Klarinet Archive - Posting 000611.txt from 1997/10

From: HatNYC62@-----.com
Subj: No Subject
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 22:52:09 -0400

>My comments about technique can be summed up as follows: A
clarinetist once told me that he spent 8 years at least an hour a day
trying to perfect Daphnis (my favorite example this week!) for orchestra
auditions. How ridiculous! Correct me if I'm wrong (especially Dan) but
the intention of that excerpt in my mind is to present a "wave" of
continuous sound without regard to individual notes. Indeed, one does
not want to hear the individual notes because it destroys the effect.
Thus, why is that used as an "eliminator" in orchestra auditions?
Because its convenient. Playing every note in that excerpt does not a
musician make.<

What the hell does that mean, a " 'wave' of continuous sound without regard
to individual notes?" Look at the damn music! It is a carefully constucted
work, and Ravel on more than one occasion changes only 1 note of the 12 in
each grouping to imply changes in tonality. If you don't play the notes, how
is that going to come across? The only way it's going to sound like a "wave"
or even "continuous" is if you play what's on the page. If Ravel had wanted a
wave, he could have easily wrote top and bottom notes with staight lines in
between. Once you decide something is just an effect, it's too easy to say
"well, those runs in the Debussy Rhapsodie are just an effect, it's not
important to play them cleanly." Etc. etc.

Why the opening of Daphnis on auditions? Not just because of the fingers! You
have to play 'pp' with a real tone and play rapidly through a difficult
register. You must maintain a steady tempo. . .rock steady (you would be
surprised how many folks' sense of rhythm goes out the window when they have
to play soft or fast). Remember that this is 2 clarinets playing together,
and both need to be rock solid or else the whole piece can come off the
tracks. The flutes are counting on you to be steady, and it's frustrating as
hell if it doesn't happen because someone can't maintain a pulse.

Besides all this, the really difficult parts of Daphnis Suite 2 are at the
end and these you really do need to be able to nail techinically and keep a
steady tempo as well. It's hard as hell and frustrating to work on, but
life's a bitch sometimes. If you don't have good technique, admit it and work
on it. Making excuses that things are stupid to play correctly and that folks
who bust their asses to be good players sounds to me like sour grapes.

>And finally, to respond to Gary whose "pithy" reply really deserves no
more than silence, my short list of "musicians" (as if I have to prove my
comments):

Robert Wojciak
Leon Russianoff
Itzhak Perlman
Eddie Daniels
Hans Rudolf Stadler
Rachmaninoff
Oscar Peterson
Anne Sophie Mutter
Eliane Elias
Eric Dolphy
sitting in the very last row in Carnegie Hall listening to Chicago and Solti
play Mahler 9
and many more I can't think of right now -<

Gary made a thoughtful response. You should know that Gary Ginstling is an
immensely gifted clarinet player and musician. Respected on both coasts.
Genuinely nice guy as well, and he deserves a little respect.

Interesting list of players. Perhaps you should write to Eddie Daniels and
ask him if he still plays scales. . .