 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2007-11-19 19:06
Our orchestra has now programmed "Grand Canyon Suite" for some upcoming concerts.
Although we always speak of the bass clarinet part in this work, I hadn't played the principal clarinet part since college and had totally forgotten how difficult it actually was.
A number of written high A#6 (Bb6) and nasty key signatures that are reminiscent of playing a Broadway show. (wasn't Grofe aware that there is such a thing as an A clarinet?)
The 1st clarinet orchestral excerpts for the Grand Canyon Suite, as far as I know, have never been published, so short of owning the score or part (which I believe is rental only) there is no way to prepare for it.
I'm curious why the "Grand Canyon Suite" never appears on clarinet audition lists? It is certainly a workout.
Just to remind everyone that the bass clarinetist is not the only one working overtime on this piece.
BTW - The exposed high F#6 to G5 downward "donkey hee-haw" gliss is just one of many passages to fear. I have yet to find a completely satisfactory "magic fingering" ..GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BG ★2017
Date: 2007-11-19 21:39
I'm not sure if you meant you are doing the entire Grand Canyon Suite of all five parts or just the On The Trail movement. If you have to do the Cloudburst movement be sure to observe all of the articulations! (LOL) I wonder if any clarinet player in history has played that movement perfectly as written!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-11-19 22:02
You could switch to Eb for the gliss, C# played with the left index finger, down to D.
And I suppose the piece is on 100% of the bass clarinet auditions, even though I've never seen it programmed.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: davyd
Date: 2007-11-19 22:03
The study score is for sale; it's US$27 from Lucks Music.
The one time I got to play the work, we used a set of parts that the conductor owned, so it must have been for sale at one time.
I had the dubious honor of tackling the bass clarinet part. While I more or less nailed it, that's not something I'd want to do again. Why can't the "Trail" solos start one or two bars later, in the instrument's good range?
The principal clarinetist, who was IIRC in one of the military bands, took the time to write out a chunk of the part for clarinet in A. Cowardly? Or pragmatic? You decide. Grofe probably knew there were such things as A instruments, but perhaps the players ensemble that gave the premiere didn't have them.
Good point about the audition lists. Now that you mention it, I'm wondering too.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2007-11-19 22:26
Ken Shaw wrote:
> You could switch to Eb for the gliss, C# played with the
> left index finger, down to D.
Hmmm ... Pretty clever ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif) ...GBK
BTW - We are performing the entire piece. The "Cloudburst" section is almost unplayable as originally written. Good thing that most of it is tutti, and not exposed ...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tom Piercy
Date: 2007-11-20 01:42
Glen:
For that gliss ((F# 6 down to G5), you could try overblowing the throat Bb with added top 2 trills keys for the F# 6, then gliss downward by opening up embouchure and fingers, go down through open high D and then down to the G5.
Tom Piercy
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2007-11-20 02:15
Tom -
Great minds certainly do think alike, as that is EXACTLY the fingering I have been using with the most success.
My only reservation about using the overblown Bb + 2 side keys for the F#6 is that the sound is a bit on the thin side. However, it lends itself to the downward gliss much more safely than ony of the other other F#6 fingerings.
Thanks for the 2nd opinion.
Now...about that "Cloudburst" movement ...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2007-11-20 02:30
Gosh, GBK, I didn't know you were such a complainer! ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
I played it last year (on bass clarinet) and I'd venture that the lower instrument has a considerably harder part than the prima donna soprano clarinets!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2007-11-20 02:38
I think Grofe took out all his anger and put it into the 1st clarinet part.
Whenever a part has me hunting for bizarre alternate fingerings, there is definitely something amiss.
If you ever get a chance, check out the tremolo section(s) in the "Cloudburst" movement.
Ringo said it best:
"I've got blisters on my fingers!" ...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2007-11-20 12:50
"Why can't the "Trail" solos start one or two bars later, in the instrument's good range?"
I beg to differ -- the bass clarinet doesn't have a "good" range and a "bad" range. Maybe good players and bad players!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: davyd
Date: 2007-11-21 04:23
"Why can't the "Trail" solos start one or two bars later, in the instrument's good range?"
"I beg to differ -- the bass clarinet doesn't have a "good" range and a "bad" range. Maybe good players and bad players!"
My bad; I should have said "safe" or "easy" range. If memory serves, a professional who coached this hapless amateur on the part conceded that it was more difficult than it needed to be, which appears to be the case with the principal part as well.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: awm34
Date: 2007-11-21 15:34
My Chicago-based buddy played the bass clarinet part under Grofe's directions while a student at the University of Arizona in the mid 1950s. Hank rates it as one of his peak experiences and wonders what's befallen him since (we get together a few times a year in Chicago or Toledo to play duets). Grofe expressed pleasure at Hank's playing.
Alan Messer
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
