Klarinet Archive - Posting 000016.txt from 1995/03

From: Neil Leupold <Neil_Leupold@-----.COM>
Subj: Eb Clarinet
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 19:26:12 -0500

Eb Clarinet
My first experience with the Eb was nothing short of catastrophic. I was an
undergrad in college, working on all the basics, learning the literature, and
suddenly feeling all of the components "come together" during a particularly
good week. I was handed the Eb during an orchestra rehearsal and was told to
play the dreaded thing on Candide Overture, as well as The Planets. I applied
all of the principals which had suddenly begun to work so well on Bb,
endeavoring to relax and allow the air to do the work. I had NO idea how
dramatic the effect would be on my embouchure after playing it for 2 hours -
having never played one before. When I tried to play my Bb again, it was like
I'd lost everything. I could barely get a tone out of it, and my embouchure
was a wreck. It took me a month (!) to recover.

In a related bit of trivia, the story goes that Dave Breeden's primary reason
for auditioning for the principal clarinet spot in the San Francisco Symphony
was that he hated playing Eb clarinet so much when he was the second chair
player. What an incredible talent. He got into the SF Symphony on a total
lark, auditiong straight out of North Texas State with no expectation
whatsoever of getting the job. He didn't even think he was qualified. He just
figured he would take a few auditions to see what it was like. Not a bad gig
to get on your first try!