Klarinet Archive - Posting 001120.txt from 1999/04

From: avrahm galper <agalper@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] SITTING CLARINETIST FORMS COMPANY
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 18:47:26 -0400

Sitting clarinetist forms company

The story is about Henri Selmer, the brother of the famous Alexandre,
who was known for playing with some famous North American Orchestras.

When bandmaster of the famous Garde Republicaine Band of France, 'way
back in the eighties, insisted that Henri Selmer accept the chair of
principal clarinet and soloist with his organization, he unwittingly
assisted in sowing of a seed that was to blossom forth as the famous
Selmer Company.
Henri Selmer who was of rather nervous and retiring disposition would
play a wonderful solo while sitting, but for some unaccountable reason,
when he had to render a solo standing before the band, his nervous
tension increased considerably.
He eventually dreaded playing a solo in front of the band, therefore
when the bandmaster Celinicke insisted that he take the principal chair
or retire from the band, he accepted the ultimatum, resigned, and
started the manufacture of reeds with one small machine.

His reed business grew and prospered until he considered it advisable to
employ an assistant. The man he hired was an experienced woodwind
mechanic who had worked as a clarinet maker with some of the famous of
the best manufacturers, but through love for wine, coupled with a roving
disposition had fallen from the good graces of his former employers.
During his leisure time he worked on a set of, clarinets which when
finished Henri succeeded tuning them to his personal needs better than
what he had been using.
When Alexandre, now playing in America, visited Henri, he liked the
clarinets so much that he asked him to furnish him with a similar set.
Henri took them to the USA and played them in the Boston Symphony and NY
philharmonic.
Tony Sarli heard Mr. Selmer play these clarinets and asked whether he
could get a similar set
>From these humble beginnings was born the famous Selmer Company

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

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