Klarinet Archive - Posting 000464.txt from 1996/03

From: Jacqueline G Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: German music, German clarinets; French, French clarinets
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 17:41:18 -0500

Hi, Dan,

I happen to wholeheartedly agree with you on this issue of developing a
"tonal picture" in the minds of students. Part of it should come from
hearing the teacher play in lessons (from an "early" age -- I don't
believe there is a substitute for that!), part of it should come from
hearing live concerts whenever possible, and yes, part of it should come
from hearing recordings.

My most recent teacher disagreed with this idea, feeling that it simply
encourages imitation of one player's interpretation. I never had that
problem myself -- there would always be elements with which I would
disagree, and would come up with some other solution for in my own
performance. Sometimes, yes, there was something that I absolutely LOVED
about one person's interpretation -- a breath mark, a nudge on a leading
tone -- and I would try to incorporate that into what I would do, but it
always had to be natural, never contrived, and was different with every
performance.

Perhaps this is our topic of the week -- recordings: source for
imitation or assimilation?

Anyway, I believe it depends largely on the inherent musicality of the
student -- if all a student can do is parrot, maybe they should stick to
music ed.

Jacqueline Eastwood
University of Arizona/Arizona Opera Orchestra
eastwooj@-----.edu

On Mon, 18 Mar 1996, Daniel A.
Paprocki wrote:

> Roger,
> I think you're right. It probably doesn't matter what type of
> clarinet (German, French, etc) or key we play. What does matter is the
> mental picture of what we want to sound like. Granted it might be easier
> to sound German on a German clarinet or have the lightness of tone on a
> French, but it's really what's upstairs that counts. If I'm playing
> Brahms, I'm going to have a tonal picture that I'm going to go for that
> will be different than if I'm doing the Milhaud Suite.
> This brings up a good point. When I was teaching at Ohio State I
> found that most of my students didn't have this picture. All my studets
> were music ed majors, not to belittle that major. I had to insist that
> they buy CDs of the pieces that they were working on. Most didn't have
> more than 1 or 2 clarinet recordings. How can you have a picture of what
> you want to sound like when you don't know what sounds are out there? I
> feel that professors should insist on students buying 1 CD each semester.
> By the time someone graduates they would have 8 to 10 clarinet CD's, know
> more of the literature, and know what other professional clarinetists sound
> like.
>
> Dan
>
> ******************************************************************************
>
> Daniel A. Paprocki
> dap@-----.us
>
> ******************************************************************************
>