Klarinet Archive - Posting 000080.txt from 1993/11

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: OK!! I'm ready.
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1993 21:59:20 -0500

Well I had to spend a lot of time reading the messages that have
been posted to this network since time immemorial for I felt that
without some feel for the general topics of interest I would open
mouth and insert foot.

(For those interested send the words GET KLARINET LOG9301 in the main
body of the note and nothing else to the listserver at this location
and you will get about 50 messages send around Jan. of this year.
Klarinet log9302 will give you Feb. messages, log9303, March, etc.)

It seems to me that the pattern of greatest interest on this bb
for clarinet players is the reed. While this appears to be
of overwhelming interest for some players, I don't focus on that
matter nor do I find it of particular interest to me. Don't
misunderstand. I don't care what people think is their greatest
problem. Everyone has a right to focus on that thing that bugs
them most. For me it is not reeds so I want to move away from
that area.

Mouthpieces are another important issue over the last year or so.
Tons of messages which add up to the statement that "only my
mouthpiece maker really knows what's what." And since that
is true only of my mouthpiece maker and not anyone else's, I'll
move away from that one, too, thank you.

Let me begin by saying that I play a lot of basset horn and bass
clarinet, that I own two basset horns and two bass clarinets, one
of which is in A. I got tired of playing Wagner in A in the bass
clef and coming home with headaches and crossed eyes. Besides, I
can use the A bass for the "On The Trail" solo of Grofe and it
puts that ugly solo in C major. Whammo!! What a treat.

My interest is in repertoire and performance issues. How does one
play Mozart's clarinet music in a way that is compatible with
the way it was performed during his lifetime, for example? Should
one improvise in music of the 18th century? What is the role
of improvisation in music of the 18th century that uses clarinets.

If the music says "Clarinet in C" what is the player to do? Buy
a C clarinet or say "Screw it. I'll transpose the part onto a
B-flat instrument and anyone who doesn't like it can stick it!"
(Forgive me, I just wanted to make the point strongly. I don't
talk like that or try not to, at least.)

I just celebrated by 50th anniversary of playing the clarinet and,
in about two years, I will probably retire from active, professional
playing. How sad it will be not to be able to play the Gran Paritta
any longer. But as you get older, you lose your ability to play as
well as you once did, and there is no room in music for anything other
than excellence.

I see the names of many people on this bb whose reputations
for excellent, stylistic, brilliant playing precede them by miles.
It is a pleasure to be talking to all of you, but, for some of you,
it is a special pleasure.

Among the topics that I would love to have discussed to a fare-thee-
well are a variety of clarinet related things that exist on what I
think is a basis of folk-lore, not scientific fact. Among them are
matters such as "darkness" of tone (I offer the view that that word
has no meaning whatsoever and those who strive for a dark tone are
reaching for something that cannot be agreed upon by two people, much
less a dozen), the "blowing out" of clarinets (another fairy story
about clarinets that sells a lot of instruments but has never been
established as being valid), the matter of wood vs almost any other
medium for the instrument (is it possible in a blind test to tell
a metal clarinet from wood from glass from bamboo from chicken fat?).

I don't want to give the impression that I have answers to these
matters. I am certainly not that smart. In fact, I may not be
smart at all. But I can think of no place where these topics
should be better discussed. Maybe we will move 1 inch closer to
the truth.

My favorite ensemble is the clarinet with string quartet and the
wind octet. I don't find the wind quintet enjoyable and my
best Saturday nights were spent playing clarinet duets.

Looking forward to interesting people, clever repartee, and insightful
thinking about my favorite instrument!!

Dan Leeson (Los Altos, CA)
leeson@-----.edu