Eb clarinet

[varnis]

Anyone else around here who subjects themselves and others regularly to this torture Particularly, does anyone play it for an Orchestra, i play it for a concert band which is great, but im thinking Shost 6 or Ravels Daphins and Chloe * Is in awe of those who can play the Danse Generale at full speed *

[steltz]

Although I do more Bass Clarinet than Eb, I have done Eb in Mahler 1 (it is in the Bass Clarinet part anyway), Berlioz Symphony Fantastique, Strauss Till Eulenspiegel, Ravel Piano Concerto in G, Shostakovich 5, Prokofiev 5, and more than a few others.

One of the oboists came to me one night while I was warming up and he said "This is not a musical instrument, it's an apparatus."

As far as Daphnis goes, though, I was always on Bass, but you still have to play the fast notes!

[Melodia]

I always wanted to play an Eb, but never got the chance...

Got to play an Eb alto once....my was THAt horrid

[Lyle Neff]

If memory serves, the third act of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera-ballet Mlada features the Eb clarinet, in the "Cleopatra" section.

[sbeckmesser]

As far as Daphnis goes, though, I was always on Bass, but you still have to play the fast notes!

Daphnis ain't no cakewalk for violinists either.

--Sixtus

[KGill]

Or for anyone. Alto flute?

[varnis]

Got to play an Eb alto once....my was THAt horrid

Funnily enough you're the second person Ive found who said that, would you mind elaborating a little, i was planning on borrowing one for Holst's Second Suite

And yes, I gather Daphnis isnt a cakewalk for anyone, but since Ive only perused the Eb and A clarinet parts i cant comment on the other sections much, though why on earth Ravel didnt write for the Clarinet in D i dont know

[allegroamabile]

I have played E-flat clarinet in a concert band where I played Ralph Vaughan Williams's English Folk Song Suite, Sousa's Semper Fidelis and The National Game, and Fisher Tull's Sketches on a Tudor Psalm. It is a very difficult instrument to play, particularly to get it in tune.

One of my good friends played E-flat clarinet constantly throughout last year, where he played Daphnis et Chloe, Second Suite in an orchestra. (for Lyle Neff) I played The Procession of the Nobles by Rimsky-Korsakov last year where my friend played e-flat, and let me tell you, the part where the main theme comes in for the first time is intimidatingly high for that instrument.

You basically need an extremely good, stable embouchure to play the E-flat well with descent facility. There should not be any excessive jaw pressure, especially with the e-flat, so the high notes can respond and not sound so shrill.

[allegroamabile]

Ravel Piano Concerto in G

I love the e-flat clarinet solo in the beginning of the third movement.

[steltz]

Melodia wrote:Got to play an Eb alto once....my was THAt horrid

Funnily enough you're the second person Ive found who said that, would you mind elaborating a little, i was planning on borrowing one for Holst's Second Suite

For some reason, although the Eb Alto is close to the Basset Horn, it seems to be slightly more resistant, and although it may be that manufactures don't take as much care with it, since it is never used in symphonic music, the tuning is not as stable for the whole scale, and slightly inflexible. Altogether, it is most clarinetist's least favorite clarinet.

Still, if you have a chance to borrow one, go ahead and see what you think.

why on earth Ravel didnt write for the Clarinet in D i dont know

Off the top of my head, and early-morning-before-my-second-cup-of-coffee (so very subject to correction) the only D parts I can think of are in the German repertoire, e.g. Strauss. I can't think of any French repertoire that uses it, which makes me think the instrument wasn't that available in France. Also, (though I wouldn't expect composers to consider this) because the D clarinet is lower than Eb, the high notes in concert pitch end up a semitone higher on the D clarinet, so those notes are easier on Eb, which makes it easier for us to torture people .

On the other hand, the guys that sit in front of us are usually Piccolo players, so we're only giving back as good as we get!!

[Melodia]

Yeah the main problem with alto is that it's just so horridly out of tune, but it just doesn't have the nice normal tone of a soprano, or the wonderful silky tone of the bass. It's just...honky.

Now I also got to play on a contra-alto which is interesting....though the part was really crappy (I was pretty much regulated to that and the alto because I wasn't too good....).

[varnis]

Ehe, in my case i double Oboe/Eb - weird i know, so i get to sit between flutes and clarinets in my band, which is irritating because im always assumed to be the one out of tune. Yes yes i know neither are renound for stable tuning, but honest, the light was green . As for D/Eb it seems perverse sometimes, in Rite of Spring the opening D solo is sooo much easier on Eb, and Daphnis would be much more playable on a D......Bass in A anyone

[steltz]

Quite a bit of Bass in A, actually . . . . try the Ride of the Valkyries, just for some fun fast notes that you have to transpose! And semitone transposition always puts us in nasty keys -- Bb goes to B, C to C#, etc. There are other A parts, though right now I can't think of them. I'll add them as I remember them.

[varnis]

Indeed, mahler is about the only composer i can readily think of who thought it was a good idea I have a feeling Bruckner did as well in a symphony or two, but thats just a vague memory from updating the instrumentation lists.

I agree about the ravel, its what made me buy my Eb, a bargain - £350 for an R13 that had been played 5 times I have a feeling i wont be bale to nab a similar bargain on an A, which is irritation, because i really hate semitone transposition, Into the Woods was a nightmare for me with no A