Klarinet Archive - Posting 000936.txt from 1998/05

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] The Wind Ensemble
Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 23:13:15 -0400

I remember playing with Fred Fennell almost immediately after
he formed (and invented) the first wind ensemble at the Eastman
School of Music. He came from Rochester to the University of
Massachussetts in 1951 where he conducted the all new England
band and he spoke about the new ensemble that had just recorded
the first Mercury disk.

At that time, the large universities had very large bands. Michigan
had one with 60 clarinets, and having 10 on a part was not uncommon.
The intent was to have volume along with precision. Revelli was
top dog in that department.

Fennell wanted one person on a part, just like the wind section
of a symphony orchestra. So when he did the Persichetti
Divertimento for band, he used only 3 or 4 clarinets, 2 oboes,
2 bassoons, 3 trumpets, etc. It is not that he could not have
had more if he wanted them. He didn't.

It was a revelation and the beginning of the wind ensemble movement
in America.

=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================

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