Klarinet Archive - Posting 000600.txt from 1997/01

From: "David C. Blumberg" <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Igor Begelman's NYC recital
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 14:27:58 -0500

Mike,
Here's a monster player from Dania's generation.

>Reply-To: "Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network" <KLARINET@-----.BITNET>
>Sender: "Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network" <KLARINET@-----.BITNET>
>From: Jrykorten@-----.COM
>Subject: Igor Begelman's NYC recital
>Comments: To: KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.edu
>To: Multiple recipients of list KLARINET <KLARINET@-----.BITNET>
>
>Those of you that were fortunate enough to hear Igor Begelman perform at
>Temple Emanuel yesterday here in NYC heard the star of the next generatio=
>n.
>This young Russian (b. 1975) who studies here with Charles Neidich and
>Stanley Drucker is truly a phenomenon.
>
>He performed Schuman=92s Fantasy pieces, Krasotov Rhapsody in Jewish Them=
>es
>(written for Begelman and NYC premier), A transcription of Heifetz=92s Th=
>ree
>Preludes for Violin and Piano, Poulenc Sonata, Glinka Unfinished Sonata
>(posthumous) and a transcription of Pablo De Sarasate=92s Gypsy Airs Opus=
> 29.
>
>Truly exciting and awe inspiring. This type of musical interpretation was
>lost a few generations ago and has given way to a steely, unemotional
>detached playing quality throughout "classical" performance nowadays. In
>contrast, Igor communicates. Perhaps he emotes a bit too much (cf Schuman=
>)
>and he may benefit by learning to tone down the body language just a bit.=
> The
>effect is like seeing a recital by a tenor, as if Igor is presenting you =
>with
>a song. (Perhaps polite performers such as Shifrin can pick up some of th=
>is
>excess energy!). The result is a lyricism and heartfelt performance that =
>left
>me with goosebumps.
>
>No matter how difficult or how lyrical the passage, he does not stop to
>breathe! I had to move up for the second half of the concert to see how t=
>his
>was done. He uses circular breathing! Sometimes this technique is taken t=
>o
>the extreme--- his pitch can go sharp when playing softly and squeezing t=
>he
>air out his cheeks while inhaling - all at the same time. And this listen=
>er
>believes that taking a breath now and then helps to delineate the phrase =
>of a
>piece. But even if he is showing off, it has it@-----.
>
>He tongues - with apparent ease - 16th notes at metronome markings of 148=
> and
>faster, in any register. Move over Stanley Drucker.
>
>His tone is rich and mellifluous - "Creamy" said my wife of the Schuman. =
>The
>auditorium may have robbed him of some of the low frequency spectrum. I d=
>id
>not hear that resonance in the chalumeau register that I hear with player=
>s
>like Todd Palmer. I think this was the concert halls problem. His altissi=
>mo
>register is splendid - not metallic, but woody. Because he uses diaphragm=
>atic
>vibrato sometimes these high notes start sounding a little Turkish. This =
>was
>called for by some of the pieces (Krasotov, Gershwin, Sarasate). But, hey=
>!
>These are issues of personal taste. His awesome command of technique,
>lyricism and musicality combine to create a truly great clarinetist.
>
>This is one of the very great. He is or will be, no doubt, one of the lea=
>ding
>proponents of the clarinet in the next millennium. May he live long and
>prosper! May each of you have the opportunity to hear him! (May I ever fe=
>el
>good about my own clarinet playing again?)
>
>
>Jerry Korten
>NYC
>
>
David C. Blumberg
reedman@-----.com
Principal Clarinet Riverside Symphonia
Adjunct Woodwind Instructor Univ. of Penn,. Bryn Mawr College