Klarinet Archive - Posting 000784.txt from 1996/03

From: Jacqueline G Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Vibrato
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 1996 12:00:39 -0500

Hello to the vibrato-curious!

Actually, I found that after having played a lot of Eb clarinet in a Wind
Ensemble, that it blended *better* with the other instruments it usually
accompanies with a slight vibrato. Whether the vibrato helps with
unstable pitch, or simply adds a similarness of quality to instruments
which always use vibrato, I'm not sure exactly why! Have other heavy Eb
players found this? (I'm not referring to size here, just playing time!)

As far as on the "regular" clarinets, I usually shy away from it, with
the exception of some French music (Debussy, for example). God only
knows, any slight leaning I may ever have had towards using vibrato was
squelched unmercifully after 4-1/2 years at Northwestern, where purity of
sound is sacred above all. Perhaps they were just a tiny bit rigid?

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

On
Thu, 28 Mar 1996, Nate Burk wrote:

> I agree -- vibrato is a very touchy subject on clarinet. I think rather than
> being taught exactly how to do it, it's something that a player picks up on
> his own when he's at the maturity level where s/he begins really focusing on
> the interpretation of a piece -- when the player understands what is
> appropriate or not. See, I don't usually think about producing any vibrato
> -- it only seems to come out when it feels like it should -- and there are
> very few pieces that call for much of it. A big weakness, I think, is
> players whose vibrato destroys their ability to blend w/ other instruments.
>
> What I like about the clarinet so much is its clear, innocent, warm sound.
> While vibrato can add character if used correctly, more often than not it
> will take away from the innocence of the clarinet sound that we all love so
> much!
>
> I'll probably get bashed for making such general comments and assumptions
> about why we like the clarinet, but hey -- I'm ready for it! I wonder what
> other people think...
>
> --Nate
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> nathan@-----.com/~nathan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>