Klarinet Archive - Posting 000230.txt from 1994/11

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: um, gee, um
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 18:24:46 -0500

OK, here are the results and it is not so easy to mark this quiz. I'll
give a play-by-play breakdown and state if I think the answer is right,
wrong, or unclear. But my rough cut is that it looks as if Jim got
about 1/2 right and 1/2 wrong, giving him the benefit of the doubt on all
for which the matter is unclear and two half-correct scores.

1. The player was Gervaise de Payer who I consider English. Jim said
"French, perhaps. Definitely a Boehm system." Well, it is true that it
is a Boehm system, but de Payer is an English trained player who executes
on a Boosey Hawkes and I consider him English. Therefore, I think this
answer to be incorrect.

2. The player was Louis Cahuzac who was French (at least when he was alive,
he was). Jim said Dutch or American. I think this to be incorrect.

3. The player was David Glazer of the NY wind quintet and formerly of the
Pittsburgh SO, as American as apple pie. Jim said American. He is
absolutely correct.

4. The player was Alfred Boskovsky who was Austria. Jim said German.
I consider that answer to be correct.

5. The player was Simeon Bellison who was Russian trained and played on
an Albert system. Jim said English. I consider this answer to be incorrect.

So far 2 right, 3 wrong.

6. The player was Jann Engel who is, I believe, Austrian. Jim said,
American. I consider this to be incorrect.

7. The player was Paul Drushler who is American. Jim said English.
I consider this to be incorrect.

8. The player was Vladimir Sardin (spelling??) who is as Russian as
Stalin. Jim said Austrian. I consider this to be incorrect.

9. The players were all from the Netherlands wind ensemble playing basset
horn trios of Mozart. They all play Oehler system. Jim said American.
I consider this to be incorrect.

10. The player was Harold Wright. Jim named him right off the bat.
I consider this to be correct.

So far: 3 right, 7 wrong.

11. The player was Kell. Jim said Kell. Absolutely right on.

12. The player was David Oppenheim, an American. Jim said English.
Incorrect.

13. The lead clarinet in the Beethoven sextet for winds was Leopold
Wlach (and all the other players were from the Vienna Phil). Jim said
German and I think this is correct.

14. The player (Jim is going to kill himself) was Mark Brandenberg with
whom we have both worked. Mark is a California player. Jim said either
English or American but guessed American. This is correct, but Mark
is never going to work with him again unless Jim uses an English accent.

15. The player is with the Chicago symphony and is American. Jim said
French. Incorrect.

So far: 6 right, 9 wrong.

16. Dieter Klocker (German). Jim said German. Correct.

17. Thea King. Jim said English. Correct.

18. Sabine Meyer. Jim said Dutch or German. Half-correct.

19. Colin Lawson (English). Jim said English. Correct.

20. Giora Feidman (nationality uncertain). Jim thought it might be
him or it might be the Afro-American member of the NE conservatory
Klezmer group. Half-correct.

Final score: 10 right. 10 wrong.

The works were:

1. Mozart's Parto aria
2. Hindemith concerto
3. Hummel quartet
4. Brahms quintet
5. Mozart quintet
6. Mozart quintet (basset clarinet)
7. Mozart quintet
8. Schubert octet
9. Mozart basset horn trio
10. Beethoven septet
11. Brahms quintet
12. Copland sextet
13. Beethoven sextet for clars., horns, bassoons
14. Mozart concerto
15. Shostakovich 8th symphony bass clarinet solo
16. Mozart - arias with soprano (unbekant)
17. Sussmayr concerto
18. Krommer wind octet
19. Mozart concerto (basset clarinet - original instrument)
20. Klezmer music

I will ask Clark Fobes to review this letter and confirm on the board
that this constitutes the set of players that I gave to him.

Per my earlier suggestion, a score of less than 75% shows that
no success was achieved. A score of 50% shows nothing conclusive.
The result, nothing was confirmed in terms of supporting the
argument that it is possible to identify nationalities on the
basis of sound, and nothing was proven that it cannot be done either.

This is known in the west as a Mexican standoff. Bottom line is that
my argument has neither been contradicted or supported by the test.

Anyone else want to try a different test?

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