Ahhhh!! Am I going crazy? (Clarinet transposition)?

Question

I always thought clarinet transposed up a step, so if the piece was in the key of C then they would be in D, etc...So why then is my friend's clarinet part for The Barber of Seville overture which starts in the key of E; in the key of A? I know the answer to this is going to be PAINFULLY obvious but I am not seeing it.

Answer 1

the-clarinets.net is a really excellent site about the clarinet family and their pitches. Most clarinets are in B-flat, but clarinets in A are fairly common in classical music.



I looked at the "Sinfonia" part of Barber of Seville, which I believe is the overture. The score is actually written for two clarinets in "Do", which means C. The piece (starting Andante Maestoso) is in the key of E, so the clarinets are in the key of E (4 sharps) as are the violins and many other instruments.



At first I wondered if it might be a basset horn (a type of clarinet) part. Basset Horns are usually in the key of F, so that could have explained it, but the score that I am looking at says "Clarinetti".



Perhaps your friend is talking about the middle part of the overture, which is in the key of G (one sharp) so the usual B-flat clarinet would play it in A.

Answer 2

Different clarinets transpose differently. Most common are Bb instruments, but there are Eb and A instruments as well.

Answer 3

I think her/his clarinet is tuned to the key of A. If the part is written for E clarinet and if her/his clarinet was an A clarinet, then it would be in the key of A, but don't quote me