 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: steve
Date: 2000-04-02 18:31
the chicago sym orch clarinets play C parts on the C horn, I believe...there are prominent parts in Rossini, Verdi....I seem to remember years ago I played a germanic piece (nor Mahler, can't remember the composer or piece) that called fur Klarinet in Ut on a C horn I borrowed....however, well known pro Dan Leeson tells a story in which he brought C clarinet to a rehearsal for a piece that called for the C horn ("clarinetto in do!!!"), he was fired by the conductor for appearing not to be able to transpose!!!! appeals to the conductor/hack that the part called for "clarinetto in do" went unheeded, and dan lost da gig!!!
another thing...the till eulenspeigel scream as he looses his head is for D clarinet, not Eb clarinet...most people transpose it, but I hear that chicago folks play it on D...they also play oehler horns on germanic lit....
some day, we may need to carry around a steamer trunk of clarinets!!!!
but that being said, sight transposition is a skill that should be mastered....
all major clarinet makers make horns in whatever key needed...
s.
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2000-04-02 22:36
I played Till Eulenspiegel yesterday in concert on D-cl. This is one of the pieces I really don't understand why he wrote for D-cl. I practised the Eb-part ten years ago and it's not more difficult than the original part in D so it can't be for technical reasons. The exposed parts besides the first motif are very loud and nasty so it can't be for the more mellow tone of the D-cl. either. Haven't got a clue.
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-04-03 00:19
Sounds like that conductor up in Chicago had a ego problem. Had I been the one being fired, there'd been a full page ad in the local paper denowncing his attitude and poor judgement. Chances are he has never even played a clarinet as most are fiddle/piano players. I watched a symphony on PBS recently where my wife and both tried to follow the conductors hands. He just stood there with a goofy grin waving his hands incoherently(sp). I don't think the orchestra really needed him for anything other than the down beat at the beginning.
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Author: steve
Date: 2000-04-03 15:24
that story happened in NYC.....some people say that today's conductors are not as good as yesterday's conductors....I'm not sure...I watched Simon Rattle do Mahler 2 w/ CBSO on NPR...wonderful conducting, expressive and precise...I've also seen some conductors obviously emoting uselessly, and all orchestra eyes are on concertmaster or section leader...I watched George Szell conduct (from the audience!!!)for nearly 20 years...even from the back, razor sharp precision, hair-trigger response from the Cleveland orch, glorious music....are the old memories always the better memories???
regards, s.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-04-03 15:31
Well said, Willie, have observed the same, makes one wonder. Yes, Steve, there are conductors I [as a non-pro]would like to play for, I need clear beats, cues and expression instructions. Don
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Author: larry
Date: 2000-04-03 18:47
Back to the C Clarinet - would you say that the section of Schubert's Octet (variations) calling for C Clarinet could just as well be played on the Bb? There's something about the way it feels in C that just seems to make more sense and "sound" better than transposed to key of D. Any thoughts?
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Author: steve
Date: 2000-04-04 15:02
Dan Leeson would say categorically that it must be played on C clarinet. I agree. However, There is some argument as to how/why composers specify horns...do they really know the intimate details concerning tone colors in the various horns like we clarinet guys do? or do their copyists just pick a horn that is easy to write a part out for? or should clarinetists sometimes pick a horn that puts a part in an "easier" key, like jack brymer suggests?
in the case of Mahler, I really think that he was tuned into the various sounds of the various horns. Also Stravinsky, Strauss, and Resphigi (solo in il pini di roma on Bb...NOT!!)...for older guys who wrote during the time that playing the horn in more than a few sharp or flats was rough (pre boehm/oehler) and clarinetists had a cartage company bring the horns to the gig, hard to say (Mozart did specify a basset clarinet, Im starting to like it more than played on modern a horn...)...but transitional guys...Schubert? not sure..is hirt auf den felsen originally for Bb horn?....but, I can't imagine Brahms quintet or trio on a Bb horn, and I imagine he couldn't either....
very sticky questions....isn't modern performance practice going for literal/fundamentalist interpretation of the score? when an austrian/germanic composition tradition piece specifies Klarinet in Ut, you play a C horn with oehler system and speak auf Deutch to your assistant???
s.
s.
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Author: larry
Date: 2000-04-09 01:15
Actually, I speak english to my wife, french to my mistress, italian to my lover, and german to my horse (to paraphrase g. b. shaw, aka signor basset horn)
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-04-09 03:11
larry wrote:
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Actually, I speak english to my wife, french to my mistress, italian to my lover, and german to my horse (to paraphrase g. b. shaw, aka signor basset horn)
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I think he lifted it from Charles V (1500-1558), King of Spain, Holy Roman Emperor who is quoted as saying,
"I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse."
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