Klarinet Archive - Posting 000021.txt from 1995/01

From: Neil Leupold <Ndt123@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Stoltzman and Shifrin
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 01:02:39 -0500

Quite frankly, I think Richard Stoltzman is getting a bad rap for his
attempts at playing jazz clarinet. I feel that if people could get past his
vibrato, they would discover a player possessed of tremendous innovative and
interpretative talent. For those of you who have heard it, his recording on
RCA of the Rossini "Intro, Theme and Variations", along with Weber's Concerto
No.1 are, without question, the finest, most imaginative, and most inspiring
interpretations of those pieces I have ever heard - vibrato notwithstanding.
Yes, he fiddles with tempi sometimes (his tempi are generally slower than
marked, which I appreciate and respect because of the way in which he
finesses phrases and uses the slower tempo to the effect of greater musical
expression - many players do not have this natural talent and can only play
pieces at a rapid pace). Lori, if you want a good recording of the first
Weber concerto, I honestly recommend Stoltzman's. Contrarily, I think it's
Stoltzman's attempt at playing jazz clarinet that creates problems because he
just doesn't seem to be able to get the right style. It's a matter of
personal preference, I imagine, but I have to say that Eddie Daniels is the
definitive artist of jazz clarinetistry in the world - although he too has
one of the finest recording of Weber I've ever heard: the quintet. Daniels'
Mozart quintet recording (same album) is also absolutely superb, although I
think Shifrin's extended A clarinet recording of the Mozart is just a little
more expressive. Both Shifrin and Stoltzman deserve respect and applause, as
my final word on the subject.

Neil Leupold

   
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