Klarinet Archive - Posting 000699.txt from 1998/01

From: Edinger/Gilman <wde1@-----.com>
Subj: vibrato, again
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 22:34:27 -0500

Along the vibrato thread, I tried swapping CDs of Emma Johnson and
Sabine Meyer playing the Weber Concerto No. 1, and while I very much
enjoy both players, I did prefer Meyer's rendition, which has
essentially no vibrato, while Johnson's has a noticeable one. Of
course, these are two different players and there are more differences
than vibrato (at least they're both female), but I feel that the vibrato
was the predominant difference.
I also heard the Mozart trio for clarinet, viola, and piano, with
Stolzman, Ma (on cello, not viola - does Dr. Geidel know about this!?),
and Ax on piano. Wonderful performers, but it struck me that the
vibrato by Stolzman seemed out of place in the first movement, it fit in
nicely in the second. The flow of the music was different, perhaps the
reason. But Meyer doesn't use noticeable vibrato on pieces like K622,
which I prefer (i.e., no vibrato), so it isn't universal that vibrato is
preferred. How can it be, considering most current players? Is it a
pendulum that we are seeing swing back?

Finally, I had been under the impression that Dan Leeson was very firmly
of the opinion that the material doesn't affect the sound. So why the
interest in metal vs. wood bells for the "long horns?" Set me straight
if I've misunderstood or mis-recalled this, please. Also, it would seem
that it would be a lot easier to make a durable metal bell than a wooden
one, considering the shape and the relatively vulnerable location. And,
of course, if material doesn't make a difference, then that would be
part of the explanation for the use of metal bells.

Bill E.