Klarinet Archive - Posting 001051.txt from 1998/07

From: dnaden <dnaden@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: klarinet Digest 25 Jul 1998 19:51:29 -0000 Issue 320
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 18:58:35 -0400

David--

In your last post, you mentioned a number of "heavy weights" in the clarinet
world. I do have a few recordings by Harold Wright, but there a few--if
any--available recordings by the others mentioned.

Also, I never said that I do not like Karl Leister's playing. I have not
dismissed any of his recordings. When I make a recommendation to check out other
recordings, I leave that to the individual. If I am asked for suggestions, I do
supply them. In a later post with Mark, I indicated that.

As far as the last thread about Leister went, I took the same position as you do
now, and still do. For the record, my CD collection totals about 1900-2000 (I
lost count). Obviously the majority are of non-clarinet specific music. But...I
would like to point out one thing for consideration. There is a difference in
ensemble playing than solo playing. Leister excels at both. But like most
soloists, he is better at some things than others, even though his "worst" (for
lack of a better term, and only used for comarative purposes) is better than most
clarinetists' best.

David S. Naden

HatNYC62@-----.com wrote:

> >>>I believe some clarification is in order. First, My personal collection of
> CDs
>
> with only clarinet repertoire exceeds 250. In addition to the majority of
>
> recordings made by Leister (Oreo, Camerata, etc), I have recordings made by
> Thea
>
> King (Hyperion), Emma Johnson (ASV), Janet Hilton (Chandos), Dieter Klocker
>
> (Orfeo, MDG, etc), Hans Rudolf Stadler, Richard Stolzman (RCA/BMG, etc), David
>
> Shiffrin (Delos), Eduard Brunner, Eddie Daniels, Sabine Meyer (EMI, etc.),
> Paul
>
> Meyer (Denon), Walter Boeykens (Harmoni Mundi), Charles Neidich (Sony, etc),
>
> Gervase de Peyer (Chandos, etc), Colin Bradbury, Victoria Sommes, etc., etc.
>
> While my collection is far from complete, it is representative of the major
>
> clarinetists recording today. Not only do I own these recordings--including
> the
>
> one in question--I have listened to evey one on more than one occassion.
>
> Since you are predisposed to purchase a recording of Leister's based on your
>
> preferences, can you make the same claim as to the number of recordings and
>
> artists that you have purchased or listened to? Whether you can or can't is
> not
>
> really relavent to the issue at hand, but please just think about it.
>
> Your own comments in your last post only supports what I told Mark in the
> first
>
> place: Check out other recordings. As an aspiring clarinetist he should--as
> we
>
> ALL should--do comparative listening. I never stated that there is a right or
>
> wrong way to perform a piece, but no single recording can be considered
>
> definitive.
>
> You have a definitie preference for Leister's recordings, and that is
> admirable.
>
> If you choose to emulate him in your playing style, that's a choice that you
>
> make. The original post to which I responded asked about available
> recordings,
>
> and I stand by my original post to check out other recordings. No one is
>
> denegrating Mr. Leister, and no one is denegrating your opinion. I do point
> out
>
> however, that you become extremely defensive any time a list member makes any
>
> statement about Leister or his recordings that does not hold him or the
> recording
>
> to your personal view of him.<<<
>
> As you said it is not relevant, but I own very few recordings of clarinet
> music, as few recent recordings interest me greatly and I would rather listen
> to other things. However, I do own over 700 cds and somewhere around 5,000 lps
> of non-clarinet-specific music. Thus I am not predisposed to purchase a
> Leister recording, but if someone asks whether or not they should purchase one
> (which is what I think was the case), I certainly wouldn't discourage them.
> You didn't offer an alternative, you just said that there was a better option,
> and you said this without knowing the recording.
>
> As for being defensive, I didn't even participate in the last ugly discussion
> about Leister. Since that took place I heard him in concert again (it had been
> a few years) and saw a tv documentary he was in. Every time I see him it is
> humbling and even awesome in some ways. I feel the same was about Ricardo
> Morales, who I hear much more often as I am at the MET constantly, and I felt
> that way about Harold Wright and my teacher, Robert Marcellus.
>
> My point is: Leister is in a different class from most of those other players
> you mentioned, as he has gained worldwide acclaim for 40 years from non-
> clarinetists and clarinetists alike. Some of the others undoubtedly play well,
> but because of the international recognition over several generations that
> Leister has received, I think it is a mistake to dismiss anything he does.
> That doesn't mean you have to like it, but I do think you have to respect it,
> even if your gut feeling is that in might not be good
>
> By the way, since you are collecting clarinetists, look for these names which
> I was sorry not to see on your list: Al Gallodoro, Yona Ettlinger, Charles
> Draper, Harold Wright, Leopold Wlach. Not all of these have cds in print right
> now, but they certainly prove that good clarinet playing wasn't invented
> yesterday.
>
> David Hattner, NYC
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------

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