Klarinet Archive - Posting 000567.txt from 1995/04

From: David Gilman <dagilman@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: "Jazz" Technique
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 21:39:01 -0400

Fred,
Earlier today, I read your very insightful message concerning the
lack of emotional charge in classical music today. I must admit that there
is a tendency among many orchestral players to play correctly but with
little expression. Few would argue this. However, you imply that we spend
too much time and energy on tone quality and too little on expression.
Clearly, we need to focus on expression, but why at the expense of tone?
Good tone is crucial for any kind of musical expression. I accept a variety
of tone colors as part of our musical palette, but as long as humans
continue to criticize each other, comparisons will be made as to tonal
quality. I, for one, do not mind this, for it helps me to improve my own
sound as well as the [hopefully] emotional charge traveling with it.
Let me provide a ridiculous example to illustrate my point. Picture
Luciano Pavarotti singing "Nessun Dorma" from _Turandot_, especially the
last "Vincero`!" at the end. Now imagine Andy Devine, John Fogarty, or
Roseanne singing it. [How's that for covering three generations!] Painful,
isn't it? Assuming any of these three could sing with some expression
(which might be the case with Fogarty), the result would still be unbearable
because these three people do not have the vocal timbre to pull it off. Why
do top string players pay more for their instruments than most people pay
for their houses? Because they need that beautiful tone as well as
projection. Also remember that the best jazz players, like Benny Goodman
and Artie Shaw, had wonderful sounds as well as great technique and
groundbreaking ideas.
Tone is a tool; like technique, dynamics, or phrasing; which we use
to convey our emotional ideas about our music. The first thing my teacher
told me when I started with him was that the music itself is what counts.
But he also said that we need to use and understand the tools at our
disposal in order to interpret that music. Tone is a very difficult element
to compare because there is so much disagreement as to what an optimal tone
is. What sounds strident to me may be gorgeous to someone else, and vice
versa. Nevertheless, we must not minimize the importance of a polished,
well thought out sound as part of our craft, whatever that sound may be.
The concepts of timbre and expression not only can but must coexist in order
that we may use them both to produce our art.

David Gilman