 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: allencole
Date: 2016-01-07 09:28
My student, a high school freshman, is playing The Moldau in his school orchestra. Not being an orchestral player, I was intrigued to note that the clarinet part calls for clarinet in C, as well as B-flat and A. Fortunately, the C parts are brief enough that it's not a tremendous burden to transpose them.
I do not recall encountering C clarinet parts during either my college or community orchestra involvements, although I seem to remember an interesting Bass Clarinet situation in Death and Transfiguration.
So I'm wondering how often you guys are encountering the C clarinet need--and if that need might be characteristic of certain composers or nationalities.
Allen Cole
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2016-01-07 09:33
I've encountered it at least a few times in my youth orchestra (Berlioz Le Corsaire Overture, Mozart Overture to Abduction from the Seraglio, and Tchaikovsky Mozartiana, which has C clarinet cadenzas in the 4th movement.) Usually I have just transposed to Bb clarinet. One of the members of the local symphony orchestra was kind enough to give me an A clarinet transcription of the Mozartiana since it's a little awkward on Bb clarinet.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2016-01-07 10:47
To name a few other composers who wrote for C clarinet:
Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, Wagner, Johann Strauss, Richard Strauss...
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2016-01-07 10:50
I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that 30% of 19th century operatic repertoire is written for C clarinet.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-01-07 13:37
As I've let my sight transposition slide, I use a C clarinet in anything requiring it and think it's a great instrument to play.
Depending on your set-up, it will sound very much like a clarinet! Who'd have thought?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2016-01-07 15:46
>> I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that 30% of 19th century operatic repertoire is written for C clarinet. <<
Multiply the % of C clarinet parts in any type of music with the % of how likely you are to play that music and there's the answer to the OP's question
Post Edited (2016-01-07 16:09)
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2016-01-07 16:03
Although I encounter C clarinet on occasion (and I have an R13 C that came my way) I always transpose. Haven't had a performance with the critical mass of C to warrant bringing the horn out.
With students -- and the Moldau -- it's a good opportunity to teach it.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Fishamble
Date: 2016-01-07 17:01
The only fact that I can offer this discussion is that the likelihood of needing a C clarinet will plummet the moment you invest in one.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2016-01-07 18:47
Your reference to the Strauss Death and Transfiguration bass clarinet part is because that's in the bass clef, as a good deal of bass clarinet music is prior to the 20 century and early century as well. There is no C bass clarinet parts but there is a good degree of A parts.
As far as C clarinet, it's true there's a good deal of it in the classical and early romantic orchestral music. Strauss uses it often in his wind symphonies and his Alpine Symphony and a few other orchestral works as well. He used it for color so he would often have a separate C part as well as a Bb, A, Eb and D as well in some of his music.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2016-01-07 18:58
Seems to me we've been down this road before. A great deal of the C clarinet scoring in the orchestral literature was simply for the composers' convenience in avoiding complex key signatures for the clarinet parts. On the other hand, composers like Mahler, Strauss and maybe Berlioz wrote for the C clarinet because they wanted the particular timbre. In R. Strauss's Alpine Symphony there are solos for both Bb clarinet and C clarinet played by separate and different players; transposing the C clarinet parts does a disservice to the composer's orchestration.
When Wolfgang Sawallisch became music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra he insisted that the players use C clarinets when indicated (not without some resistance from the affected individuals), a practice already normal for many European orchestras, but rarely observed in the US. When, some years ago I was principal with a local opera group, I used my C clarinet frequently -- usually to the delight of the other principal winds.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-01-07 20:23
There's certainly enough literature for C clarinet in the symphonic repertoire to warrant owning a C clarinet for an active orchestral player - pro or amateur. Whether to use a C or transpose is a decision for the individual player and, in a professional situation, sometimes for the conductor. But in the case of a high school player, how often C clarinet comes up it really depends on the repertoire the orchestra typically plays.
A school orchestra isn't likely ever to take on Alpine Symphony and probably not the Mahler symphonies. But Symphony Fantastique and Rossini overtures and Schubert symphonies (especially the "Great" C Major) might be within the ability of an orchestra capable of playing an unedited Moldau. So, maybe a quick consultation with the orchestra teacher would give you and your student a better idea of how often this will come up.
Karl
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2016-01-07 20:51
I can't hear any difference in sound between my Bb and A clarinets, but can definitely hear it between them and my C clarinet.
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Author: davyd
Date: 2016-01-07 22:00
I'm in favor of using a C clarinet (if one happens to have a good one) and definitely in favor of learning how to transpose. But if transposed parts are available (as is the case with Moldau), it seems to me that a school orchestra would do well to acquire them. Not all students even have A instruments, much less C instruments.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2016-01-08 02:12
First thing is look and see if you can buy an already transposed copy of the C clarinet to Bb online somewhere or ask the members on this board. Sometimes they have leads where to buy a copy.
I think for a high school kid you could get him a C clarinet on ebay for not much money. From China. However I've never played one.
In a good college music program the student should become decent at transposing to the key of C and other keys.
There is talk about why would the composer write for a C or D clarinet? I actually feel in some scenarios the composer wanted that "Sound," of the C clarinet. It surely is different.
There's other instruments that have to be flexible such as the cellos and french horns, able to read in different clefs.
Well a lot of people, clarinetist players don't use C clarinets and simply transpose. One example is the recently retired Michele Zukovsky, principal of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for perhaps 50 plus years. She played on the Albert system and always transposed. An amazing player. So if it was OK for her and the varies conductors she played under I suppose it is fine to simply transpose.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2016-01-09 00:18)
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2016-01-08 06:41
Actually, if one is going to transpose opening section of the Moldau, I find it lays better on the A clarinet!
Michelle Zukovsky plays on German-system clarinets (Oehler), not Albert.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-01-08 13:57
I still think there's a missed opportunity for companies like Buffet/Schreiber, Vito (and maybe Yamaha, although they don't make any C clarinets) to make a good quality plastic C clarinet in the B12/Vito price range for young players at primary school who may find the stretch of a Bb clarinet a bit much, as well as the fact they can play along with their flute, recorder, violin, piano, guitar, ukulele, glockenspiel and any other concert pitch instruments that are the standard equipment in most primary schools that have a music programme.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: MichaelW
Date: 2016-01-08 20:15
How about this one: http://www.amati.co.at/klarinette/Klarinetten/acl_354s_c-klar..php
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Author: Nadine
Date: 2016-01-10 18:30
I have the Amati C Clarinet and use it when playing with friends on other C instruments. It's easier for me than transposing, and I don't have to worry about 4 sharps or flats. Compared to my R13 it sounds like a toy. The keys are very compact, and my long skinny fingers can't make the bend for the left hand middle C key. I can't imagine playing a complicated piece on one.
Nadine
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Author: Maruja
Date: 2016-01-10 19:16
I also have the Amati and I think it is a question of just getting used to the fact that the keys are slightly closer together and so you have to adjust accordingly. I don't think it sounds like a toy at all - I think it sounds good! But I also have trouble getting left hand B in the middle register. I have to curl my little finger round in an odd way and obviously, have to remember to do it before it crops up! I think that before playing it for an event (ie for a church service or something) you need to have a half hour warm up to get used to where the keys are in relation to the B flat. So don't play your B flat immediately prior to playing the C! (unless you are a much better musician than me, which admittedly, would not be hard...)
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Author: DougR
Date: 2016-01-14 04:11
Love the Strauss wind serenades, always wanted to have a crack at them--C clarinet is the melody instrument there, and if memory serves there's a spot in one of them where the top note is an altissimo B. (transpose that on a Bb instrument? be my guest!)
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