 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2009-09-23 14:05
Hello everyone,
I have a performance of the work coming in November, and am studying the score currently.
In the 3rd Act, 3rd scene, rehearsal 146 and thereafter for a while:
1st is on Bb
2nd on A
??? on bass clarinet
Is this piece normally performed with three clarinetists?
I appreciate the help!
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-09-23 14:45
I haven't performed this opera for 40 years so I don't really remember how it's written but we did the "full" orchestration and did it with three. So it depends if you're doing a "reduced" version or not. It does seem strange that the 1st part and 2nd part are in two different keys but perhaps it's because the second part goes down to a low E on the A clarinet. Otherwise I don't understand why it would be that way. You can tell what key the bass part is in by the key signature. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2009-09-23 14:59
Thanks Ed,
The score I have is full, but the instrumentation page in the forward lists only two clarinets as being needed. I'm curious whether there is a fault in my score, and/or what is common performing practice.
I added the keys incidentally...it wasn't the crux of my question, and I should have made that clearer.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2009-09-23 15:46
Both Kalmus and Luck's show the clarinet requirement as 2+1 in their catalog -- two clarinets plus a bass clarinet.
I suppose, if the cost of having an extra clarinetist for a brief cameo is prohibitive or it's unreasonable to expect a volunteer sit through a couple hours of opera to play a few minutes of music, it might be possible to cover everything with two players if the three clarinets are never all playing at the same time or if one of the clarinet parts is relatively unimportant or is doubled in (or could be farmed out to) another instrument. I realize I have just committed blasphemy but there it is. While I don't know this for a fact, I suspect that major opera companies/orchestras usually use three players, lower-tier professional orchestras or community orchestras might try to get away with two.
Best regards,
Jack Kissinger
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2009-09-23 16:31
Hello Jack,
When I read 2+1, I expect (perhaps erroneously) that the second clarinetist will perform the bass clarinet duties and that the second and bass parts will alternate. Or else (logically) it should read 3 clarinets needed, or (even better) 2 clarinets and 1 bass clarinet.
Especially when the Instrumentation of the score reads:
2 clarinet in A, Bb
Clarinet 2 doubles on Bass clarinet in Bb
This rather logical assumption is clearly wrong in this case, since all three perform at the same time.
Simply attempting to anticipate an issue before we get to rehearsal.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-09-23 17:49
Tobin wrote:
> Especially when the Instrumentation of the score reads:
> 2 clarinet in A, Bb
> Clarinet 2 doubles on Bass clarinet in Bb
>
> This rather logical assumption is clearly wrong in this case,
> since all three perform at the same time.
I wouldn't be so sure about that. I would first make sure it doesn't say "edited by Rahsaan Roland Kirk" on the cover before reaching that kind of conclusion. 
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Author: donald
Date: 2009-09-23 21:27
(in a rush, but some relevant anecdotes)
I toured NZ with a reduced version of this work in 2008, but was told by the conductor that the Clarinet parts were almost entirely from the original score. The 2nd clarinet had to play bass clarinet for a bit here and there. I'm not sure if this is the usual practise for this work.
Falstaff (Verdi) show 3 clarinets in the score (1, 2 and bass) but is usually performed with just two clarinet players- the 2nd clarinet player neglecting his part and playing the bass part for one section, and a bass clarinet solo in another section (where there is no 2nd clarinet). I understand this to be the "tradition" for this work, but correct me if I'm wrong.
The 1st and 2nd clarinets do occasionally end up on different clarinets (ie one on A, one on Bflat) for various reasons. In the Ballet I was playing a few weeks back, for instance, there was a 2nd clarinet solo on B flat while the 1st clarinet changed over to A to get ready for a solo that followed soon after. I am sure i recall having to change on to A for small sections that involved low E, while other section players stayed on B flat... Mahler 6 for instance...
dn
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2009-09-23 22:47
According to the legend at Kalmus, "2+1" specifies two clarinetists and a bass clarinetist (3 total players). For the situation where the score calls for two clarinets with one doubling on bass, they use a different notation -- "2d1."
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: MondeLuna
Date: 2009-10-13 01:23
I'm also going to be playing the 2nd Clarinet book this year. I just got the music, we are performing the Reduced Orchestration (Schirmer Inc.) and it appears that the Bass Clarinet parts are not in this book. I am assuming the bass lines have been placed in another part.
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The Clarinet Pages
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