Klarinet Archive - Posting 000031.txt from 1997/10

From: Jennifer Hefferlin <jhefferl@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Russian Clarinetists
Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 14:01:06 -0400

My experience at the Conservatory in St. Petersburg two years ago was that
most people played on whatever they could get their hands on and afford.
The Marynsky Theatre and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic had bought
instruments Buffet R13's and even an Elite (If I remember correctly) for
their players. My teacher played on the german system and one other
person in our class had a german system but that was pretty much it,
everyone else was on the french system.

-Jennifer H.

On Tue, 30 Sep 1997, Jim Lytthans wrote:

> Dirk Kussin asked:
> > Does someone know which system is played (preferred) in Russia?
>
>
> I believe they have used the Boehm system for quite a while, since the
> country has had, historically, an artistic connection to France. I
> would think that Germans (and their clarinets) would not be too popular
> in Russia (I hope I'm not being too inflammatory!) In 1964, while on a
> tour of Russia, I attended a performance of the Bolshoi Ballet, and met
> the clarinetists afterwards. Both players were using Selmer Signets!
> They mentioned that these were recent upgrades from their "crummy"
> Bundys. I'm sure Russian players use contemporary French equipment
> these days (if they can affort them!). I heard a Russian soloist at the
> recent ICA conference in Lubbock (not very good, IMHO). He was using a
> Buffet R13.
>
> --
>
> Jim Lytthans "Primo Arundo Donax!"
> Principal Clarinet
> La Mirada (CA) Symphony Orchestra
> Claremont Symphonic Winds
> (http://www.galcit.caltech.edu/~dooley/csw.html)
> My home page:
> http://home.pacbell.net/lytthans/index.html
>
>