Klarinet Archive - Posting 000594.txt from 1997/09

From: "Jeroen T. Salm" <jtsalm@-----.nl>
Subj: Re: Harry Sparnaay?
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 06:48:18 -0400

Hey klarinet-folks!

Yeah, I'm at the moment studying the Sacre (Eb clarinet), Firebird (#1
clarinet), Schvnberg's kammersymfonie. Well, pretty stuff!!

OK, Harry Sparnaay. A wonderful man and good Bass-clarinet-player. He made
a solo-instrument of the bass-clarinet. He is not in a orchestra, and,
IMHO, I think he wouldn't like it, and also the orchestra wouldn't like it.
I mean: he made something special out of the bass-cl, but something not to
be mingled with the orchetra sound.
I had a couple of lessons with him, with clarinet-quartet (the wonderful
piece by Tristan Keuris) and some chambermusic with Berg. Webern etc. He is
gifted with a lot of enthousiasm and knowledge.
I myself am not a bass-clarinet player myself, nor do I "like"modern music,
so I didn't see Harry a lot. But he was teacher at the concervatory I
visited. If you like, you can contact him there: Harrie Sparnaay, p/a:
Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Faculteit Muziek, Utrecht Conservatorium,
Mariaplaats 28, NL-3511 LL Utrecht, The Netherlands. (He is also a teacher
at the Amsterdam Sweelinck Conservatory).
He always had a lot of students (two of them I know very good), also a lot
of them came from other countries than The Netherlands.

The piece by Ferneihough: it was very, very difficult. Mr Sparnaay has
studied it with a computer... It was impossible to count, so the computer
did that, and Sparnaay played what the computer "told"him to do. This is a
parafrase of what Mr Sparnaay once told in a newspaper about this piece. I
think this is 10 years ago...

OK,

happy studying etc.!

Jeroen T. Salm
The Netherlands
jtsalm@-----.nl

----------
| Van: Michael Norsworthy <mnorsworthy@-----.net>
| Aan: 'klarinet@-----.us'
| Onderwerp: RE: Harry Sparnaay?
| Datum: woensdag 10 september 1997 22:54
|
| Harry Sparnaay??? He's a dutch bass clarinet player,
| no he doesn't play in an orchestra, who has increased the
| repertoire for the instrument by over 400 works. He also
| does a bit of composing on the side. For a detailed desription
| of him see the book "Clarinet Virtuosi of Today" by Pamela Weston.
| He's listed in there and Weston does a prety thorough job. But,
| I've had the opportunity to hear him in person a few times and I don't
| recall ever coming out of a concert that amazed. He's simply wonderful,
| his technique, control, and ability to do just about anything he wants
| with the BASS clarinet. I highly recommend going to see him or buying
| his recordings if one has the chance. They are rather difficult to get
in the
| US however.
|
| Incidentally he's the dedicatee of the most difficult piece of music
| that I've ever had the opportunity to play. It's by Brian Ferneyhough
| and it's entitled "Time and Motion Study I" for solo bass clarinet.
| For all of you bass players out there... if you're looking for a worthy
| challenge, this should keep you busy and satisfy any boredom!
| It's published by C.F. Peters. Have fun and I hope someone on the list
| can remember more about Sparnaay off the top of their head than I can!
|
| Regards,
| Michael Norsworthy
| mnorsworthy@-----.net
|
| -----Original Message-----
| From: Frederick S. Sterns [SMTP:fssterns@-----.net]
| Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 1997 4:12 PM
| To: Klarinet List
| Subject: Harry Sparnaay?
|
| Have seen the name "Harry Sparnaay" recently inconnection with "bass
| clarinet matters."
| I judge he is with one of the major orchestras, but I can find nothing
| about him locally. Can anyone provide some information on this gentleman?

| Thanks...Fred S..
|
|
|