Klarinet Archive - Posting 000685.txt from 1997/12

From: "David S. Naden" <dnaden@-----.net>
Subj: Re: More on Gervase
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 02:48:31 -0500

Tahna--

In 1982, I had my wisdom teeth out less than one month before the UCSD Clarinet
Quarter/Choir was to do a concert at a clarinet conference at the Catholic
University of America, Washington D.C. Needless to say, I broke every rule in
the book: Stitches came out in less than two days, I was starting to eat real
food at the same time, I began practicing in a week, and I did the concert two
weeks to the day that I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed.

I was LUCKY--no infections or dry sockets to create any problems. My advice is
simple. Keep your appointment and have them removed as scheduled, but DO NOT
be in a rush to get back to a regular schedule. Allow time for the healing
process. If you can start palying in a week, great, but if it takes longer, so
be it. As I stated, I was lucky. I could have easily had an infection or a
dry socket which would only result in a longer recovery time.

David S. Naden, Graduate Student
Cal State University Los Angeles

Tahna Britton wrote:

> Oh yuck!! I have to get my wisdom teeth taken out tuesday. I hope it
> doesn't have any negative effects!
> I am already annoyed at losing at least 10 days worth of playing time. Has
> anyone experienced any negative effects, concerning playing,as the result
> of wisdom teeth extraction?
>
> ----------
> > From: Ken Bryson <kbryson@-----.com>
> > To: klarinet@-----.us
> > Subject: Re: More on Gervase
> > Date: Thursday, December 11, 1997 9:37 PM
> >
> > John,
> >
> > So, I wonder how I should instruct the oral surgeon. Perhaps it would
> > help if I arrived with a dental impression from Sabine Meyer or Karl
> > Leister or Robert Marcellus (post accident) and said "something like
> > this, please"?
> >
> > Nancy
> >
> > John Gates wrote:
> > >
> > > Nancy,
> > > I should think that dental work would have a negative effect although
> I'm
> > > told that some years ago Robt. Marcellus was in an automobile wreck and
> had
> > > to have some reconstructive surgery on his mouth. Evidently he, and I
> have
> > > no memory as to how I heard this, told the surgeon how he wanted his
> teeth
> > > placed so that he would get even a more beautiful tone (sic!). Well
> the
> > > story goes that after the operation his tone was even more beautiful
> !!.
> > > Maybe somebody out there knows more about this?
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Ken Bryson <kbryson@-----.com>
> > > To: klarinet@-----.us>
> > > Date: Thursday, December 11, 1997 5:10 AM
> > > Subject: Re: More on Gervase
> > >
> > > >Thanks, John, for a very informative posting on de Peyer's career. I
> > > >appreciated your description of the excitement he brings to his
> > > >performances. I had been thinking recently about the difference in
> > > >reaction to his playing between my clarinetist friends and other
> > > >musicians--violinists, pianists, cellists--who are chamber music fans.
> > > >In general, the clarinetists are highly critical whereas the other
> > > >musicians (perhaps not burdened by a preconceived notion of the
> > > >"perfect" clarinet sound) are much more appreciative of him on
> general
> > > >musical terms. That said, even a clarinetist friend of mine, having
> > > >heard de Peyer's performance of the Weber Grand Duo last year, found
> my
> > > >Leister recording of the piece rather anemic and, well, boring by
> > > >comparison.
> > > >
> > > >I was also interested in the role that dental work can play in
> changing
> > > >one's tone quality. I am about to have two wisdom teeth extracted
> (the
> > > >only parts of my body that possess any wisdom at all, and I'm told
> > > >they've got to go!). I have heard many times of wind players' sound
> > > >being affected by dental work--generally, not for the better. It
> makes
> > > >sense that if changes of millimeters and less to the inside of a
> > > >mouthpiece can radically alter it's playing characteristics, that
> > > >changes to the inside of the mouth could do the same for a player. I
> am
> > > >curious if any members of the list have had personal experience of
> this?
> > > >Or the opposite, extensive dental work with no effect on sound?
> > > >
> > > >Nancy
> > > >
> > > >John Gates wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> I realize that the recent thread on Gervase de Peyer is probably a
> couple
> > > of
> > > >> weeks old by now but I have not had an easy time getting this on the
> > > >> klarinet BBS. I think I finally have it, (the listserve), figured
> out
> > > and
> > > >> hope that those of you who were in one way or another touched by
> > > Gervase's
> > > >> playing will enjoy this.
> > > >>
> > > >> Today (12/5) I spent nearly an hour and read all the recent comments
> on
> > > >> Gervase de Peyer. Thanks for Mark's database!!! I think that with
> the
> > > >> exception of a very few (Nancy Sulfridge, Jim and Dan P) none of the
> > > >> commentaries have looked at the whole picture of what he has brought
> to
> > > >> performance.
> > > >>
> > > >> First of all his rhythm is compelling; I don't mean necessarily
> > > >> metronomic but the type that makes for very exciting playing.
> Heifetz
> > > had
> > > >> that same sort of quality. Secondly he has/had a wonderful sound in
> so
> > > many
> > > >> respects, however it certainly is not a beautiful tone all the time.
> He
> > > is
> > > >> able to play extremely brilliantly and then take the tone, when the
> music
> > > >> calls for it, and melt all that urgency into intimacy. Yes usually
> with
> > > an
> > > >> English style vibrato (thank you Haydn Draper and Reginald Kell).
> Who
> > > else
> > > >> does this? Thirdly he has the talent to walk out on stage and make
> the
> > > air
> > > >> sizzle with excitement. There is something very thrilling about
> Gervase.
> > > >> You know something is going to happen when he walks out on stage, in
> this
> > > >> respect he is a natural performer.
> > > >>
> > > >> Now for some info that any of you that have been affected
> positively
> > > or
> > > >> negatively by Gervase de Peyer's playing might find interesting.
> > > Sometime
> > > >> in the mid sixties he became very dissatisfied with mouthpieces. I
> > > studied
> > > >> off and on with him from 1966-68. I remember that he was always
> trying
> > > to
> > > >> find a mouthpiece that could give him the ability of playing with
> great
> > > >> flexibility. When he made the 2nd recording of the Weber Quintet
> (for
> > > >> EMI/angel) Cecil Aronowitz, violist with Melos ensemble, told me
> that he
> > > >> would squeak so much that took out a pocket knife and work on his
> > > mouthpiece
> > > >> when the rest of them listened to playbacks!! I remember once when
> he
> > > was
> > > >> about 40 yrs. old that he showed me a box with over a hundred
> mouthpieces
> > > >> that he had worked on.
> > > >>
> > > >> I think that after he came back to London after studying with
> Cahuzac
> > > he
> > > >> played his best. It was then that he just got into the London
> Symphony
> > > >> Orchestra and recorded his first Mozart Conc. (the one with the
> bassoon
> > > >> conc. on the other side). He played it like Weber. It was very
> fast and
> > > >> brilliant. Jim Lytthans has this recording. Incidentally he is the
> > > >> clarinetist on just about all the recordings of the LSO in the
> sixties.
> > > >> He's the clarinetist on the Joseph Krips Beethoven Cycle, all the
> Dvorak
> > > >> cycle with Istvan Kertez (also Galanta Dances with Kertez), and a
> slew of
> > > >> other ones. He also played Principal on all the Peter Maag
> Mendelssohn
> > > >> works (probably the greatest Scottish symphony ever recorded, thanks
> > > Peter
> > > >> Maag)
> > > >>
> > > >> Shortly after he recorded the Weber2/Spohr1, with the young
> Colin
> > > Davis
> > > >> conducting a rough sounding LSO, the Weber 5tet and Kegelstatt and a
> > > >> clarinet recital album including Le Tombeau de Ravel, Martinu
> Sonatina
> > > and
> > > >> Weber Grand duo Concertante. These recordings launched his career.
> > > There
> > > >> was a new voice on the clarinet, nobody had ever played like that
> before.
> > > >> Wow. All of a sudden the clarinet opened up an exciting experience,
> not
> > > >> just another beautiful sound. He could play like Kell but also with
> the
> > > >> energy of Horowitz.
> > > >>
> > > >> At any rate he had some dental work (never have an English
> dentist do
> > > >> work on your mouth) including a root canal sometime in 1967 and from
> then
> > > on
> > > >> his tone began to deteriorate, also he started squeaking a lot. I
> think
> > > >> that his dental work, and not therefore not being able to produce
> the
> > > tone
> > > >> he wanted to, and his drive to make the polarize the tempers of the
> music
> > > >> had a negative effect on certain aspects of his tone.
> > > >>
> > > >> I hope he is doing well, like Kell his career never did that
> well
> > > when
> > > >> he came to America and I know he's probably not all that happy with
> the
> > > way
> > > >> certain events have gone. He tried to launch a conducting career
> but it
> > > >> never took.
> > > >
> >