 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-01-10 14:19
I've been listening to a lot of Weber lately, and it's struck me in many of his pieces that he loved intervals beginning or ending on the clarion G# that (at least on the Boehm system) require a bit of alternate fingering planning -- RH clarion B to G#, RH clarion C# to G#, things like that. It's certainly not hard stuff, but for someone like me who's become hard-wired to use LH B and C# fingerings, it requires a little planning ahead.
Did Weber know enough about clarinet mechanics to exploit little challenges like that? Would the clarinets of Weber's day have had to deal with this challenge? And since I know next to nothing about other fingering systems, do German clarinets have to deal with this as well?
It just seems to me Weber knew enough about the clarinet to make you pay for not planning ahead for those cross-fingerings.
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Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: William
Date: 2005-01-10 15:03
I don't think that composers create music specifically for the performers technical challege--unless, of course, the music is intended to be a learning tool as in many etudes. It is rather for the musician to master the technical challeges necessary to perform the composers music. I really don't think that Aaron Copland though, "hmm.....I think I will write it a little higher to make it difficult for BG to play". Or that Karl Nielson thought, "hmmm....most clarinet players have slow tongues, so why not........" Rather, I think that the composers creative mind just hears it "that way" and they consequently simply "write it down". And I think the same goes for most composers. We just have to learn to play what they write, even though some music pushes the technical boundries a little bit "out of reach" for the average musician.
Then, again, it seems that a lot of composers have been inspired by my technical shortcomings.........hmmmmmm
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-01-10 15:11
I think it would be naive to assume that Bärmann did not have some influence and input on the technical aspects of Weber's writing. Besides being close friends, Bärmann was the inspiration for all 5 of the Weber clarinet pieces of 1811.
In about 1810, Bärmann had just acquired a 10 key clarinet, which by all accounts was "state of the art" for that time and facilitated his virtuoso playing...GBK
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-01-10 15:13
I've noticed that Weber really enjoyed those diminished seventh runs (particularly from an altissimo Eb down) and loved finishing his pieces up on that altissimo F.
Nothing like finishing up on a 'high' note (maybe the musical pun from Carl was intended?)
US Army Japan Band
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