Info from a source who prefers to remain anonymous:
“There’s an interesting thing about Once Upon a Mattress in the bass clarinet book. In ‘Spanish Panic’ the part is written for bass clarinet, but it is ALL in the 3rd octave+. There’s some history here that may or may not be accurate, but from what I heard the show was written originally as a school project and without a great idea of what the instrument is capable of. There are a number of parts where the bass is playing an octave *above* the Bb clarinet part.
“In any case, that song sounds just fine played on Bb clarinet in the proper range, with the added benefit not having to worry about sounding like a squawk box. There are other places where a regular Bb clarinet transposed down an octave would also be appropriate, but Spanish Panic is the worst offender.”
There is a newer rental version by Concord, which naturally has some mistakes. (incidentally, in this version the sky high bass clarinet is gone). In Spanish Panic – Clarinet Book, in the first strain of the melody the first 2 bars the notes should be F# and A, then 2 bars of Bb and G, and the following 2 back to F# and A. In the part it is written as Bb and G for all 6 bars, which sounds very spicy. Once it jumps to the higher octave, it’s correct.
Info from a source who prefers to remain anonymous:
“There’s an interesting thing about Once Upon a Mattress in the bass clarinet book. In ‘Spanish Panic’ the part is written for bass clarinet, but it is ALL in the 3rd octave+. There’s some history here that may or may not be accurate, but from what I heard the show was written originally as a school project and without a great idea of what the instrument is capable of. There are a number of parts where the bass is playing an octave *above* the Bb clarinet part.
http://test.woodwind.org/oboe/BBoard/read.html?f=17&i=416&t=416
“In any case, that song sounds just fine played on Bb clarinet in the proper range, with the added benefit not having to worry about sounding like a squawk box. There are other places where a regular Bb clarinet transposed down an octave would also be appropriate, but Spanish Panic is the worst offender.”
There is a newer rental version by Concord, which naturally has some mistakes. (incidentally, in this version the sky high bass clarinet is gone). In Spanish Panic – Clarinet Book, in the first strain of the melody the first 2 bars the notes should be F# and A, then 2 bars of Bb and G, and the following 2 back to F# and A. In the part it is written as Bb and G for all 6 bars, which sounds very spicy. Once it jumps to the higher octave, it’s correct.
Updated publisher. Thanks!