 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-12-22 09:06
My girlfriend is performing this piece soon, so I've been hearing a lot of it lately. Now I've never studied it (it seems intriguingly difficult) but, looking at the music, I can't help feeling that I would choose to play it on the A clarinet. Is this ever done? Has anyone recorded it this way?
It doesn't go above top A# so there's no disincentive there & the only passage which seems as if it would be obviously more difficult is between 11 & 12 in the first movt.
What was he thinking of, writing a piece for the B flat that is mostly in 5 sharps?
jez
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Author: susannah
Date: 2002-12-22 09:27
i've heard it suggested before that it would be easier to play in A, and i'm sure someone has sone it sometime, but personally i feel that as it was written for the Bb, it should be played on it. It actually fits quite nicely under the fingers once you get used to playing in B major, and anyone who's going to perform this piece should be advanced enough to cope with the key.
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Author: Andy
Date: 2002-12-22 09:46
I'm doing the conerto in the new year with orhcestra and I must say that I think although it is extremly hard, it does work very well on the Bb. The third movement would possibly work wll on the A, due the difference in sonority of the instruments, but I feel that the other three movements would lose a lot of their sting if it were to be played on the A. The light gracious french feel to the work I feel would be lost if you start tampering with it.
As Susannah said, if you are going to attempt to play this work, you should be advanced enough to cope with the key.
As a by line, in a master class with Philip Cuper who recorded the work wit hthe composer, he said that all the metronome markings are about two notches too fast, ie 1st move: 120-126, not the 132 that is written. This is due to Francaix having a dodgy metronome!
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Author: donald nicholls
Date: 2002-12-22 09:58
i had heard that German players liked to play this on the A clarinet and that even on Boehm it was "less clumsy" this way, but this was from someone who had never actually performed it, and i have no idea where this info came from (doesnt Jack Brymer also suggest this in his book onthe clarinet?)
donald
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Author: Andy
Date: 2002-12-22 14:36
Brymer does mention the concerto, he says something along the lines of that it is a concerto for the future when either the shape of the clarinet or the human hand has changed.
I think that that quote has to be put in context however, the technical ability of many players today is far greater then players in Brymer's era. That is not to say however that players today are better just because they can technically play the piece. In fact I would say quite the opposite, it is easier to hide behind a mind blowing technic, then actually have to worry about playing the line and making wonderful music all the time.
I can't comment on the german clarinet system as I don't know very much about it. There is a recording of Brunner doing it though, maybe he does it on A?
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Author: liquorice
Date: 2002-12-22 19:16
Brunner plays Boehm system.
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2002-12-23 00:10
Would the whole accompanyment have to transpose too? Does anyone ever think of the poor (and fantastic) string players? I know myself (From playing the Finzi with strings last year) that they would hate to have to transpose it, it's frustrating enough for them working with a clarinet player who doesn't always understand the factors behind it all.
But then again, we're only clarinet players.
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2002-12-23 01:42
I performed the Francaix Concerto with Francaix conducting at Tully Hall in NYC many years ago. Gervase DePeyer was the soloist, and I played the orchestral clarinet part, which is also a handful!
I believe they worked together on the Concerto for our performance with the Melos Ensemble.
Francaix knew the clarinet well and enjoyed Gervase's performance, which was played on the Bb clarinet.
I believe Francaix knew well the sound of the Bb clarinet and liked the brightness of it, compared to the darker A clarinet.
Good luck,
JJM
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