 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Eoin McAuley
Date: 2000-07-05 22:03
Earlier this evening, I attended a wonderful performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. The soloist was Michael Collins, with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. He played the concerto on a Basset Clarinet. This was the first time I had heard the concerto played in this way.
The Basset Clarinet is a soprano clarinet in A with a special long tube and extra keys so that it can play down to written low C. It has the same range as the instrument that Mozart wrote the concerto for.
Two things surprised me.
Collins used a stand! This was a sort of telescopic stick which he attached to the clarinet and rested on the ground. He stood with the clarinet in the usual position, but the stick was resting on the ground. Perhaps this is normal for basset clarinets.
The other thing that surprised me was the intense beauty of the second movement. I've heard this movement many times before, but never played so well. When he came to the repeat of the main theme and played is pianissimo, it was a magical moment. The hairs stood up on the back of my neck.
This movement must be one of the most difficult things there is to play on the clarinet. The tune is so simple and there is absolutely no room for error. Tone is everything!
Eoin
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sara
Date: 2000-07-06 02:16
I think here we call that stand a peg, it was probably the same as what bass clarinetist use, but hey I'm still young so i could be wrong!
Sara
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Graham Elliott
Date: 2000-07-06 08:48
Thea King has used a stick/peg/stand with her basset clarinet. Lawson, playing on a reproduction of a Mozart period instrument, uses a sling.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-07-06 12:31
I think support for the instrument is a great idea for the larger clarinets. No use injuring the thumb when it's not necessary. I use a strap for my alto clarinet, but would really prefer to have a peg for playing it while seated.
BTW, there are several good recordings of the Mozart concerto on basset clarinet. I have Tony Pay's and like it a lot. In fact, hearing the extended range of the basset is beginning to spoil me for performances on modern soprano clarinet. Those low notes instantly sounded *right* to me, even though I'd been listening to non-basset performances for many years.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-07-06 20:13
I'm sure it was GREAT! Using a stand is new to me, I heard Schifrin "right here in river city" [with a neck strap] and, yes those lower notes are a wonderful surprise [perhaps]. Playing alto/bass, the latter with strap and peg [belt and suspenders!!] does make my life more pleasant. Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-07-07 04:05
Sabine Myer was playing it using sling. I thought she cannot a peg since she moved instrument quite often.
Selmer sells 10SII basset horn.
I suspect I can play it satisfactorily since ite length is above 2 inches longer than an A clarinet and needs player's longer air column and firmer support.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: pete
Date: 2000-07-10 15:43
Has anyone tried adapting the part for normal A clarinet, i.e. taking bits down the octave. I did this myself when i performed it in Febuary this year with the South West sinfonia in Plymouth(UK), i used the Barenrieter edition which has both parts the A version and the Bassett clarinet version.
Good look to everyone
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-07-10 17:26
pete wrote:
-------------------------------
Has anyone tried adapting the part for normal A clarinet, i.e. taking bits down the octave. I did this myself when i performed it in Febuary this year with the South West sinfonia in Plymouth(UK), i used the Barenrieter edition which has both parts the A version and the Bassett clarinet version.
Good look to everyone
Pete -
Richard Stoltzman does that on his recording, made maybe 10 years ago. I'm not convinced that it's better than the "standard" version, which has the great advantage of being familiar. Taking parts of phrases down an octave calls attention to the fact that the bottom notes are not present. The standard version does a pretty good job of disguising the alterations. At least in Stoltzman's version, I kept noticing the changes and octave transpositions in the middle of phrases.
The only alteration that I would always make is about three-quarters of the way through the finale, where there are descending arpeggios, A-C-A-F/E-G-E-C, starting twice on clarion A, then repeated four times starting on throat A. This is one of the obvious places where the pattern should use the bassett notes, with repetitions 5 and 6 starting on chalumeau A and going down to the low C. Jack Brymer, on his most recent recording (with the Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields) simply leaves out the last two repetitions, but that throws the phrase length off. Benny Goodman, of all people, came up with that is to my ears the best solution: twice on clarion A, twice on throat A, once on clarion A and once on throat A.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
