 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Stephen Froehlich
Date: 2001-05-24 14:45
The following was from an ealier thread:
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Author: Antonio (---.uq.edu.au)
Date: 05-23-01 16:45
Tks again
So in terms of clarinet a should keep playing my Eb or change to a bass, is that right? How about bass as a solo instrument?
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I figured it deserved a thread of its own.
Unfortunately, the more I read Antonio's question, the less I understand it - language barrier at work.
I guess the best place to start an answer is that while composers, espically contemporary ones, do often look to the bass clarinet for a unique sound and write solo or soli passages for it, one isn't really "allowed" to specialize in bass in a professional or collegiate setting. The reasons for this are varied, and some of us disagree with it, but it is the case in my expierence.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-05-24 17:15
Steve makes a good point, however, there is always the option of playing Bb soprano clarinet solo literature on the bass clarinet. Yes, it sounds an octave lower, and it often puts the bass clarinet into its less-characteristic sounding clarion register (where the soprano clarinet excels), so there are stylistic issues. But a good bass clarinetist can, and should, play soprano clarinet solo literature whenever the opportunity presents itself.
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Author: Leanne
Date: 2001-05-24 22:13
As an ameteur composer, bass clarinet is my absolute favorite instrument to write for. I think it's a really great solo instrument.
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Author: Jim
Date: 2001-05-25 03:43
My son and I did a duet last year at an "amatuer night." We did the Mancini "Baby Elephant Walk" he on bass and I on B flat soprano. We did it twice through (short piece) each taking the lead. Unexpectedly, a local clarinet teacher was in the audience. His comment was that he had never heard the bass featured in its clarion range before, and he enjoyed it. For 2 years my son played the bass in marching band using tenor sax music. At the upper end it does sound somewhat like the sax I think.
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Author: Antonio
Date: 2001-05-25 04:20
Dear Stephen
Thanks for your reply and clarification. Yes I have many different problems to fix and learn, but with pacient I will get there. B/w them:
1)Language barrier
2)Very limited (no) music education
3)Time
4)Money
But I do have a computer I found this fantastic forum. I'm sure that these barriers can and will be decreased in the same proportion that I'm geting some more information!!!!!!!!
Thanks again for your help.
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Author: Stephen Froehlich
Date: 2001-05-25 14:03
I agree, it is possible for a bass to have a very clear clarion range and a very mello chalmeau (sp?). However, achieving this sound (hollow as Dave S. calls it) means that your set up does not have the overtones that give the chalmeau the reedy, even edgy sound that I believe most band composers look for in the Bass.
Along those lines, what tone charastics should we aim for in the following solo/soli passages?
La Fiesta Mexicana - 1st movement
This one is up for grabs. I'd say either the reedy or the pure tone would work for this passage. I don't know yet which I prefer. The need to project, however, makes the reedy (and typically louder) sound somewhat attractive from a player's perspective, though.
El Salon Mexico
The "drunken mexican" soli with the bassoons, etc. I'd say this is supposed to be as reedy and grumbly as possible. (While at the same time played with the utmost delicacy.)
Nutcracker Suite
The little solos in the "Dance of the Sugarplum Faries", etc. I've never had the opportunity to play this with orchestra, but I do believe its scored for Bass there too. Its clear that what the composer is looking for in this case is an extension of a mellow clarinet chalmeau sound into a lower octave. Therefore, this is a good place for a pure tone. I dare say this is generally true of orchestral uses of the Bass Clarinet.
Any more thoughts?
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Author: dylan
Date: 2001-05-25 16:44
what about the solo in the saturday night waltz in copland's rodeo that's a great solo, I played it last year, absoutely beauitful. Plus, if you're playing bass for rodeo, you don't have to learn all the tricky Bb soprano licks in the hoe down (not easy music for Bb soprano, and I couldn't really play them). Also, Frank Ticheli wrote a piece a few years back called "Blue Shades". I played it with the National Wind Emselble last year at Carnegie Hall as a bass clarinetist and was delighted to find an amazingly bass solo (really a cadenza) midway through while sightreading. What an instrument. I think its low notes are more beautiful than any notes on the Bb sopranop, no matter how well it is played. -Dylan
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-05-26 14:39
The world has several bass clarinet soloists taking the the instrument to new places as a solo instrument of enormous versatility. Harry Sparnaay from the Netherlands is one of these. He toured NZ a couple of years ago. His written music is like nothing you've ever seen for soprano clarinet, full of unusual effects. The composer would probably have to be consulted to decipher it!
Unfortunately the most relevant web sites seem to be in Dutch. This site may be of interest, for fingering of (very!) high notes:
http://www.kunst.no/lerstad/altissimo.html
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