 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2011-10-06 15:50
I searched for this issue in particular in the archives, but didn't find it; feel free to point me there if I mised it...
I got a folder last night for a group I will start rehearsing with next week. Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise" is in there. The piece is in C# minor (ack!). The part is written so low, the lowest notes are beyond the clarinet's range.
So, my questions:
~ Does an A transposition exist for this? It's published by Luck's and only a Bb part was included in the folder. I really hope the conductor has an A part that he didn't hand out (1 sharp is so much nicer than 6). If there is an A part, then the low D#s in the Bb part are playable (I have the Clarinet II part). I looked on IMSLP and couldn't find the transcription that we're playing (I found an A part in the correct key, but it's not the same arrangement; the A part that matches the arrangement note-wise is in a different key).
~ How important is the low stuff near the end? The lowest written note (in the Bb part) is a low C#, which isn't even playable on a standard A clarinet. I sent e-mails to a couple people hoping to hear back by next Tuesday when I go to rehearsal. I'm comtemplating bringing my bass, but don't want to if I don't have to (I wouldn't need it for any other piece and would hate to bring it for a few measures). That, and if I played the entire piece on bass, there would be a lot of throat stuff when played in the correct octave.
Thanks!
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Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
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Author: davyd
Date: 2011-10-06 17:06
I'm confused. Lucks shows two orchestrations of this piece for full orchestra in E minor, and one orchestration for full orchestra in C# minor, the latter accompanying a soprano or tenor soloist.
You say that what you have is in C# minor - that's 4 sharps, not 6. Or are you saying it's in C# minor concert, which would indeed give you the 6 sharps of D# minor in Bb transposition?
Or maybe the arrangement is in C# minor concert (4 sharps), and you have a part that's in concert pitch? If that's the case, you'll need to write it up a minor third for the A instrument, but that will take care of the unreachable notes. Or does the part explictly say that it's for clarinet in Bb?
I doubt seriously that the librarian withheld a part for clarinet in A, though that's worth asking about, as it's possible.
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Author: marcia
Date: 2011-10-06 17:17
>I doubt seriously that the librarian withheld a part for clarinet in A
I have had that happen. The librarian in my amateur orchestra is a trumpet player. We clarinetists had to ask him to please make sure he hands out ALL the clarinet parts. I guess if you're not a clarinetist, you may not realise the importance of the "A" parts. I guess he didn't notice, even though we sit in front of the trumpet section, that we always have two instruments at the ready. ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-10-06 17:31
My suggestion would be to first ask the librarian if (s)he has an A part that wasn't distributed. If the answer is no, then I'd call Lucks and ask there if they actually publish an A transposition of the part - maybe it was lost from the set your orchestra is using. If both of those fail and you can't get a published part, your last two options are to transpose it yourself (I don't know the part, but the piece itself isn't very note-y, so it probably wouldn't be so difficult) or have someone do a part for you.
I'd be willing, if you get down to that last option, to make an A part for you if you could scan the B-flat part and email it to me.
Karl
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2011-10-07 14:32
The key is concert C# minor (sorry, I wasn't clear on that), so the Bb part has 6 sharps in it (and the part does spedify Bb clarinet). I wrote the part out in A, so I'm down to 1 note that's too low to play.
I wonder if the orchestrator didn't know that some of the notes were out of range? Maybe they think we have basset clarinets kicking around in addition to an A and a Bb Or maybe I should just chalk that up to the ever-growing list of stuff I look at, notice Luck's is the publisher, and shrug my shoulders (I've seen a lot of stuff that didn't make sense over the years). No disrespect to them, it just happens a lot to me.
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Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2011-10-08 03:58
Maybe the orchestrator was Italian and his clarinetists had Full Boehm A clarinets!
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Author: srattle
Date: 2011-10-08 11:47
Is the part with the low note(s) prominent? Is it a solo line, or accompaniment?
It should be pretty easy depending on the importance of that note to just play that part an octave up, or sneakily leave the note out so nobody can tell.
I believe there's something like that in either the full or trio version of L'histoire du soldat, that unless you're using a full Boehm, can't be played. Better to just leave the note out in my opinion than pull your hair out for a solution. Or get a bassoon to play that for you.
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2011-10-08 14:11
I'm assuming accompaniment since it's the Clarinet II part. As for playing on a Full Boehm A, wouldn't you still be a half-step short of making it that far down (C# would be a D on an A and the Full would take it down only to Eb)?
I sent e-mails to a couple people and I was told to expect a call from the director. Just found out he had the wrong phone number for me, so I'm still hoping to hear from him before Tuesday. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.
Thanks!
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Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-10-08 16:55
So the only note in question is the low written C-sharp in measure 66, a D on an A clarinet. The conductor will have to decide whether to cover the line with a bassoon or have you play everything except the (concert) B.
Another more (probably overly) aggressive approach might be to play the end on a bass if you play bass clarinet. There's time to change during the 3 bar rest the second time through. Or, the entire part is playable on a bass (again, if you play bass). Both bass clarinet solutions seem like overkill for one note that may be doubled (or could be) somewhere else.
Karl
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2011-10-08 17:02
I do play bass. I'm going to wait to hear from the director before I lug my bass to rehearsal and end up not using it.
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Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2011-10-08 17:08
Is the first clarinet down low with you? If not I'd just put it up an octave
Peter Cigleris
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Author: alto gether
Date: 2011-10-08 20:11
So many exciting solutions! As an alto player, I realize that nobody plays alto. Basset clarinet would be solution of choice, but failing that, practice sticking the bell of your clarinet over a suitably curved plug, while playing. Some stands work really well for this. An extra tone should be available without sounding too much like a dying cow.
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2011-10-08 23:21
Alto gether,
You wouldn't get the lowest note though if you did. That technique will only get you an Eb on both A an Bb instruments.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2011-10-09 21:03
Alto gether,
I actually do have some alto experience (played it part of my junior year and my senior year in college before moving to bass my 5th year). Good times!
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Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2011-10-10 15:49
I've been told to bring my bass, so we'll see what happens.
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Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
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