Klarinet Archive - Posting 000365.txt from 1998/01

From: fgarcia@-----.edu (Frank Garcia)
Subj: Re: leister recording
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 19:53:28 -0500

One can find fault with any player, including Leister.

When I was younger, I thought Leister's sound was exactly what a clarinet
should sound like. He was my ideal. As I have matured I have found personal
objections to some of his musical interpretations. However, as a
clarinetist, he plays more legato than any other player I know. I always
try to connect notes as well as Leister, or tongue as wickedly clean as
Stan the Man Drucker. And in doing so my playing has improved. Listen to
how legato, how in control of his instrument he plays. If you try to listen
for some of the positives in any player, you can usually find them. He may
be boring to some. But he is in *complete* command of his instrument. I
wonder how many of us could say the same.

Try listening to his Brahms Quintet with Amadeus, or Weber 1 with Kubelik,
or as other have mentioned Spohr and Crussell Concerti.

Frank Garcia

>After hearing about Karl Leister over and over on the list and elsewhere, I
>stumbled upon a recording of the Mozart concerto. I was very displeased with
>what I heard. He has a nice, clear tone and plays evenly, but any
>professional worth their salt can, or should at minimum, be able to play even
>and clean. The playing lacked a sense of pacing, had NO dynamics other than
>mezzoforte, and was extremely dead. The recording most likely was done before
>period performance knowledge, so I ignored all the wrong notes he played. I
>had the impression from others that Leister was "the man"! I'm not trying to
>object just for the sake of objecting about his playing style. Most
>orchestral players today (and some soloists) play like Leister simply because
>they were taught that way. Clarinetists tend to be less of musicians than
>say, a violinist or singer - IMHO. I really disliked and laughed when I heard
>the recording and will keep it as a reminder of how not to play. Maybe the
>clarinet is not popular today is because of the stereotypes our "great"
>players have created.
>
>Does anyone else feel the same, or am I alone?