Klarinet Archive - Posting 000450.txt from 1996/02

From: RICK CUSTER <RICK@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Sound
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 12:03:56 -0500

I would like to offer some reflections on the past two days' postings on
makes of clarinets/mouthpieces/barrels and characteristics of various
players' sounds. I haven't been a very active poster to the Klarinet list
(most of my posts have been made off-line), but this is a topic that
really interests me and one I have given a little thought to over the
last few years.

A brief introduction: I live in Arlington, VA (a suburb of Washington,
DC) and perform with the National Concert Band of America. I have played
with the Capitol Wind Ensemble, the Friday Morning Music Club Orchestra,
and chamber ensembles in the Washington area. I currently make my living
as the Director of Publications of the American Anthropological
Association, but that is another story for another time.

What caught my eye was the post concerning Loren Kitt, his sound,
equipment, etc. For the record: Kitt currently plays Selmer 10G
instruments, with a Gigliotti P-facing mouthpiece, a Gigliotti ligature,
and Vandoren V-12 4-1/2 reeds. When he auditioned for the National
Symphony back in the early 70s, he played Buffet R-13 clarinets with
Moennig adjustments, Moennig barrel, Chedeville mouthpiece, Vandoren #5
reeds, Bonade inverted ligature.

Loren Kitt has a beautiful sound. It is Loren Kitt's sound, nobody
else's. Kitt was a student of Gigliotti at Curtis. When Kitt studied with
Gigliotti, Gigliotti played Buffet R-13s, Moennig set-up, Chedeville
mouthpiece, Bonade lig.

Gigliotti has a beautiful sound. It is Gigliotti's sound, nobody else's.
[Parenthetically: when Gigliotti auditioned for the Philadelphia
Orchestra, he played a Bonade mouthpiece, and had a much different sound.
Over the years, he changed his concept of sound, played Kaspars and
Chedevilles, and now plays his own Selmer equipment: 10G's, Gigliotti
P-facing mouthpiece, Vandoren V-12 4-1/2s, Gigliotti ligature.]

Music is sound. One *listens* to music.

Musical sound is personal, as personal as the sound of one's voice. No
two people have exactly the same sound in their voices. No two
clarinetists have exactly the same sound. To be a mimic, either vocally
or clarinetistically, is a trick; amusing perhaps, but essentially it is
*dishonest.*

The key is to develop one's *concept* of sound. This changes over time!
One of the questions I submitted to be asked at the Tempe, AZ,
International Clarinet Society meeting session of the "Greats" of the
clarinet (Mitchell Lurie, Alfred Prinz, Bernard Portnoy, Clark Brody)
concerned how their concept of sound had changed over the years, and if
they had to change their sound once they got their orchestra jobs,
according to the desire of the director. They ducked the issue. Only
Lurie admitted that his concept had changed once he got to LA and started
working in the studios; he felt that he needed to develop more sonic
flexibility, a looser, freer sound. [Here we come up against the wall:
Metaphor. Sound, like love, is usually described metaphorically, which is
why it is so hard to nail it down in language]. I was disappointed with
their response, because I know they changed over the years. I had lunch
earlier that day with Bernie Portnoy, who told me he entered the
Philadelphia Orchestra playing on a *stock* Buffet mouthpiece, and he
never gave that much attention to sound until later. He changed. Even
George Silfies, the principal clarinetist of the St Louis Symphony
Orchestra (he had performed in the conference in Tempe, too) changed his
sound over the years: he was a student of Ralph McLane, and got his first
job with the Baltimore Symphony. He played double lip at the time, with a
real soft reed. He now plays an O'Brien mouthpiece and a harder setup. He
has a beautiful sound. He probably had a beautiful sound in Baltimore (I
didn't hear him then).

Our sound is in us. The goal, in my opinion, is to develop a good concept
of sound (by listening to many players, on many different setups, in many
different situations--orchestra, chamber, jazz, solo, whatever) and to
learn to produce one's own, unique, sound. This is a lifelong effort.
Concepts change. Equipment changes, too. Find the equipment that works
for you to achieve your concept.

I have come to appreciate and enjoy a variety of clarinet sounds. I
remember the first time I heard Laura Arden of the Atlanta Symphony--I
was in my car listening to the radio, and I pulled over and simply
listened (I can't remember the piece). I have never seen her or heard her
live, but I was bowled over by her sound. One of the reasons I enjoy
going to the annual conference of the International Clarinet Society is
to listen to the variety of musical voices. Once you get an idea of what
you want in your sound, you can set out to actualize it (it just doesn't
"happen" if you get the magic setup).

By the way, I play Buffet R-13s (from the late 1960s, early 1970s), a
Kaspar Chicago mouthpiece, Rovner light ligature, Vandoren V-12 #4 reeds,
and Chadash barrels. I didn't always play this setup, and I will probably
change some time in the future. One never knows. . .

Rick Custer
Arlington, VA
rick@-----.com