Klarinet Archive - Posting 000209.txt from 1997/11

From: Fred <fsheim@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Morales recital
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 22:37:38 -0500

Dear Mr. SAPadin:

I'm sorry my personal feelings and comments angered you so, but in the
spirit of a cultured chat group, I have no quams about tossing them into
the discussion. I'm sure we will all overlook your (classless) derision.
And for what its worth, although none of us book Carnegie Hall recitals,
with 37 years of intense classical study under my belt, I am more than
equipped to play the Saint-Saens (or most of the other classical clarinet
repertoire, [but not hypermodern!]) at any tempo whatsoever, including Mr.
Morales'. I stick to my musical feeling (and Mr. Kell's and Mr.
Stoltzmans) that in this instance slower is more emotional. And how in
heck can you say that the Saint Saens goes nowhere? It is a wonderful
piece, with four wonderfully different movements coming full circle at the
end with the repitition of the sweet prayerlike theme of the first
movement. If it wasn't, would Mr. Morales have put it on his program?
Would he put it there just to rush through it to get it over with? I also
never really noticed that my better reeds fail me in humid weather.
Perhaps when you finish high school your musicality will mature.

Fred fsheim@-----.com

At 07:44 PM 11/5/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Dear Fsheim,
>
> Just because Kell played it slower, sappier and boring doesnt mean that
>everyone has to play it that way. Alot of times a performer will not play at
>the tempos that the composer has written because they dont have the chops to
>do it. Yet people will praise them for being musical. I think the reason he
>played it faster than you liked it was for musical reasons. He brought life
>into a piece that really goes nowhere. I know many wish they can play it
>that fast and effortless as he did. I never felt rushed with any of his
>tempos. So what he missed a few high note attacks, so what he made maybe one
>or two flubs. Considering the weather conditions and how it effected his
>reeds he still played extremely well.
>
> <of course i understand about reeds, but for whatever reason, I
>believe that at
> Mr. Morales' level, it just shouldnt happen. As I said in my
>intital post,
> something seemed wrong with his reed-it seemed too hard as it had an
>airy
> undertone can anybody comment on that?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
>
> Well Fred, now you are telling us that a player at Mr. Morales' level
>should never have reed problems? Now that is funny!!!!!!!!! It seems to
>me that every performer that I have spoken to always seems to be having
>problems with their reeds. Everyone keeps reminding you of the weather
>conditions and the humidity, yet you still wonder why he had problems. You
>obviously do not understand how weather can effect reeds. When he was at his
>dress rehearsal the reed he was using was clear as a bell(which was at 10am
>and it had not rained yet) then when the recital came all of his reeds had
>changed.(it rained) I am interested in hearing your Carnigie recital
>looking forward to hearing it. I would love to see how you would handle a
>situation like that. People in glass houses should never throw stones!!!!
>
>
>David Sapadin
>NYSAP@-----.COM
>
>