Klarinet Archive - Posting 000367.txt from 1996/04

From: "j.the" <jtsalm@-----.NL>
Subj: Re: German Clarinets
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 19:59:12 -0400

Hello Merlin,
(You have a rather german name!),

Thank you for your reply!

>I read your message on the list, and here in Canada the price of
>V12-Vandoren reeds is $22, so in the US it will be less.

So it will be worthwhile buying reeds in the States for me...

>Anyway, maybe you can help me because I am looking at buying a new, or
>better, clarinet. I play on an old Leblanc now, and I don't really like the
>way it plays. (Clunky keywork, bad intonation and tone isn't very nice)
>Since I may go to Europe in a year or so to study music there, can you tell
>me the difference between the French and the German clarinets?

First of all: what and where are you going to study? I ask this, because
buying a French clarinet (for instance: Buffet, Selmer, Noblet, Leblanc,
B&H) and going to study clarinet in germany will be almost impossible.

So: in germany they play the Oehler system (or, a more perfect
Albert-system). They play this sort of instrument also in Austria. In
Holland there are also people playing this system.
A cannot say that this instrument makes a special sound, I mean: there are
many players and all of them have an other tone. But, it's part of a
tradition and it suits a way of playing (clarinet-school). What I can say
is, that the system is more difficult: for classical works and the Romantic
era it is perfect (but the Spohr-concertos are really difficult!), but music
with lots of altered (is this English?) notes (g-sharp, f-sharp, and so on)
is more difficult than on a french clarinet (Boehm-system). For instance:
the solo's in Sherehazade are olmost unplayable on the german (Oehler)
clarinet, and much easier on a french one.
Well: when you hear Mr. Karl Leister playing you won't notice this, altough
he's playing on Oehler (Wurlitzer), and he is the best advocate on that sort
of clarinet, (isn't he?)

The French clarinet is the clarinet you play on (Boehm).

I play also a German clarinet (other acoustics, other bore (narrower), other
mouthpiece and therefor other reeds than yours) but with a French key-system
on it (little bit altered, therefor they call it "reform-boehm": the Bb' is
more open, by an extra key witch opens only when you play the Bb', and a
rather different key for f'' and f-sharp''). I have a German clarinet made
by the same "builder" as the clarinet of Mr Karl Leister, that is: Herbert
Wurlitzer (Neustadt an der Aisch in germany). A little company, best in his
sort, and really handmade!

The reform Boehm is in tone more like a german clarinet (in sound) than a
french one.
The Mouthpieces are german too (so I play with a string, or lace (?), as
ligature, but thats part of tradition) and we play special reeds: german-cut
(smaller).
Karl leister plays vandoren white master (german cut) 2,5, and I happen to
play them too. Before 1981 Leister played Steur reeds (handmade and very
german).
So: very light reeds, and a mouthpiece with a rather wide open tip!

Price indication: set of Wurlitzers: US$ 13.000 (!!!) and you have to order
them by a professional, and you have to wait for 2-4 years before you can
fetch them. No warrenty, and you cannot choose (only when you are Mr
Leister, than they will be kind to you).
BTW: only Dutch players play the German Herbert (or Fritz) Wurlitzers reform
Boehm, I believe, and maybe a fes (rich) Japanese (??).

Yamaha has made a copy (sort of Wurlitzer), almost reform Boehm, but they
have not copied the whole system: you cannot play the "gable Bb'' ", that
is: first and third finger closed by left hand, wich is very handy and has a
dark tone: beautiful.
For that reason only I do not play the Yamaha.
It's cheaper, I believe, and you can choose and you have a very nice company
helping you. I do not think you have to wait for them. (You have to buy
them in germany).
Yamaha also have the Oehler system remake of the Wurlitzer.

>
>The clarinet player with the nicest sound is Karl Leister in my opinion. Do
>you know what clarinet and reed he plays on?

Herbert Wurlitzer oehler "solist", Vandoren 2,5 (White Master); for concerts
with low A (below 443) another very old clarinet..(I believe his first one)
you can hear this one (lots of key-rumble) on Camerata disks, when he made
recordings in japan.
As you probably know: in berlin (Philharmonic) they play at an very high
pitch: A@-----.

I know a lot of guys playing on the same material as Mr.Leister, but they do
not have that same tone quality: it's al up to the player himself. You have
to search for the material wich suits you best. Thats very difficult, I know!

Prices of french sets: US$ (top models by Buffet) 8000

In my humble opinion Mr Leister is the god on clarinet. Sometimes he plays
in the Berlin Philharmonic and on recordings as a "free-lancer", and I hope
he will do this for years to come!
I don't believe anyone can play like him, but it's a nice goal to try to get
that smoothness in technique and color and musicianship!!

>Thanks,
>-Merlin

   
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