Klarinet Archive - Posting 000195.txt from 1997/12

From: dap@-----. Paprocki)
Subj: Re: De Peyer
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 12:40:49 -0500

Last night I fired up the old turntable and listened to De Peyer doing the
Rossini, Intro, Theme, and Var; the Weber 2nd Concerto; and the Spohr 1st
Concerto. I liked what I heard. His technique was clean, tone was
pleasing, tuning good, and it was very musical - also in the style of the
composers or for that period.
I do aggree that the performer's first duty is to the composer and
to perform the piece in the style and manor appropriate for that composer
or period. I thought De Peyer's playing did this. As far as vibrato - so
what. Some of us will like it and some won't. Unless you're getting paid
to play in an orchestra and the conductor want's some or want's a straight
tone, who's to say it's right or wrong. By the way, when did the clarinet
go "straight" or start using vibrato? I'm sure that someone(s) must have
used vibrato before Kell. Since recordings didn't appear till the 20th
century, do we know for sure that vibrato wasn't used in Mozart's time???
It seems very strange that the clarinet is the only instrument to not use
vibrato (or should not use vibrato) since its' inception 200+ years ago.
I will listen to somemore DePeyer this weekend. By the way, if you
want to hear some great vocal bel canto playing listen to Dick Stolzman's
new CD, "Aria". I try and keep an open mind (ear) to different styles of
playing (tone, vibrato, interpretations). Everyone likes to say that the
clarinet is the closest thing to the human voice (this was probally said by
a clarinetist) if so what's wrong with sounding different.

Flame on!!

Dan

******************************************************************************

Daniel A. Paprocki

Instructor of Clarinet
Kent State University - Stark Campus
Malone College

dap@-----.net

******************************************************************************