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Point well taken re: Tchaikovsky, but I've
usually felt the reason for the bass-clar substitution for the bassoon solo
(I'm guessing you reference the end-of-exposition sec of the first movement of
the 'Pathetique' - clarinet solo descending and then picked up for the final
four notes of the line by bassoon - pppppp) is one of
timbre as much as volume. I find
that substitution a little uncomfortable; Tchaikovsky knew exactly what he
was doing - the movement begins with that bassoon solo and there's a nice bit of
closure to the section by ending it with a (brief) bassoon
exposure. If he had wanted the smooth continuation of
clarinet timbre he would have written it. I really don't think
Tchaikovsky was looking for a discernable px6 distinctly audible from a px5 or
any other volume delineation; I think he was simply saying "HEY! Give
me the softest, quietest, nearly inaudible sound you can
produce!" I think it was his way of saying ABSOLUTELY the
quietest of quietest.
Timp, strings and clarinet in the preceding
bars go (variously) from ppp <
p > ppp through
pppp to ppppp to the
bassoon's final pppppp. His
way of writing in one very detailed but subtle decresendo plus
possibile. If my bad French is
appropriate.
But then, my opinion and nothing
more.
Best,
Les
Les Marsden
Founding Music Director and Conductor, The Mariposa Symphony Orchestra Music and Mariposa? Ahhhhh, Paradise!!! http://arts-mariposa.org/symphony.html http://www.sierratel.com/mcf/nprc/mso.htm http://www.geocities.com/~jbenz/lesbio.html
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