>>both operas as well facsimiles of the autographs of both operas, and
>>there, in black in white in Mozart's hand is the request for the
>>clarinet in B-natural. I remember when I was contacted by the editor
>>of the Cosi volume who could not figure out what a clarinet in H
>>was. Frankly, I was puzzled too.
>>
>>It's a rarity to be sure, but it is absolute. And to make the
>>matter worse, the editors invariably create the part for an A
>>clarinet which is very much the wrong character of sound. A
>>B-natural clarinet is almost as lively as a C clarinet, and the A
>>clarinet substitution called for by the editors presents a sound
>>character too somber.
>>
>>I'll scan and post the material right from the NMA volume if you
>>want further corroboration.
>>
>>Dan Leeson
>
> www.osbornmusic.com
>
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