Author: Gregory Smith ★2017
Date: 2010-10-31 21:21
I am in agreement with Tony's clarification and his further elaboration on the subject - a rather comprehensive view which takes into account what I believe to be the most important factor of all: context. Decisions based on knowledge rather than on sheer expediency are more apt to serve the composer and the music in the end.
Alas, my performing schedule as dictated by my position in the CSO doesn't allow me to do that in every single case. There are times that I would like, for instance, to play all of the Beethoven symphonies programmed in two consecutive weeks on my Wurlitzer/Oehler instruments. The best compromise that I could come up with because of time constraints was to play them on my Klose/Buffet system instruments including my C clarinet whenever called for.
I could have tried to play them on the Wurlitzers but that would have meant that the principal of the section (and there was an additional, visiting one as well), would have had to play them also if it were to make any sense at all. That's an instance of the practical consideration making the decision for me.
I've always had a problem, for example, with the original performance practice purists that would insist that I play the Debussy Rhapsody on a period clarinet with a representative piano of the time. Should I also play with an orchestra in the orchestrated version that only used instruments being played at that time too?
What I don't have a problem with is knowing what the performance practice of the day, the playing characteristics of the different instruments, and what Debussy heard in his day in terms of style and what instruments and performers were capable of doing, inform me how to extract as much of the right type of music from the work as is possible.
All it takes is a little intellectual curiosity.
Gregory Smith
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
