 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Michael Kincaid
Date: 2000-06-26 12:06
I have been renting an alto clarinet for a few months, and
I decided to buy it last week. I owe the instrument an
apology; I had complained about it playing out of tune, but
it was just me. It's a Selmer Bundy, some open tone holes, and I'm really having fun playing it. One thing I find interesting is that the altissimo is easier to play on the alto than the Bb--while just goofing around I think I
hit the second C above the staff--I have never done that with my Bb. I wish the alto wasn't such a "forgotten" horn.
Michael
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-06-26 15:35
Happily, with comments as above, and perhaps good words earlier re: the alto's character by a few of us [former?] nerds, we are finding musical chairs in many community bands. Let's try to keep the expansion going, perhaps newer composers, like Ed Huckaby who occasionally conducts my Tulsa C B in his and other's pieces, will write parts, other than sax doubling, for our A C's. I still believe it is the affordable substitute for the great Basset Horn, maybe I'll try using a soprano cl mp on my Selmer to see if it would be suitable for a Mozart duet or trio performance, Heresy ? Don
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Author: C. Hogue
Date: 2000-06-26 18:51
Don Berger wrote:
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I still believe it is the affordable substitute for the great Basset Horn, maybe I'll try using a soprano cl mp on my Selmer to see if it would be suitable for a Mozart duet or trio performance, Heresy ?
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Not heresy -- perhaps INNOVATION! It's worth a try.
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Author: Dave Spiegelthal
Date: 2000-06-26 19:57
Michael, Don, et al,
It's not too late -- you can all be helped! There are psychotherapeutic programs available to people who enjoy alto clarinets. Most treatments are successful, and many of these cured patients go on to successful careers on real instruments like the bass clarinet! So please check around for treatment centers close to you, and by all means get this problem fixed as soon as possible. If untreated, "altophilia" (as it's technically called) can lead to obsessions with other forgotten instruments such as basset horns or even sarrussophones or ophicleides! I don't even want to discuss what happens to THOSE people.
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Author: Cyril Weinkove
Date: 2000-06-26 20:12
I am glad I am not the only one who loves the alto. My teacher recommended it as our clarinet choir already had a bass clarinet. Now what I need is more music for this lovely sounding instrument. I am disappointed to find that not many clarinet quartets feature this instrument. Anyone knows of music for the alto in E?
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Author: Doc
Date: 2000-06-26 20:16
quick question,
I've known of the quirky instrument lie the sarrusophone and the rare clariphone and all the goofball inst. but what exactly is a basset horn? Is it similar to a color clarinet? What voice is it?
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-06-26 22:02
The basset horn is a member of the clarinet family pitched in the key of F. It is similar in size to the alto clarinet in Eb. However I believe that there are some design differences which give it its own characteristics rather than just being a slightly smaller alto horn.
The basset horn, not the alto clarinet, is called for in orchestral music and some other classical compositions where the composer wants a clarinet "voice" in this range. There are only a few pieces that call for it however. Clarinet choirs and wind bands will call for the alto clarinet, not the basset horn, if they need a clarinet "voice" in this range.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-06-26 22:09
Doc, the Basset horn is the [antique, but with modern keying] ancestor of today's alto clar, but in the key of F and may be played with a sop. cl mp, and has extended keying [keeps the little fingers and rt thumb busy]to low C. It has a very special timbre [tamber??]but to my slight acquaintance is no more facile than our alto. Now I've told you more than I know about it!!! Read our good books! DAVE, I'm sure other nerds and I badly need the CURE, TKS for that info, if I weren't so d--- busy blowing bass cl in comm. band, I'd start now. Have an invite for BC on Cinderella locally, is it tough? Love this BB, Don
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Author: gary van cott
Date: 2000-06-26 23:37
If you look you can find quite a few clarinet quartets with alto clarinet parts. One that we enjoyed playing is by Marcel Poot:
Composer : Poot,Marcel (1901-1988)
Title : Legende
Type : Quartet
Composer's Sex : Male
Date :
Instrumentation : clarinet, clarinet, alto clarinet, bass clarinet
Arranger :
Publisher : CeBeDeM
Grade :
Comments : A very enjoyable quartet. One movement, about 8 minutes long.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-06-27 01:02
Yes, TKS, Gary. Do you have it available?, if so please mail me a copy and the bill. Don
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Author: Amber
Date: 2000-06-27 01:26
Clariphone!!! LOL, you mean there is such a thing! That's cool! Anf all the time I thought my friends and I were just being silly. What does it look/sound like? Is it really in the clarinet family? I would like to know please!
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-06-27 01:30
Don, CeDeBeM is handled by:
Henri Elkan Music Publishing Co., Inc.
Address: P.O. Box 965
Planetarium Station
New York, NY 10024
Contact: Wayne Alpern
Telephone: (212) 877-8350
Fax: (212) 877-8350
Email: helkan@aol.com
You really wanted to buy it, not get an illegal copy, right? :^)
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2000-06-27 04:30
I'm considering getting an alto and I'd like to get one in full Boehm configuration. As I play Leblanc sopranos a Leblanc alto would seem to the logical choice. However, from looking at their catalogue (a great catalogue, by the way, with lots of glossy photos) it would appear that their top of the line alto (model 300S) is simply a standard Boehm with a low Eb. Does it not occur to them that without a left hand Eb/Ab key there is no way to play low Eb to Ab (up a fourth)? Any clarinet with a low Eb should also be equipped with a left hand Eb/Ab key. I checked the Selmer catalogue and it's the same story. I find it astonishing that proffessional level instruments costing thousands of dollars would not come equipped with the indispensable Eb/Ab key. Buffet describes their alto as having 19 keys so it would seem that it is equipped with the Eb/Ab key but they say nothing about the articulated G#/C# or forked Bb/Eb. The Ripamonti web site lists a full Boehm alto and this might be worth looking into although I don't know anything about this company and have never seen anyone playing one of their instruments. Anyway, has anyone ever seen or heard of a full Boehm alto from the big three makers (Leblanc, Selmer, and Buffet)? I would consider a special order if it were possible and the price wasn't too out of line with their listed models.
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Author: Michael Kincaid
Date: 2000-06-27 11:30
Dave Spiegelthal wrote:
-------------------------------
Michael, Don, et al,
It's not too late -- you can all be helped! There are psychotherapeutic programs available to people who enjoy alto clarinets. Most treatments are successful, and many of these cured patients go on to successful careers on real instruments... (edited by an alto fan)
------------------------------------------------------
Dear Dave, thank you for the humor (you were kidding weren't you?). I am
looking at a second community band to play with and when I asked him if he would rather have a new 3rd clarinet part or someone on alto clarinet, he said he'd rather have the 3rd!!
AAAHHHH! (lots of angst!) It seems the alto truly is the unwanted horn. I guess I'll just have to keep plugging away at home and get good enough to make someone want me on alto.
Even my son is embarrassed by it. When I told him that I was going to take the alto to ClarinetFest, he said, "I wish you'd take your 'better' clarinet instead"
I guess I should enroll in one of those aversion therapy
groups soon (like you suggested)--I still wish for a better life for my alto! Michael
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-06-27 17:09
To try to answer your last question first, R S, the market is so small for altos so that, IMHO, there is little incentive for add'l keying [except possibly by special order]. My Selmer [1970's?]has the low Eb, no Ab/Eb nor art.C#/G#. A fork Eb/Bb may be possible but I prefer the "long" Eb [both index fingers] to the other usual two fingerings. It does have a clean 3rd line Bb which alternates [via thumb] between the the reg. vent and an additional tone hole properly sized and located. I have had at least 2 altos having the alt. Ab/Eb, a Linton, a Gerard and perhaps a Pedler [all old], but hard for me to reach. You might make an A C search on EBAY and carefully study what the pics may show. I also had and sold to a teacher friend, a LeBlanc alto, as I recall it had only the low Eb but played well except for the Bb. The LeBlanc LL bass had a right hand fork [with an added {right-side} tone hole-pad] for the Ab/Eb, so you might see if LeB makes a LL alto. I cant think of more now, will add after reading all posts. Don
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2000-06-27 22:36
Don--it looks like Ripamonti may be my best bet for a full Boehm alto. I'm in no hurry so maybe I'll be able to find out more about this company in the months ahead. Any additional info. you can dig up regarding this subject I'll be very interested in.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-06-28 14:10
R S, where is the Ripamonti advertized-described? I can't find any info in my brochures, TKS, Don
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2000-06-28 21:35
Don--I found the Ripamonti web site by entering Ripamonti in my address bar. R.S.
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