 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: clarinets1
Date: 2005-07-27 17:43
hi ya'll.
okay, i did a cursory check on the search function and couldn't find the advice i am searching for. so here goes:
i am doing my first real orchestra audition in a month, and i don't own an A clarinet (which is already a strike against me, but i think that i can borrow one from someone).
am i expected to play the parts for A clarinet in the audition on the A clarinet, or can i play it all on Bb (again, just for the audition)? should i transpose the parts? what do other seasoned pros do for their auditions?
if i win the chair i fully intend on acquiring the A, by the way.
ALSO, in the Hebrides Overture , which lines are the solos? they are not marked "solo" in my copy. which measures?
i look forward to your sage advice.
~~JK
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Author: SueSmith
Date: 2005-07-27 18:13
By "real" do you mean professional? Or do you mean a highschool or collegiate level orchestra?
If this is for a HS, College or community level orchestra, if you can transpose all the excerpts on your Bb, I'd play it safe and use the Bb. Remember, that you MUST transpose the A parts when playing them on the Bb...otherwise you'll probably be cut due to ingnorance of transposition.
If this is an audition for a pro job, you are going to be so out of your league. I don't mean to sound rude, but it's unheard of to show up at a pro audition without a set of horns. And borrowing an A for the audition just doesn't cut it. If you've never played an A clarinet before, its a different beast than the Bb. It takes a while to discover all the nuiances of a new horn, not to mention if the borrowed A is even a decent horn. Nothing is worse than playing on a crappy A IMO...except maybe a crappy Bass Cl. Anyway, if this is a pro audition, its going to be quite a wake up call!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-07-27 18:15
I can never understand clarinetists who want to play in an orchestra, yet do not have an A clarinet.
Oh well...
Borrow (or buy) an A clarinet as soon as possible. Practice with it and get comfortable playing the required A clarinet excerpts on it.
You should be prepared to play the orchestral audition on the correct clarinet.
The Hebrides Overture has a number of exposed passages (for the A clarinet). The major solo (actually a duet with the 2nd clarinetist) begins at m.202
Be aware of your intonation between m.39 and m.46
There are also a number of small motive statements that are critical:
m.72-75
m.112-121
m.186
and the final 4 bars of the clarinet part: m.264.
Have fun - it's a great piece for the (A) clarinet ...GBK
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-07-27 18:26
SueSmith wrote:
> if you can transpose all the excerpts on your Bb,
> I'd play it safe and use the Bb.
As long as they are not doing Peter and the Wolf ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif) ...GBK
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Author: clarinets1
Date: 2005-07-27 18:52
yeah, yeah, yeah, i'm still an ignoramous. i have performed on an A clarinet before, i just don't own one.
well, then i will plan on getting ahold of an A and auditioning on that. incidently, this is a regional symphony, and i am a recent graduate. my playing history includes only two orchestras, and lots of wind ensembles, combos, jazz bands, concert bands, and pit orchestras.
i understand that i have a lot to learn yet, that's why i am asking questions...and starting to audition more outside of my comfort zone.
thanks all
~~JK
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2005-07-28 03:10
If an A is available to you you might as well use it in the audition.
-Tyler
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Author: rc_clarinetlady
Date: 2005-07-28 04:48
I play in a community orchestra and 4 out of 5 of us have A clarinets. It's a must in an orchestra and I second the idea that they are a different beast.
Don't go in to your audition without practicing a lot on the instrument you're going to use for the audition.
Right now I own 2 A's and they both play very different from each other. One's a Buffet and one's a Selmer. Different feel, sound, intonation, fingerings to get proper intonation etc.....
Best of luck to you,
Rebecca
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-07-28 15:35
I play in my local chamber orchestra. When it was launched three years ago, three of us signed up for clarinet. I just got my A at that time, one other guy had an A, but the third lady had only her Bb. First piece on our program was Beethoven's 2nd Symphony, scored completely for A clarinet. The lady with the Bb was a no-show after that first rehearsal. We two A-clarinet-owing guys have had a lock on the two seats since, and we're getting our money's worth out of our horns. Mind, this is a completely volunteer community orchestra.
Moral: get an A clarinet if you expect to survive in ANY orchestra. And don't do drugs.
________________
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: msloss
Date: 2005-07-28 17:31
Actually, I think not having the A clarinet is the lesser of the issues. Not knowing the part for a basic of the repertoire such as Hebrides, and not knowing whether it is necessary to transpose are bigger issues.
It is difficult, but not impossible to function without an A clarinet. I personally find some nuance in the character of the instruments that is different, but I've also played with guys like David Hattner who can completely fake you out as to which instrument he's playing on. It isn't uncommon to transpose on the fly to avoid awkward instrument changes, to put a part into a better key, or out of sheer laziness when you don't want to carry the horn for one section of one movement of a symphony (guilty). Not impossible, but as others have already said, not advisable as a matter of regular business.
I'm not sure what "regional" means, but for a pro orchestral audition, you wouldn't survive the first sixteen measures you play if you show no knowledge of the work. A blown transposition might end your day after the first 16 notes. All the same, get the complete parts, take some lessons, study the full scores for everything on the audition list, get recordings from great orchestras with great clarinetist sections, and get to know these pieces. The learning stars yesterday.
Good luck!
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Author: diz
Date: 2005-07-28 22:31
Good suggestions all round ... but owning an A clarinet is mandatory if you plan to lead a life as an orchestral clarinetist (regardless of if it's with the London Symphony or with your local community orchestra).
For the record, I quite agree with MSloss' comment about transposing on the fly to save picking up a cold instrument for the sake of a small section.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: clarinets1
Date: 2005-07-29 16:23
i am familiar with the other excerpts on the audition list...i was well prepared at college. why am i not allowed to not be aware of one of them? one is the Scheherezade excerpts and the Capriccio Espagnol solos. both of which were required learning at school.
and seeing as this is not a "pro" orchestra audition i wanted to make sure what the standard was across the board. rest assured, i would never show up to a professional orchestra audition without an A. most of my playing experience is not within the orchestral realm, but one has to start somewhere! for crying out loud, can't one learn here without being brow-beaten?
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Author: Anon
Date: 2005-07-29 23:19
I really didn't feel like you were being "brow-beaten", but rather that people just wanted to make sure you were on the right track before you went to the audition.
My personal feeling is that you should get an A as soon as you are able and practice excerpts on the proper instrument before you go to an audition of any importance to you.
An A clarinet has different tendencies and can often feel different in resistance; something you'd need some time to adjust to.
Just my 2 cents.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-07-30 04:43
Mazzeo, in his book, tells of a colleague who was forced to pawn his A clarinet. The fellow managed to get along in the orchestra without it --rapidly becoming better at transposing on the fly.
And, Mazzeo stated that no conductor can tell the difference anyway.
Bob Phillips
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Author: clarinets1
Date: 2005-07-30 17:16
one of my friends lent me his (quite nice) A clarinet and i am already practicing on it. i'll just do the best that i can, that's all i can really do anyway. i'll keep you posted.
thanks everybody.
~~JK
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