 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2006-11-25 19:16
Was thinking about this and it does strike me that the major solos in the clarinet repertoire (orchestral and solo) are for A clarinet. For example:-
Mozart Concerto/Quintet/Piano Concerto in A
Brahms Quintet/Trio/4th Symphony (the two sonatas are also great of course)
Rac 2nd sym/2nd piano concerto
Nielsen Concerto
Kodaly Dances of Galanta
Schumann Fantasiestucke
Bartok 1st Game in Mariculous Manderine/Contrasts (generally)
Howells Clarinet Sonata
Bliss Pastoral
Tchaik 5th Symp
Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf
Rossini Semeramide/Theiving Magpie
Any others that I can't think of?
Peter Cigleris
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-11-25 19:42
The Weber works are all for Bb clarinet.
The Debussy is for Bb clarinet.
3 of the 4 Spohr Concertos are for Bb clarinet.
The important Beethoven orchestral solos (Sym #4, #6, #8) are all for Bb clarinet.
BTW - As for Peter and the Wolf - Some clarinetists prefer playing the "cat climbing the tree" excerpt at #20 on the Bb clarinet because they feel it is easier. It would also ascend to a written F6, instead of an F#6...GBK
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2006-11-25 20:05
Really, i didn't realise ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif) . I'd be interested to see what the ratio between Bb and A solos is.
Peter Cigleris
Post Edited (2006-11-25 20:10)
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-11-25 21:18
? Is the point here, the diff. in tonality-sound, perhaps somewhat "darker" on the A, and not so brilliant above the staff, which brilliance may be needed for jazz-dixie music to be heard. Sat PM thots ! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2006-11-25 21:37
-- "perhaps somewhat "darker" on the A" --
Wasn't there a thread a few weeks ago which put paid to this idea?
I find clarinets just like pianos. Every one is different and I honestly would not like to put money on being able to tell an 'A' clarinet from a Bb.
Steve
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2006-11-25 23:13
I think the composers, feeling a bit guilty for making the clarinetists buy a second instrument to play their silly pieces, throw in good solos on the A parts as a sort of consolation prize.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: joeyscl
Date: 2006-11-26 00:22
But an good oboe costs more than the price of the 2 clarinets combined!!
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Author: Neal Raskin
Date: 2006-11-26 01:28
Add Stravinsky 3 Pieces to the List for A solos. It has 2 movements for A and the last one is in Bb.
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Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-11-26 01:57
I think one of the reasons the orchestral repetoire tends to go towards A (and I could certainly be wrong on this score...pun intended) is that strings are more comfy in the sharp keys as opposed to the flat keys . Marches and band music tend to be written in flat keys, so it's far easier to deal with on Bb.
Just because it is written for A doesn't necessarily mean you've gotta play it on A. When my A joined the DL before a performance of the Brahms Quintet I chose to use my Bb and transpose, and there were only a couple low "e's" to fake, so it came out alright. I would not want to attempt the same with the Nielsen, however!
-Randy
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Author: donald
Date: 2006-11-26 05:34
i reccently did a series of concerts as acting principal for a "part time pro" orchestra here in NZ and played the Barber Violin concerto- lovely solos for A clarinet in the first mvt.
Also worth mentioning Dvorak New World Symphony and Cello Concerto.
This week i'm really enjoying my new RC A clarinet in the Lark Ascending, though you couldn't really say that it was packed with major solos.
This is just what i've played in the last month or so- i'm sure i can think of more.
donald
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Author: Chris Horril
Date: 2006-11-26 08:45
More orchestral solos for A clarinet:
Rachmaninov 2nd Symphony and 2nd Piano concerto
Beethoven 7
Sibelius 1 (opening)
Prokofiev 3rd piano concerto (opening)
Dvorak New World last movt
Mendelssohn Hebrides Overture
Schubert Unfinished (2nd movt)
Shostakovich Symphony 5 & 10
Chris
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-11-26 17:22
Probably more literature for clarinet in C -if you crib the flute and fiddle stuff. I sure wish Vivaldi had had clarinets to work with.
Bob Phillips
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Author: larryb
Date: 2006-11-26 17:23
Verdi - La Forza del Destino Overture, but not the famous later solo, although it was probably originally played on an A clarinet transposing to Bb by Cavallini.
I agree with the opinion expressed above that composers were trying to help out the poor clarinetists who had to buy a second instrument. I also think Mozart wrote so much for Basset Horn in order to give material to Stadler to play so that he could earn some money to pay back his debts to Mozart.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-11-26 17:41
Bob Phillips wrote:
> I sure wish Vivaldi had had clarinets to work with.
Vivaldi DID use clarinets in P.73 and P.74 (Concerto for 2 clarinets and 2 Oboes).
Also, in P.84 "Concerto for the Feast Day of St. Lawrence" the orchestra consists of 2 recorders, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bassoon and strings...GBK
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Author: donald
Date: 2006-11-26 19:11
oh yeah- e luccevan e stelle from Tosca is one of my favourite reasons for owning a nice A clarinet!
donald
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Author: marcia
Date: 2006-11-26 19:34
Rimsky-Korsakov was somewhat democratic. He wrote solo passages for both A and Bb in his Capriccio Espagnol.
Marcia
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The Clarinet Pages
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