Klarinet Archive - Posting 000935.txt from 1999/01

From: avrahm galper <agalper@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] PLAYING WITH THE REED "UP'!
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 09:03:05 -0500

Playing with reed "UP"!

Part of this article appeared in the Clarinet symphony quarterly in
1954. It is attributed to Jim Collis, the editor of that magazine

Playing with the reed turned up is common in Italy today.
Some of the great names in the history of the clarinet are those players
who played this way.
Lebanchi,Carulli and Luigi Bassi to mention only a few.
The players were quite firm in their belief that theirs is decidedly the
superior method and they hasten to explain why.
Firstly, they maintain, they are untroubled by the fuzziness of the
tone resulting from excessive saliva on the reed, since the reed does
not lay near the bottom of the mouth where saliva accumulates.

Secondly, the tongue does not come near the reed and coat it with
saliva; enough moisture is contained in the player's wind to keep the
reed properly moistened.

Thirdly, the staccato obtained is of superior quality because the tongue
touches only the thin tip of the reed and does not touch the flat part
at all.
This gives "tongue tip" control" and therefore a great delicacy of
articulation is possible

Fourthly, both lips are used, which makes for greater delicacy on
control and a better tone.

A first hand authority on the subject was Gino Cioffi, the first
clarinetist of the Boston Symphony, who played with the reed on top
until two or three years after arriving in the USA in the 1930s.

Mr.Cioffi changed to the customary way of playing not because of
artistic reasons, but for economic reasons.
The musician who plays in an unorthodox manner is considered suspect by
those who hire players even if his playing is faultless.
Both Mr.Cioffi and another famous clarinet player in the opera, Michael
Fusco have been heard playing with the reed on the top and their tone
and technique were excellent.

Carl Baermann advocated using the teeth on top of the mouthpiece, no
doubt suggested by other eminent German players of his day.

--
Avrahm Galper
TONE TECHNIQUE AND STACCATO
THE UPBEAT BAERMANN MELODIC SCALES AND ARPEGGIOS
http://www.sneezy.org/avrahm_galper/index.html

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