Klarinet Archive - Posting 000618.txt from 1998/01

From: "reedy" <mwhight@-----.uk>
Subj: re vibrato
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 14:41:24 -0500

Dan
I play on an original Simiot clarinet circa1812 with a reproduction Simiot
mouthpiece made in ebonite. This is the same set-up used by many specialist
classical players over here.

There are two things that virtually dictate the way one can play these
instruments in my opinion:

1. The natural characteristic of the instrument is to be supported
solidly.If you attempt to 'float' the sound to produce tonal variety the
sound simply stops. Tonal variation is achieved by dynamic variation rather
than flexibility of the embouchure.Using a diaphragm vibrato has the same
effect as floating the sound.A completely different approach to nuance is
therefore inherent in the instrument.

2. The mouthpiece has a long but fairly flat lay and takes very hard
reeds.There is virtually no spring in the lay which makes lip vibrato not
impossible but difficult. I use cut down and reshaped Vandoren strength 5
reeds which often come out behaving like a strength1 reed on a modern
mouthpiece and this makes the mp feel even closer.If you attempt to use too
hard a reed notes like bottom G,Bb(forked) or even the two stave F#s come
out fuzzy.

Regarding my comments on use of vibrato in Brahms 4 yes of course this is
only my personal taste and there are many ways of playing music .I'm all for
variety.

However I think it is self evident that anything which is presented as a
constant becomes the norm and loses it's ability to contrast.Surely it is
what is unexpected in music that is the most expressive.

The deviation from the normal musical rhetoric in Classical music.
The unexpected use of the diminished 7th chord in early Romantic music as
opposed to it's lack of shock value in late Romantic repertoire and so
forth.

I believe that the same principles apply to performance practise and the
repertoire of 'effects' that we can use.

Again much of this is personal opinion and I would be happy to encounter
other opinions.

Michael Whight