Performance Notes on Schoenberg: Pelleas und Melisande, by Andr Moisan

Overall comments:

First, make sure you have a very good and flexible reed! This piece demands power and "finesse" in a
few important and exposed solos. In fact, right in the third and the fifth bar, the theme of destiny is
represented by the bass clarinet solo following the English horn intervention of the beginning.

For all the solos (in the high register) my personal recommendation would be to start with the air or
with a very soft articulation to make those passages "singing" and intense, and avoid a percussive
beginning. Examples include the fourth bar of #1, fifth and seventh bar of #2, third bar of #50, and
fourth of #51.

Specific notes:

- Two bars before rehearsal #7, use alternative fingerings if you feel you can get more power in
the FFF, easier legato and digital flexibility. Same applies to the second bar of #11, 2 bars before
#30, third bar of #50 and the fourth bar of #51. It will give you more comfort on the legatos in
the high register, although your results may vary depending on your bass clarinet model. This is
my personal choice after trying both regular and alternate fingerings on my Buffet Crampon
Tosca and also my Buffet Crampon model #1193.

- Make sure your pitch is impeccable to match the English Horn in the Soli at 5 bars before
rehearsal #8 and 4 bars before rehearsal #14. There is also a syncopated one in the third bar of
#52. Check your intonation with your English Horn player. :)

- Be aware of the easy and delicate PP solo at the ninth bar of #54, just before the transition of
the langsam 6/4 section at 3 bars before #55. It is marked PP, but my suggestion is to start P so
you have some space left for a beautiful decrescendo to PPP.

- If you want to totally enjoy playing this great piece, like Daphnis and Chloe or the Shostakovich
Violin Concerto, for example, take precious time to practice and prepare those short but very
demanding passages: #26 to #27, #33 to #35, #38 to #41 and #56 to 2 bars after #57. They are
quite fast, delicate and refined at the same time.

Enjoy this masterpiece and thank Michael Drapkin every time you will play it! I was taught to transpose
in all keys in any situation but this transposed part is so helpful, clear and detailed that after transposing
it in concert a few time in the 80's with Maestro Franz Paul Decker and Charles Dutoit, it finally gave me
a great opportunity to focus 100% on the music instead of transposing those "difficult to read" passages.
Pure joy!