Klarinet Archive - Posting 000168.txt from 1995/02

From: David Gilman <dagilman@-----.EDU>
Subj: Bellison and his clarinet (re: Donald Oehler)
Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 12:48:50 -0500

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>From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
>Subject: Bellison and his clarinet (re: Donald Oehler)
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>
>Donald Oehler's posting on the Oehler system clarinet suggests that
>Simeon Bellison, 1st in the NY Philharmonic until the 1940s, played
>the Oehler system. While Donald may be correct, when I was growing
>up in that environment, Bellison was always said to have played
>Albert system clarinets.
>
>Personally, I don't know the difference between the Oehler and
>the Albert system or if there is any. Perhaps the words are
>synonymous. But if there is a difference, and if the word on the
>street in NY during the late 1930s and early 1940s was correct,
>then Bellison played something other than an Oehler system.
>
>Bellison's training was in Russia and he was a prominent clarinetist
>there in the 1920s. That does not preclude his playing an Oehler
>system, of course, but I thought that this background might be helpful
>in understanding what it was on which Bellison played.
>
>I was at one of Bellison's annual recitals when I was a kid. And as
>a clarinet player myself, I stared at his instrument. All I remember
>was that it had rollers on it and my clarinet did not.
>
>Can anyone confirm Donald Oehler's statement on Bellison's clarinet?
>
>
>====================================
>Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
>(leeson@-----.edu)
>====================================
>
>
Dan,
I'm so happy to see people mentioning Simeon Bellison on the list, for my
teacher, Kalman Bloch, studied with Mr. Bellison back in the 30's. Kalman
did tell me that Bellison played the German system instrument, but I am not
certain whether it was the full Oehler system or the simpler Albert. I saw
a photograph of Bellison with his clarinet, but his fingers were over the
holes, and I couldn't tell for sure how many keys there were. I will ask
Kalman when I see him this week.

David Gilman