Hello!

This is possibly going to sound very very stupid of me BUT:

I bought the Schumann Fantasiestucke book, Op. 73 and it's the A/Bb Peters Edition: exactly what it says on the Grade 8 Clarinet syllabus. It arrived today with a Clarinet in A and a Clarinet in Bb part, but what is really bugging me at the moment is this: why is it that for the piano accompaniment that it has only been written for the Clarinet in A part? How will this work if I am playing my Bb clarinet (I don't have an A clarinet at all)?! This is probably going to have such a simple answer as well, it's just bugging me very much!

Thank you!

If the piano part is only in one key, I'd guess that the clarinet parts are in different keys (the first movement will be in C minor for clarinet in A, and B minor for clarinet in Bb).

Oh thank you so so much !!!! I knew it would be a simple answer but it was bugging me so much that I didn't actually think about it properly! Thank you very much !!!!

The Fantasiestucke were originally written for the A clarinet, which has a more mellow sound. However, because today many clarinettists only own a Bb clarinet, the music has been transposed so that it can be played at the original pitch on the Bb clarinet.

WARNING! If you later buy an A clarinet you will have to re-learn the entire work in a different key. My son did the Fantasiestucke for grade 8 more than 2 years ago on Bb because at that time he didn't own an A. This month he is doing the same piece on A for his diploma - it's meant that although in one sense he's repeating himself, in another he's breaking new ground.

Hope you enjoy learning the music; I've really enjoyed listening to my son play it.