 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2002-01-15 23:38
Having played Mahler 6th last week I promised to give my reflections on why he wrote the last movement for D clarinet.
In this case I think there is only one reason. Since it,s written so high for the instrument, more than half the part is in the altissimo range with notes up to altissimo Bb and B, it doesn't make any difference in sound if you use a D or an Eb clarinet, so the only reason must be to make it more fluid technically. I must say I really admire the people who make the effort to transpose it on Eb since I find it quite difficult to read transposition continously way above the staff.
In other works written for D cl. like the beginning of "Rite of spring" and "Till Eulenspiegel" I think it's more for a more mature sound since the D cl. really has more "body" to the sound than the Eb.
Alphie
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Author: donald nicholls
Date: 2002-01-16 03:29
sometimes in this matter you have to take into account that the fingering on an "Albert System" or German system instrument may have been more suitable- my favourite instrument i own is an old German E flat clarinet (it has great tone), and even though it is not the full Oehler system, there are a few distinct advantages where fingering is concerned (as well as some annoying disadvantages).
it's possible that in at least some of the D clarinet parts mentioned, this was an issue.
cheers
nzdonald
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-01-16 03:42
donald - you bring up an seriously interesting point about the differences in german and "rest of the world" keywork on the clarinet. Are they just "weird" differenet - or annoyingly similar?
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2002-01-16 06:50
I'm very familliar with the German system too and you are right that there are some things that are easier on them in the altissimo register. Specially C#-D# combinations. I've never thaught of that before. The German romantic litterature is full of Eb parts in #-keys and this is of cause one of the reasons why they didn't bother writing for D-clarinet more often than they did.
Alphie
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Author: Larry Liberson
Date: 2002-01-16 21:36
I would suspect that the reason for most (at least in the US, perhaps) of those playing the last movement of Mahler 6th on E-flat rather than D clarinet is not because it might be "easier".....it would be because the majority of players probably do not have D clarinets!
As for the examples given (Till, Sacre), well....depending on the player and/or equipment (and god knows how many other variables!), to state that the D clarinet has more "body" to the sound is pretty much a study in subjectivism. Sounds and concepts of different players are as varied as color swatches at the paint store.
Although I have--and use--a very nice D clarinet, I have never chosen to use it in Till, and the many conductors--several of them Germanic, in fact--who have heard me have never taken issue with the sound (or else they just immediately decided I was totally hopeless!). Really now--the E-flat can sound pretty mature itself!
As for the opening of Sacre--well, I feel very comfortable with my "big and mature" E-flat sound throughout the composition....and, frankly, Stravinsky's writing for D clarinet (fingering-wise, that is) is pretty atrocious there, isn't it? Of course, that, in itself, is not reason enough to transpose, is it?
Anyway, Stravinsky didn't always have it together in his orchestration.....after all, if he was so knowledgable, why did he write a bunch of written low D's ( ! ) for the A clarinet in the Song of the Nightengale?
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Author: donald nicholls
Date: 2002-01-17 00:24
Mr Liberson- if you're the Larry Liberson I HEARD playing the clarinet, i don't imagine any conductor with more than half a brain thinking for even one second that you were "totally hopeless" !!!!!!!!!!!!)
donald
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Author: Larry Liberson
Date: 2002-01-18 02:48
Donald--thank you for the kind words. That was very nice of you.
But where did you hear me?
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Author: Todd W.
Date: 2002-01-18 21:16
donald --
". . . any conductor with more than half a brain . . ."
Is this the cue for a score (or more) of conductor jokes? :+)
Todd W.
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