the orchestral clarinet rocks! Does anyone else share the same idea?

If you are referring to the clarinet within the orchestral setting, yes I agree. Unless that person is a horrible clarinetist(could name a few) and then I would certainly disagree!

right on dmitri

Definattely think it is cool. We have a few that need to practice but most of them are ok. Clarinet parts are cool this year because most of them are solos.

The orchestral music is alot tougher and more demanding which makes clarinet playing a whole lot more challenging. I love the literature also. It keeps me interested in learning more about classical clarinet. To be honest, Jazz clarinet is my least fav.

I thinl that the orchestra music is a lot harder because this year I did not get lessons from my band director and I learned my band music a lot faster then the orchestra. This year we are playing Lord of the Ring music for the fellowship of the ring. The copy that we have is a level six and has turned out to be very dificult.

whole different world isn`t it. I love orch cause it`s hard. and the literature is WAY more demanding.

Tia, I must totally disagree with you. Whereas the orchestral clarinetist must play in tune, hear others around him, and perform with precise accuracy, the jazz clarinetist must also recognize and hear changes. I do not know that many classical players that can crossover and "jam". To be a jazzer, one must possess everything a classical clarinetist must, plus be able to play and hear these changes. Lets face it...most halfway decent clarinetists could step in for any major orchestra at any time and play the rep. How many could go out and play a set? Far fewer in my book. Mind you, I am not talking about the more difficult 20th century rep for orchestra, but certainly 90% of the music from the 1700s to 1900.

I play classical music very well and I also play jazz very well. I truely do not think that it is too much different because I find them to be at the same level. I know how to improv and everything else for jazz and I know a lot of the classical music out there. To me I like them both because they are both challenging. I do not know if everyone likes the challenging side of it but when you play in a polka band as I do you lear a lot about playing clarinet by yourself and what you have to do to become successful in a group.

Everything you haven`t heard before tends to be a bit harder then the things you`ve heard before. Therefore classical music are easy for some and hard for others like the jazz music for some is hard and so on.
Of course there is hard things to play technically even when you`ve heard them.

Dmitri, Must you always totally disagree with me?

No. I maintain consistancy in my postings, albeit friends have said that I contradict myself sometimes. Such is the nature of the beast.