The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jeff
Date: 2000-04-02 02:18
I was listening to a recording of the Mozart today(the Adagio) and following along with my Bb copy. Then I thought it would be neat to play w/ the recording, but they didn't match. What's up with this?
Jeff
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Author: Dancer
Date: 2000-04-02 03:04
The Clarinet Concerto is for A clarinet. When you purchase a copy for B flat clarinet, only the piano part is changed...the clarinet part remains the same. So...if you want to play along with the recording, play it on an A clarinet or transpose down a half step.
Dancer
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Author: Todd
Date: 2000-04-02 09:26
Another option is to get a CD player with adjustable pitch. Then you can raise the pitch of the recording to match a Bb clarinet
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Author: William
Date: 2000-04-02 16:15
Another option--get an A clarinet. Then you should be able to play along just fine. You need one for orchestral playing anyhow.
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Author: Jeff
Date: 2000-04-02 23:07
But why was it done this way? You'd think it would be easier to transpose the clarinet part than the parts of an entire orchestra or piano parts?
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-04-02 23:19
It makes perfect sense - it allows you to practice using the Bb clarinet - and the right fingerings! The difficulties in moving the piano key are not nearly the same as learning the concerto with transposed fingerings, and then trying the play it on the correct clarinet later on!
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-04-03 03:10
Mark Charette wrote:
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It makes perfect sense - it allows you to practice using the Bb clarinet - and the right fingerings! The difficulties in moving the piano key are not nearly the same as learning the concerto with transposed fingerings, and then trying the play it on the correct clarinet later on!
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In addition transposing the clarinet part puts it in 5 sharps for the Bb clarinet. Not really a friendly key although pros could handle it. Transposing the piano part or the string orchestra part so a Bb clarinet can play it as printed puts the piano or string orchestra in 3 sharps, which isn't bad at all.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-04-03 03:41
Dee wrote:
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Mark Charette wrote:
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It makes perfect sense - it allows you to practice using the Bb clarinet - and the right fingerings! The difficulties in moving the piano key are not nearly the same as learning the concerto with transposed fingerings, and then trying the play it on the correct clarinet later on!
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In addition transposing the clarinet part puts it in 5 sharps for the Bb clarinet. Not really a friendly key although pros could handle it. Transposing the piano part or the string orchestra part so a Bb clarinet can play it as printed puts the piano or string orchestra in 3 sharps, which isn't bad at all.
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OOPS! - I meant it puts the piano/string orchestra in 2 flats instead of 3 sharps, which isn't that bad.
Shouldn't try thinking when I'm tired.
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Author: larry
Date: 2000-04-03 19:00
Another reason (I think): the concerto seems to have been written for basset clarinet/horn (one or the other or something in between - only Anton Stadler really knows for sure). Our A Clarinet is closer to that original instrument (especially the lowest notes)than the Bb. Only a few specialists have these instruments today (more now perhaps than a few years ago), so the concerto is traditionally played on the A. Perhpas someone with a little more knowledge on the subject can fill us in.
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Author: Kim
Date: 2000-04-04 01:27
The Mozart Concerto was originally composed for A clarinet. The performer in the recording was playing an A clarinet and you were playing a Bb clarinet. That really clashes and sounds bad!
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-04-04 03:03
Kim wrote:
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The Mozart Concerto was originally composed for A clarinet.
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As you've probably read - not quite an A clarinet. The fragment (the Winterthur fragment) is a piece of a sketch written for basset horn, and it's the only thing that survives. It shows the theme quite clearly. It appears that Mozart re-wrote it for basset clarinet (an A clarinet of extended range, down to low C), but there's no manuscript. Scholars have been working for many uears trying to reconstruct the piece based on the knowkledge of how Mozart wrote.
A copy of the Winterthur fragment is available here on Sneezy in the Music section.
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Author: BAC
Date: 2000-04-04 15:15
As I recall, my sheetmusic is already transposed to bflat. When I get back in country I'll check. If so, I'll come back on and let you all know who published it.
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Author: BAC
Date: 2000-04-12 01:43
OK - I'm back
I have the sheetmusic for the Mozart conterto in B flat. This is published by Carl Fischer with a copyright of 1948, and arranged for B-flat by Simeon Bellison. The code on the book is W1668.
Hope this helps.
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