Klarinet Archive - Posting 000385.txt from 1998/01

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: leister recording
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 03:57:38 -0500

Probably hearing self-consciously virtuosic performers has damaged many
people's facility for enjoying subtleties of expression - not only in
clarinet playing,....
(I don't really want to go any further than this - it could be a
dangerously long and tedious discussion if it catches on).
Roger Shilcock

On Wed, 7 Jan 1998, GTGallant wrote:

> Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 12:02:28 EST
> From: GTGallant <GTGallant@-----.com>
> Reply-To: klarinet@-----.us
> To: klarinet@-----.us
> Subject: leister recording
>
> 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?
>