Klarinet Archive - Posting 000846.txt from 1998/02

From: "Kevin Fay" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: RE: who has the best trill?
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 1998 19:22:54 -0500

I too vote w/ Nicholas. If you want to paint a picture, you gotta have
paint. Trills are one color we work with.

David has restricted himself, though, w/ these two clarinetists. While
their overall performance is probably the best, at a purely technical
level I'd have to side with either Charlie Neidich or Stanley Drucker.
For a comparison of just how big a gulf in technique there can be, check
out Stolzmann's recording of the Corigliano concerto, and compare it to
Drucker's--Stanley is prob. the only person alive who can really play
it. (I've been told that Larry Combs plays the hell out of it, too, but
it hasn't been recorded as far as I know.)

kjf
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Martin" <dmartin@-----.NET>
Subject: RE: who has the best trill?
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 23:04:46 -0900

On Sun, 22 Feb 1998, David S. Naden wrote:

> Why are you focussing on one minute (very small, and in the BIG
picture,
> insignificant) aspect of clarinet playing? You stated that although
> different, both "took your breath away," which I interpret to mean
that
you
> enjoyed both. Comparing clarinetists is okay, but should we not focus
on
> total musicianship and playing, and not just one aspect?

I find Nicholas' inquiry perfectly valid, and I see no
reason for him to be taken to task for posing it. The
consummate musician is somebody who has addressed the
most microscopic of issues, enlarged each of them to
the degree of an entire subject of study, and then
integrated each of those intense studies into a unified
and polished composite approach. Even the ones who seem
to have a natural gift (i.e.; Morales and his amazing ear)
would never discount the close attention paid to the tiniest
of details in their playing. When all of those tiny details
are refined and perfected, then the depth and sophistication
of superior musicianship is truly able to come forward without
inhibition. The reason players like Morales and Leister and
Stoltzman and Meyer, etc. are able to make it sound so easy
is....(drumroll)...because, for them, it is. This doesn't
happen by mistake.

Neil

I couldn't have said it better myself. I completely agree.

Garrett

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