Klarinet Archive - Posting 000511.txt from 1996/03

From: thehat@-----.ORG
Subj: French sound
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 20:51:11 -0500

In a message dated 03-19-96 INTERNET: dap@-----.CANT wrote to ** ALL **:
Id> Then do you think that Bonade and Cahuzac were anomalies in
Id> France since their sound was darker?

They represented the traditional French turn-of-the century school as
represented by the Selmers, Lefevre, etc descending from Rose. The Delecluse
era came later, and Cahuzac lived well into it, seeming like an anomoly in
his old age. I wouldn't call either of their sounds particularly "dark"
either, though Bonade's sound did open up during his American career.

Also, is Karl Leister a true
Id> representative of the German sound? I've heard some say that his
Id> sound is more like the Vienna school of clarinet sound. I've heard
Id> other German players and some have a small nasal sound with vibrato -
Id> what I thought to be characteristic of the old French school.

These Germans I don't know, though Langenus supposedly played with vibrato.
Germany is a pretty big country and there are many styles there. I do not
think Leister sounds Austrian, if you consider an Austrian sound to be
typified by Schmidl, Jettel or Polatschek. Leister is certainly admired
greatly in Germany, as he should be. THere is no one German sound. Besides,
Leister's sound has changed a lot over the years. In the 60's he was playing
very old clarinets and a wooden mouthpiece. With his Wurlitzer equipment, his
sound is very different, as he will tell you.

Id> Were there that many German clarinetists in American Orchestras in
Id> the time of Bonade? What about Gino Cioffi in Boston and Bellison in
Id> NY. I'd have to look back in my Clarinet mags for more but those two
Id> come to mind. I can't offhand think of some German clarinetist in US
Id> orchestras, but I'm sure there were.

Cioffi and Bellison are of different eras. One of Cioffi's predecessors,
Victor Polatschek, was a Viennese clarinetist playing the German System. He
wrote some wonderful etudes. At that time, Bellison in New York and Lindemann
in Chicago were also playing German clarinets. Only in Philly and Cleveland
were the principal clarinets playing French Clarinets for quite a while.
Since 1950, the French clarinet has been the overwhelming favorite in
American orchestras.

David Hattner
clarinetist-at-large, NYC
-> Alice4Mac 2.4.4 E QWK Eval:04Feb96
Origin: Hat's Nut House