 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-11-11 00:41
This is from Recollections of Gustav Mahler by Natalie Bauer-Lechner I thought the clarinet world would be interested in it.
"Concerning his introduction of new instruments into the orchestra, Mahler declared that he had borrowed several of them form military-band music- especially the E flat clarinet, whose sound had been considered rather vulgar and common-place up till then. 'Even as a boy, I was thrilled by it. But at that time I didn't dare own up to my taste - all my friends poked fun at me for it. Now, I'm no longer embarrassed, for I know precisely what the orchestra has gained from the use of these clarinets".
See my post above about his use of the Eb clarinet in his arrangement of the Beethoven 3rd symphony, very strange. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2010-11-11 18:20
As sort of a BCCP myself, who has occasionally dabbled in the Evil Eefer as well, I whole-heartedly applaud Herr Mahler's efforts (well-intentioned, even if sometimes off-target), to make use of the dinky clarinet.
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Author: clarinettist1104
Date: 2010-11-11 20:03
I love the sound of the Eb. Stravinsky (in my opinion) did a fine job of writing for it as well. (Rite of Spring, and Firebird 1910)
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-11-11 21:09
Hey Ken, I love the Eb clarinet, unless it's playing fff in my ear. I love playing it, especially when we do Mahlers 1st symphony and I get doubling pay for doubling on it. I've had to play Eb a dozen or so times while in the BSO for one reason or another, got a great Buffet Eb that David Weber helped me pick out as a student. I just don't like it in Beethoven, I doubt he would have used it in he's 3rd symphony myself. I learned all the Eb excerpts when I was in college and kept them under my Eb fingers for years after, just in case I wanted to audition for an assistant 1st Eb job. I also taught it when I was at Peabody. So there! ESP
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
Post Edited (2010-11-12 13:26)
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Author: Klarnetisto
Date: 2010-11-12 03:59
It's interesting to see how Richard Strauss used the D and Eb, other than the conspicuous bits in Till Eulenspigel: he had no fear of using the chalumeau register, say doubling violins. I always for the Eb's chalumeau to be wonderfully rich and beautiful, when the equivalent sontes on the Bb would be throat-register and so not as interesting.
Klarnetisto
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2010-11-12 13:56
>> Stravinsky (in my opinion) did a fine job of writing for it as well. (Rite of Spring, and Firebird 1910)
>>
I'm not sure about the second Firebird Suite (Stravinsky says in his autobiography that he re-wrote the Firebird Suite in order to reduce the size of the orchestra, in order to encourage more performances) but the first one (for an orchestra the same enormous size as the original ballet) calls for clarinet in D, not E-flat. The full ballet also calls for clarinet in D. (See the current Dover reprint of the first edition of the 1910 ballet score.) The E-flat part is a transposition, to accomodate the normal instruments available in modern Western orchestras.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
Post Edited (2010-11-12 14:00)
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Author: spage
Date: 2010-11-13 13:21
Lelia said: I'm not sure about the second Firebird Suite (Stravinsky says in his autobiography that he re-wrote the Firebird Suite in order to reduce the size of the orchestra, in order to encourage more performances)
The 1919 suite is indeed a much smaller orchestra. Clarinet-wise it's 2, both parts for clarinet in A only (which can be interesting when it's an all-comers-over-grade-5 workshop day - unless one player has slight GAS and a friend a shortish drive away who is willing to lend yet another A )
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-11-13 13:44
Stravinsky didn't write two suites, he wrote the Ballet version first, which is the large orchestra version including Eb and bass clarinet and than he wrote the Suite which is shorter with a reduced orchestra, only two regular clarinet. That way he not only made money on having it performed more often but could get a "new" copyright on it. He did the same thing with a few other major works as well, very clever man. ESP
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2010-11-13 17:27
According to that eminent source, Wikipedia, there are actually three Firebird suites in addition to the original ballet. The original ballet is dated 1910. The suites are dated 1911, 1919 and 1945. According to Wikipedia, the 1911 suite uses the same instrumentation as the original ballet, the 1919 and 1945 suites use smaller forces.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2010-11-16 23:28
Have for the first time come across Richard Strauss use of the C-clarinet as a separate instument from the rest, as in the opera "Arabella." Last week we had Renée Fleming as a soloist, she sang "Mein Elemer" from Arabella with this beautiful C-clarinet part doubling violins and flute in melodic lines. Very colourful. Soon I'll get another go with the suite from "Die Frau ohne Schatten" also with a separate C-clarinet part. To transpose this on another clarinet would imo be devastating!
Alphie
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