Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6

At the end of the exposition of the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 ("Pathétique"), at bar number , the clarinet, completely alone, passes a descending arpeggio passage, part of the second theme, to the bassoon which continues it down to the D below the bass clef. This passage starts softly and must diminish throughout, animpossible task for the bassoonwho has difficulty in controlling the volume in this very low register. Around 1960, the Russian conductor Igor Markevitch had the brilliant idea of transferring this bassoon part to the bass clarinet which not only blends perfectly with the clarinet but has no difficulty in controlling the volume down to what is its very lowest note.

     The story of this event is worth telling. Markevitch had copied the passage and transposed it for the bass clarinet. After having reassured the bassoon player that his problems were over, he explained to the bass clarinet player that he must take the passage over from the clarinet player at exactly the same volume and then diminish as much as possible to the very end. Completely unaware of the roguish nature of the clarinet player and the unbelievable virtuosity of the bass clarinet player, Markevitch was peeved to hear the passage, which the clarinet had started very softly, disappear altogether.
     "Come, come," he admonished the bass clarinet player, "I did not ask you to disappear completely. You must play to the very end".
     At this point, the player seated immediately in front of the bass clarinet player raised his hand and said, "Maestro, he played to the very end, I heard him quite clearly".
     After the uproar had subsided in the orchestra, Markevitch laughed with the others and told the culprit not to exaggerate and to play at least loud enough to be heard by him. If the people in the hall did not hear the last few notes, it would teach them to stop coughing during the performance.
     All this to say that the effect was truly electrifying. However, when Markevitch was asked the next day why he did not make the same transfer to the bass clarinet of the opening statement by the bassoon, which is also very low (starting on a low E), he was completely overwhelmed by the responsibility of changing the very opening of the whole symphony.

Tchaikovsky - Nutcracker

Another conductor, formerly assistant to Markevitch, later (around 1970) made a similar change, but in the opposite direction.

In the Nutcracker Ballet, there is a bass clarinet in the orchestra. This is quite surprising for the period (1892), and one can assume that the instigator for this addition to the orchestra was its use in the Sugar-Plum Fairy Variation, in which extensive use is also made of the celesta. The problem arises in the Grand Pas de Deux, where, at bar , a theme is presented by the oboe over a horn accompaniment. When this theme is repeated an octave lower, it is given to the bass clarinet rather than to the bassoon. One can quite well understand the composer's desire to keep his new orchestra member happy with solos here and there, but the presence of the bassoon is the logical continuation of that of the oboe, especially as another bright solo timbre over the dark tones of the horns.

Tchaikovsky - Romeo And Juliet

Beethoven - Symphony No. 5

First Movement - Beginning

The 2 short opening statements deserve attention -
     There is evidently a layer of strings -
          the first and second violins at the highest octave,
          the violas at the middle octave,
          the cellos and basses at the lowest octave,
               the violas completely overpowered by the others.
     In the woodwinds, we find only the 2 clarinets, both at the highest octave,
          doubling two of the powerful sections.
It would seem preferable to have a complete layer of winds,
          with appropriate volume in the middle where it is the most needed -
     the first clarinet on top and the second clarinet in the middle,
     the first bassoon in the middle and the second bassoon on the bottom,
          the second clarinet and the first bassoon doubling the violas.

First Movement - Recapitulation