 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: HANGARDUDE
Date: 2015-10-01 20:48
As I am studying the bass clarinet reperatoire, I'd like to ask what is the highest note ever enocuntered, at least in the classical reperatoire? I am aware that there are a few High Ds here and there, but is there anything above it ever written?
Josh
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2015-10-01 22:25
In my 50 years in the Baltimore Sympony the highest I recall having to play was a high A, A# and even a B in some contemporay piece. As far as the standard orchestral pieces I do believe I've encounter several Gs in my day, Strauss Der Rosenkavalier first Waltz Sequence has Gs. At the end of that there's even a few As and a B. The reason for that is because when strauss transcribed the Suites and Waltzes he transposed the oringal Basest Horn parts to the bass clarinet. The orignail opera has both instruments on one part. So I'd say up to a high G is absolutly neccessary to have in your comand and at least knowing how to go up to a B is helpful. I have a fingering chart on my webpage if you want to look at it but keep in mind, all the fingerings don't work well on different models and makes but at least it's a free source to get started.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: pewd
Date: 2015-10-02 09:18
The Der Rosenkavalier score is on imslp.org if you want to see the high notes.
Page 7 of the score - high G# for Bass clarinet IN A. So a high A on the Bb instrument.
FWIW, I ask my better bass students to play a C scale 4 octaves.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: rmk54
Date: 2015-10-02 16:22
Page 7 of the score - high G# for Bass clarinet IN A. So a high A on the Bb instrument.
---------------------------------------------------------
Nope, you transposed wrong.
High G natural
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Author: derf5585
Date: 2015-10-02 17:25
Are we talking about the altissimo range of the "All about the bass clarinet" or the clarion range?
fsbsde@yahoo.com
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Author: pewd
Date: 2015-10-02 18:36
you transposed wrong.
that usually happens after midnight
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: davyd
Date: 2015-10-02 23:57
R. Strauss has the bass clarinet go up to G6 (4th ledger line) in 'Thus spoke Zarathustra', and this time doesn't have the excuse that it was originally a basset horn part.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-10-03 00:02
Paul Dukas's 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' bass clarinet part goes up to altissimo G too.
(and there's a treble clef transcription on IMSLP)
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: donald
Date: 2015-10-03 02:13
For contemporary music you are expected to play about a 5 octave range
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2015-10-03 11:07
>> For contemporary music you are expected to play about a 5 octave range <<
Do you have any examples that are written for that last half an octave in that five octave range, up to around C?
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Author: jonrussell20
Date: 2015-10-04 11:15
Yes, lots of contemporary stuff gets up to the super-high C, C# and D. My own compositions go as high as G (four leger lines 8va) and Ab. It's actually a pretty amazing sound up there!
Jonathan Russell
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2015-10-04 11:43
>> Yes, lots of contemporary stuff gets up to the super-high C, C# and D. My own compositions go as high as G (four leger lines 8va) and Ab. It's actually a pretty amazing sound up there! <<
I think you replied to me and misunderstood my question by an octave (unless I misunderstood your answer by an octave).
I assume that by super high C you mean above 5 ledger lines? That is four octaves (on a low C bass). I've heard and played this C and up to about the D above it pretty often. A lot less often but same for around F# above that (octave above altissimo F#).
That is still not what I would consider about five octaves. I'm not skeptical, just curious if any piece actually has about five octaves written range (let's say up to Bb an octave above altissimo Bb or higher)? Not that it's necessarily a good piece or that the high notes make sense in that context (though they definitely could). I've both heard and played higher than that (i.e. the high F#), but not any note that is written specifically.
Post Edited (2015-10-04 12:39)
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Author: donald
Date: 2015-10-06 00:56
Sorry at the delay responding- I had to consult Andrew Uren, my original source for the "5 octave range" claim, and he is very busy at the moment playing a show so has been hard to get in contact with. I just talked with him on the phone while he ate breakfast, and he confirmed the 5 octave range (up to what I'd call "super-super-high C") is not mythical.
"Off the top of his head" he could name two pieces- Chimera by Enrique Raxash (sp?) (Spanish composer living in the Netherlands) was composed in 1973 erquires 5 octaves.
Monologue by Isang Yun, composed in 1983, goes up to a high F (a 4th above our usual "altissimo C", or my "super high C") and he thinks higher ("I haven't played that piece in nearly 20 years so can't be sure exactly").
These are just two examples however, the first two that came to mind- there are many others in the contemporary repertoire.
Pretty high, but apparently "not as difficult as you'd think".
dn
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Author: derf5585
Date: 2015-10-06 02:47
Now that we are talking about 5 octaves I bet next is 6 octaves so that the bass clarinet can play the piccolo part of "Stars and Stripes"
fsbsde@yahoo.com
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2015-10-06 02:49
"haven't played that piece in nearly 20 years"
I think that in itself says something about the extreme high register - clearly not caught on with the general public.
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Author: donald
Date: 2015-10-06 04:09
"haven't played that piece in nearly 20 years" largely because he's spent most of the last 20 years playing OTHER pieces, many of which utilise these notes. I'm not going to argue with you about the popularity of contemporary music, but there are people who spend their lives performing this repertoire- Harry Sparnay, Henri Bok, Michael Lowernstein, Petra Stumpf and Heinz-Peter Lindsalm are names that come to mind (sorry if any spellings are incorrect).
Andrew ALSO plays lots of shows (clarinets/saxophones) in NZ and loves using his C clarinet for contredance/folk dancing groups...
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2015-10-06 09:59
I was just curious what pieces actually have about five octaves written (e.g. up to about a tone less than five octaves). I've used this range often enough but have never seen about five octaves actually written in any piece (and 90% of the written music I play is modern composed pieces). "Super" C and D are much more common, though I don't see them that often either, but this range is about four octaves.
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Author: jonrussell20
Date: 2015-10-06 14:19
I think there may be some terminological misunderstanding about octave labeling. When some people are saying "five octaves" I think what they mean is that you can play a given note in five different octaves -- i.e., low C, middle C, clarion C, high C, "super-high" C. But of course that's actually only a four octave range since the low C is "octave zero."
Jonathan Russell
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2015-10-06 18:58
This excellent work by Mark-Anthony Turnage requires three bass clarinets -- all of them screaming notes above "super-high C."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMWSy9mfxSs
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Author: Kenton153
Date: 2015-10-16 05:10
I played a piece called Jump by Davidson... there is a super E in that. Octave above altissimo E and there are plenty of Super Cs and Bs.
It's not uncommon to find altissimo Gs in orchestral parts. Especially composers like schoenberg and strauss.
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