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Eb alto clarinet

Author: maxopf
Date: 2015-02-23 06:46

Just got back from a wonderful weekend with the CA high school all-state ensembles.
There were 80-something clarinetists present, and I placed 10th in the blind re-audition, putting me in the 3rd clarinet section of the top group (if only I hadn't botched those couple of rhythms on the sight reading... ;-) ) Lincolnshire Posy by Grainger was on the program, which has some Eb alto clarinet solos. The conductor asked if any of us had any experience playing alto clarinet; nobody did, but I volunteered to play it, and they brought me a couple of instruments to try. Unfortunately the professional wooden Buffet alto was almost a half-step sharp (almost like a high-pitch instrument, though I think this was rather due to a major leak) so I had to play a plastic Vito.

Even though I was playing on a plastic instrument with a slightly chirp-prone mouthpiece, I found playing alto clarinet to be an overall fun experience. Why do people seem to have such an aversion to the instrument, and why does it seem to have fallen out of fashion in bands? My dad says there was a whole alto clarinet section back when he was in high school band, but I have yet to meet any fellow high schooler today who says their band has alto clarinetists. None auditioned for the CA all-state bands as far as I'm aware.

(You can listen to the Grainger here if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vr3aWPAk-k My solos are at 4:20 and 14:43, though the 2nd one is a bit drowned out by the doubling piccolo flute.)

Post Edited (2015-02-23 06:48)

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Eb alto clarinet

maxopf

2015-02-23 06:46