 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ClaV
Date: 2015-02-26 19:58
I am just curious of everyone’s thoughts and experience on what would be the best clarinet ensemble to take on a mission of playing string quartet music and possibly bringing it to the level of making clarinets the instruments of choice in chamber music
I am aware of the excellent efforts of the Clarinet Institute and the fact that a common practical clarinet ensemble is comprised of three Bb and one bass clarinet.
Several points to contemplate upon: what about eefers, which have the range and, most important, agility more closely matching violins than Bb.
What would be the best match for viola?
Would A clarinet be practically useful for the versatility of the ensemble.
Also would clarinet ensemble benefit from more players to compensate for the versatility of string instruments capable, for instance, of double stops.
What about the following ensemble: 2Eb, 2Bb, A basset clarinet and bass clarinet?
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-02-26 22:15
Good luck on getting two E-flats to tune and blend with the ensemble. Especially treacherous in the top register ...
Maybe a pair of C clarinets (better in tune), an Alto (E-flat) or Basset Horn (F) and a B-flat Bass.
The Basset Horn might be a problem finding ... but I'll bet an Alto clarinet and player could be located without much fuss ...
Tom
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2015-02-26 23:43
How about 1 Eb, 1 Bb/A (doubling), 1 alto (or basset horn), 1 bass?
Eb can play the 1st violin's high notes while also extending down to the violin's lowest (concert pitch) note, the Bb/A clarinetist can play 2nd violin parts while being more in tune, alto can play the viola's range, and a bass clarinet down to low C can cover the cello's range.
If you have an A clarinet with a low Eb key, as full Boehms have, that can cover the range of the viola as well.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-02-27 02:29
I don't want to be too curmudgeonly here but, you have double stops on string instruments and musically specific writing that will ONLY sound good on strings. I have been in several ensembles with the idea of 'substituting' winds in mind. Even with particularly sensitive players and really good re-arrangements of particular pieces you are talking about a losing proposition.
We do have a good amount of imaginative pieces written by wonderful composers with winds specifically in mind. We need to embrace them, or find more imaginative ways to arrange newer music for winds. Trying to make string music affective for a wind group will only sound second rate at best.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: ClaV
Date: 2015-02-27 06:10
Thank you for great thoughts everyone.
rmk54 wrote:
>I think the OP meant Basset Clarinet in A.
Absolutely, Basset Clarinet in A. I believe it is more affordable/attainable (by getting a separate lower joint to one's favourite clarinet in A that are available from several clarinet manufactures/designers) than basset horns or possibly even good Eb alto clarinets.
maxopf wrote:
>How about 1 Eb, 1 Bb/A (doubling), 1 alto (or basset horn), 1 bass?
Sounds great! Possibly adding C clarinet along Tom's lines.
>If you have an A clarinet with a low Eb key, as full Boehms have,
>that can cover the range of the viola as well.
A good point! Again, I think that getting a lower joint to add basset functionality to clarinet in A may be more versatile (and not that much more expensive). The bonus would be ability to play several great Mozart pieces.
Paul Aviles wrote
>I don't want to be too curmudgeonly here but,
>you have double stops on string instruments
>and musically specific writing that will ONLY sound good
>on strings. I have been in several ensembles with the idea
> of 'substituting' winds in mind. Even with particularly
> sensitive players and really good re-arrangements
> of particular pieces you are talking about a losing proposition.
I had to look up "curmudgeonly"; and you are right on to the point: can clarinets possibly do it? Is it feasible to use two clarinets for violin to make it sound nice - definitely not like strings but full and agile. More specifically, can smaller clarinets (Eb, C) accomplish it?
TomS wrote:
>Good luck on getting two E-flats to tune and blend with the ensemble. >Especially treacherous in the top register ...
>Maybe a pair of C clarinets (better in tune),
>an Alto (E-flat) or Basset Horn (F) and a B-flat Bass.
Great point about C clarinets! They should definitely add their unique nice timbre.
Then I have hard time to understand what can be intrinsically wrong with Eb clarinet, especially compared to C.
Listening to many great players, such as Jessica Phillips, does not make feel that there is something inherently wrong with eefers.
Could it be that missing on development of Eb/D (good acoustic designs and good players), as important members of clarinet family, brought a lot of limitations?
Can you imagine strings without violins?
Post Edited (2015-02-27 06:45)
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