Klarinet Archive - Posting 000004.txt from 1998/04

From: Philippe Ballesta <ballesta@-----.fr>
Subj: Re: Brass VS. Woodwinds
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1998 03:53:03 -0500

Hi,
I am french, I live in France and I learned clarinet in an very academic
Conservatoire. For my teacher (a well known soloist with a "deep black" sound),
It was very bad and "handicaping" to play a second instrument, specially another
reed (sax, oboe) or a brass. He argues clarinet embouchure is very fragile and
delicate. For him, it is the most important difficulty of clarinet (for the
legato, for the search of a your sound, for the staccato, for the upper
register...). You must not disperse yourself in this difficult quest.
I think he is right.

I'd like to say I didn't follow his whole advice: I play recorder as I am fond
of Early music. With the recorder, quite no embouchure problem and no interaction
with clarinet. And recorder and clarinet repertories are disjoint (medieval,
Renaissance against classic, romantic, jazz and modern). Recorder is a very good
second instrument (I don't mean it is an easy one or a minor one, even if it
looks like for certain persons).

Despite of all, I think some people may play well any two instruments. But, I
don't know if will is enough. Days have 24 hours! Mastering one instrument is a
hard task, what about two, or more ?. I agree with Cindy.

I see clarinet as a noble woman and I think you had better avoided being
unfaithful with her. I didn't do that totally, I'm not an example... but I'm
french ;-)

Philippe