Origins: Clarinet Polka

Subject: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: Margo
Date: 06 Aug 08 - 05:14 PM

Hi all,
I have a guitar tab for the Clarinet Polka, and I am going to make a learning DVD for a friend of it. I am wondering if anyone knows anything about the history of the piece? I have never seen a composer named, only that it is traditional. I had hoped to put some history on the DVD as well. Thanks,
Margo

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,Brian G
Date: 06 Aug 08 - 06:03 PM

My copy of this tune has as the composer a "Dziadunio". There is no first name listed.

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: Margo
Date: 06 Aug 08 - 06:13 PM

How very interesting!
That word translates into "Grandpa". Hmmmm.... like, Grandpa's polka?

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: MartinRyan
Date: 06 Aug 08 - 06:18 PM

Try Googling from both ends! "Clarinet polka" and "Dziadunio". A knowledge of Polish would help, alright.

Regards

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Aug 08 - 09:23 PM

I remember the "Clarinet polka" being the theme music for a radio broadcast from CBC in Novia Scotia called the Rawhide Show, MC'ed by Max Ferguson. It was an interesting show of music and weird stories.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Aug 08 - 10:03 PM

Since I used to try to play in ON clarinet, I have a .midi of it I use for testing midi-playing programs. I never remember knowing anything about the author.

It's such a great tune.

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 06 Aug 08 - 10:47 PM

In the Mel Bay Phillips Collection, Volume II it's listed as the Clarinet Polka with an apparent attribution to "Mark O'Conner." I think it's safe to assume that just means Mark is the one Phillips heard play it at some point.

The Craig Duncan Master Fiddle Collection lists it as "Grandfather Polka" (Polka - traditional) with comment:

"The Grandfather Polka is the same tune as the Clarinet Polka, only in a differrent key and played with idiomatic fiddle licks. The Clarinet Polka is usually played in Bb. ...'

(Duncan has parts of Grandfather Polka scored in G, A, and C.)

Duncan also appears to have "reordered" the parts from the sequence common for the couple of great clarinetists (Woody and Benny) who's recordings I think I remember hearing.

A speculation would be that Grandfather Polka is the traditional one, and Clarinet Polka is an arrangement of the trad tune by a more modern clarinetist. (Woody Hermann or possibly Benny Goodman might both be suspects as the one who stole it from whoever actually did the arrangement (i.e. the one who's name might have appeared on scores)) - but that's just guessing. I've played it many times (but should have called it the Saxophone Polka in my case I guess); but I've never seen a true score of the piece.

John.

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: Margo
Date: 07 Aug 08 - 01:18 AM

OK, I found that it has words and music, attributed to Jan Dvoraky and Laurence Paul. I'm getting some old sheet music off of Ebay. Thanks, all!
Margo

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Aug 08 - 09:07 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,David Ingerson, on another computer
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 12:45 AM

Margo,

You can't just drop it like that! Several musical lives ago I was a clarinet player and that piece seemed to be a virtual requirement for any clarinetist. I had no idea there were words.

Please do post them when you get the sheet music.

Cheers,

David

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,GeorgeW
Date: 21 Sep 08 - 05:13 PM

I have a player piano roll (no copyright date, but most old piano rolls date from the 1920's or earlier) titled "Dziadunio Polka" subtitled "Polish Music" composer "K. Namyslowski". It was published by U S Player Music Rolls, number 9069, price 70 cents. If you were familiar with the Clarinet Polka and you heard this roll, you would say you were listening to the Clarinet Polka. They are the same, right from the opening three notes.

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,dziadunio polka
Date: 29 Dec 08 - 01:20 PM

I have satisfaction from music (partite) adquiring titulary refe-
rence Dziadunio Polka.Congratulations, Mauro

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,icenauro
Date: 08 Jul 09 - 06:21 PM

HELLO MY DEAR FRIENDS , I D LIKE TO GET A PARTITURE OF " CLARINET POLKA DE DZIADUNIO, BUT IN C M" MY NAME IS ICENAURO AND I AM FROM BRASIL MY SKYPE IS ICENAUROROSSINI OR MY MSN   [e-mail]   okay by

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: Jayto
Date: 09 Jul 09 - 10:42 AM

Here is a vid I took of my cousin Eddie Pennington playing the Clarinet Polka and a benefit.

Eddie Pennington playing Clarinet Polka @ Mortons Gap Ky

Cya
JT

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jul 09 - 07:50 PM

Does anyone know who performed this song on the recording used as the theme to the Max Ferguson show, mentioned above?

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 25 Jul 09 - 06:55 PM

That's the folk music of my youth -- I grew up in Milwaukee in the '50s. My dad played clarinet (and sax) with a couple dance bands (Frankie Dessel and His Melodeons and others) in north central Wisconsin in the '40s. The first title I knew of anything Dad played was the Clarinet Polka -- next was Lichtensteiner Polka.

Linn

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,Jim Brown
Date: 17 Apr 10 - 11:57 PM

The Clarinet Polka was written by Leo B. Schroepfer AKA "Pinky" of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. He was a songwriter for Whoopee John Wilfahrt who lived in neighboring New Ulm.   

Whoopee John was a popular polka recording artist in the day and made the Clairinet Polka popular.


Pinky was my barber as a kid growing up in the 70's - I was a teenager and Pinky was 80 years old and still cutting hair.

I first learned that he was the author when the song was played on Hee-Haw and my dad told me Pinky wrote it. I asked Pinky personally about it and he confirmed what I was told. He said he recieved 1 cent royalty for each record Decca sold. That's probably why he was still cutting hair.

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,David Ingerson on another computer
Date: 19 Apr 10 - 12:04 AM

So, has anyone found the words? Or is that just a cruel myth?

David

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: meself
Date: 19 Apr 10 - 12:37 AM

I have a notion that the recording used on the Max Ferguson (Rawhide) show was done by Don Messer - and his band - the Islanders - of course.

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST
Date: 27 May 10 - 10:55 AM

The recording on the Rawhide show was by George Barnes, from an album called "Guitars by George".

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: Jack Campin
Date: 27 May 10 - 08:01 PM

Is there some early sheet music for it on the web somewhere?

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,Pete
Date: 28 May 10 - 04:54 PM

If you google the German title 'Klarinettenmuckl' or 'Klarinetenmuckl Noten" you will get to various sites which have sheet music, e.g. http://www.stammtischmusik.at/noten/klarinettenmuckl.shtml (and a midi file) and lots of others as well

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: Jack Campin
Date: 28 May 10 - 05:58 PM

That's a terrific arrangement! Thanks!

Blue clicky:

http://www.stammtischmusik.at/noten/klarinettenmuckl.shtml

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,Max Ellis
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 08:26 AM

I have been playing the Clarinet Polka for over 50 years. By now I have it memorized. The music I have has no composer name or publisher, just the title and one page of clarinet music. I don't remember where I got the music.

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 08:26 PM

It would appear that the original composer was the famous "Anonymous" and that the original name for the tune was "Dziadunio," i.e "Grandfather" or "Grandfather's" and the tune is "trad." The notation on the record is an alternate title, and not a composer.

The "composer" shown on the piano roll more likely is either an "arranger" or the "punch driver" who put the tune on the roll.

Later persons who played it commonly would list their own name as "composer" even though "arranger" would be more appropriate. With no disrespect to "Pinky" it's doubtful that he "composed" it but quite likely that he "wrote" (i.e. arranged) a version of the trad tune. Since an "arrangement" has the same copyright privileges as a "composition," the difference was (is) seldom noted.

There are those who insist that there must be "words" to every tune, but any words to this tune (esp any not in Polish?) are quite likely not "original" or even "trad," and it's quite likely that there are numerous "lyricists" who have written competing word-sets since the tune was very popular through the entire "big-band" era. Singers feel "excluded" if it's just a tune, so each writes a lyric.

I would say see the thread on Ashokan Farewell for a case study about Jay Ungar's battle to avoid having multiple (and mostly bad) "lyrics" published for his tune; but as there are about 16 threads on the tune and I'm lazy, I can't say which one includes that discussion.

John

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,BJGawlak
Date: 11 Oct 10 - 10:54 PM

Karol Namyslowski was the composer of the clarinet polka. He was born in Poland on September 9, 1856. Here is a link to the full atricle about the clarinet polka & Karol Namyslowski. http://polkalegacy.com/cart/page.html?chapter=0&id=8

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,seth in Olympia
Date: 12 Oct 10 - 01:36 AM

grew up in Cleveland in the forties and fifties when there were just three b/w TV stations and a lot of live music on TV and radio, being Cleveland, most especially polka music. Clarinet Polka was one of the first songs that I remember hearinI I know that if I got to watch the Sunday morning polka shows somehow I had gotten out of going to church, where the music wasn't nearly as good!

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,Gerhard
Date: 12 Oct 10 - 06:27 AM

As with other popular folk tunes, there are many claims to authorship, poorly supported. In particular, the site linked by GUEST,BJGawlak on 11 Oct 10 - 10:54 PM tells us a typical legend including heroic resistance against foreign oppression. As Martin Ryan has pointed out above, the story lacks support from outside Poland.

Given the extreme ambitus of the melody, it cannot possibly be composed for vocalists. Trying to sing it is an act of circus artistry, not adequate to folkloristic entertainment. If the title "Grandad's Polka" is original (which I do not think to be proven), the grandad would rather dance with grandma (in a moderate polka tempo) than yodel.

The tune as we know it makes clever and idiomatic use of the Bb-clarinet, so it is hard to believe that it was borrowed from another instrument without any changes.

Polka is a dance from Bohemia (now Czech Republic).

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 03:34 AM

Hey there!

Seems the "urban legend" bit is true!
I found the Polish Wikipedia entry of Namyslowski
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karol_Namys%C5%82owski

and thought, well, let's ask there (in Polish, Google translate was my friend! :P) if he was involved with the Clarinet Polka in any way.
Mr. Super-Admin "Stefaniak" INSTANTLY deleted my request in the discussion area with the remark "unnecessary article".

I love to get my articles "deemed" unnecessary by people who seem to know everything.

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Dec 11 - 02:45 PM

My father,Johann Krutsch, came to US in July, 1921 to perform in an "International Band", however the band leader died in an automobile accident in Mexico before it came to fruition. I did not learn until after my father passed away that he had written the "Clarinet Polka", but it was "stolen", apparently on the ship. He had been a musician since he was a youngster and was in the army band in Hungary. After he was in Chicago he played in the Paul Ash band and also had dance bands of his own--in Chicago, Wisconsin, etc. During WW2 he had a radio program, played for dances and in the city park. He was always "composing" and writing music. Unfortunately Dad passed away after being estranged from our family and all his music "disappeared".

Rosemary (Krutsch) Wiltsey
.

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 05:43 PM

Rosemary, can you tell us more? Even if you don't have any proof, the details may be interesting. How did you learn that your father had written the "Clarinet Polka"? Are you (or was he) sure it was the "Clarinet Polka"? What title did he give it? Did he know the German title mentioned above? Whereabouts in Hungary did he serve? Did the army know about his compositions? How did he learn that his composition had become a world hit? Who disputed his authorship?

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,Rosemary (Krutsch) Wiltsey
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 10:42 AM

My brother Roy revealed that Dad had written the "Clarinet Polka", and he has also passed away. I don't know how he knew this, but my dad was always putting notes on musical paper for his dance band and radio program. Although he was from Nakodorf Hungary, he served in the Austrian army. I don't know how he knew his composition was a "hit", and I don't remember his ever talking about it. Sorry.

Subject: RE: Origins: Clarinet Polka
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 06:19 PM

Thanks, Rosemary. I am not an expert in any sense, although I know of course that until 1918 there was an Austrian-Hungarian army. Obviously there were many persons of mixed ethnic background.

Whoever can corroborate or comment here, will find interested readers.