Klarinet Archive - Posting 000326.txt from 1998/01

From: "Lorne G. Buick" <lgbuick@-----.net>
Subj: Re: RE The Darkside
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 22:39:01 -0500

Dear Micheal:
>
> I've tried
>
> Buffet
> selmer
> Leblanc
> Yamaha
> Wurlitzer
> Albert
> B&H
> Hammershmidt
> Howarth
> Peter Eaton
>
> but so far no luck so any other suggestions would be welcome.
>
> Michael Whight

I can't resist another opportunity to put in a plug for Rossi clarinets...
I gather from your email address you're in the UK so I don't know how easy
it would be for you to get hold of one. I've been playing them for eight
years or so and have been delighted with them. He makes three different
bore styles and makes them out of three different woods, I've talked about
them before so ask me off-list if you want more details (or check the
archives via sneezy). I know Pamela Weston has one in her collection, and
Jack McCaw probably has at least one - he was Rossi's teacher years ago and
worked with him on refining his designs - they might be amenable to letting
you try one if you contact them.

Of course another approach, one that I think more people pursue here (ie in
North America), is to play whatever standard clarinet you like and check
out different custom mouthpieces to achieve the unique sound they want.
I've certainly heard many highly varied sounds emanating from R-13's...

> In this way playing styles would become more individual as they once were
> before industry standards became necessary. This is no more apparent that
> with the advent of the Steinway Grand as the predominant concert piano
> sound. It has virtually killed off the memory of other piano sounds and only
> now that people are playing fortepianos and early pianofortes are memories
> being reawakened.

If you want to read the story of how the Steinway phenomenon occurred
(along with tons more about the music business in general), I highly
recommend "When the Music Stops" by Norman Lebrecht, pub. Pocket Books
(orig. Simon & Schuster). I'm in the middle of reading it now and it's most
enlightening (though perhaps a bit discouraging too).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LGB Lorne G Buick currently On the Road
lgbuick@-----.net somewhere in the western USA

   
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