Klarinet Archive - Posting 000024.txt from 1996/01

From: Donald Yungkurth <DYungkurth@-----.COM>
Subj: Kell
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 15:22:08 -0500

Piotr Michalowski <piotrm@-----. Dan Leeson
responded with his usual eloquence about Kell's musicianship, particularly
with regard to his use of rubato. Dan also pointed out that, to him at
least, the use or non-use of vibrato by Kell was a non-issue. I've
paraphrased Dan here, so I hope I haven't changed the sense of anything he
said.

I recall my initial hearing of Kell, while in high school, in the late 40's.
I had heard few of the major clarinetists of the time, since they didn't get
to my town and radio didn't provide much classical music. Those I did hear
used absolutely unwavering, vibratoless tone which I strived to imitate. A
record store was going out of business and selling off their recordings (78s)
and I purchased the Mozart Clarinet Quintet, played by Kell. I had heard
about the dreaded vibrato on clarinet but was unaware that Kell was the prime
practitioner and offender.

I had never heard the Mozart Quintet at the time, other than my own efforts
to play the clarinet part on my metal Bb horn, so I had little basis for
comparison. My reaction had nothing whatever to do with the music or
musicianship - all I heard was the dreaded vibrato and I was not pleased! I
felt I had been cheated on my purchase!

A few years later I heard Kell recordings of the Brahms Quintet and Sonatas
and had to admit he played *very* well and that the vibrato didn't seem as
objectionable in Brahms as it had in Mozart.

About three months ago (45 years after the initial hearing) I bought a CD of
Kell doing the Mozart trio, Quintet and Concerto. I haven't checked, but
believe the Quintet performance is the same one as I have on 78s. My
reaction was significantly different than in my high school days.

I was amazed by the performances of all three works. It was essentially as
Dan described - wonderful playing throughout. As to the vibrato, I was
barely aware of it. The few times I noticed it, it seemed to add warmth and
was certainly tasteful and appropriate, but it was hardly worth mentioning as
a factor in Kell's playing, at least to my 1995 ears.

Stoltzman on occasion uses far more vibrato than Kell ever did. I've heard
him use far too much vibrato (IMHO) in a live performance of the Weber first
concerto, to the point that the vibrato took your attention away from the
music. It would have offended me on flute or violin, instruments which
traditionally use considerable vibrato. In Stoltzman's defense, I think he
is capable of playing most any way he chooses to. I don't always like his
choice, however.

The bottom line seems to be how much *I* have changed in all that time! I've
got to dig out that recording of Kell doing the Brahms sonatas and see how
much he's improved since last time I listened to it!

Don Yungkurth (DYungkurth@-----.com)

   
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