Klarinet Archive - Posting 000922.txt from 1999/12

From: Shouryu Nohe <jnohe@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] The Top Ten...
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 03:00:37 -0500

Hmm...I ran into a similar thread on a 'group' at CollegeClub (basically a
listserv at an online community), on who were the TopTen greatest
Christian artists of the millenium, and EVERY post, excluding my own,
included only artists from the last thirty years. I protested greatly,
and posted my Top Ten, of which only 6 were from the last century alone
(it's a limited field before then, okay??). Among the four truly
'Millenial' artists I chose were Bach and Mozart, as their sacred works
are far and beyond any popular Christian rock.

The reason I mention this is because (and I don't want to point fingers
and yell, "You is WRONG!" or anything) right now we're seeing mention that
by reputation ("truth"), Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw are at the top of
the list, and Marcellus and Hasty, etc...they are all from this century,
and are names that WE are primarly familiar with. But just because WE are
the most familiar we them doesn't make them greater than those that came
before them Granted, we do not have recordings to truly hear how well
these people played/taught/influenced the path of clarinetting, we do have
other things to consider:

Their reputations and how far it was spread

Their comparisons to other players

Their overall influence on clarinetting

The troubles they encountered and how they dealt with them.

Everytime I sit and think that Stadler played the things Herr Mozart on a
clarinet with only FIVE keys, or that Baermann learned the Weber
Concertino on a 10 key instrument in a mere three days (the same time span
in which it was written!), or that Hermstedt was so undaunted and
determined to play what Spohr wrote for him that he added keys to his
clarinet and altissimoed his brains out in practice sessions, instead of
complaining to his composer about how he wasn't learned enough in clarinet
writing (which he could have well done!), it BLOWS MY MIND!

(Wow, that was all one sentence.)

When you consider just how much we wrestle and deal with our mechanically
superiour clarinets, or complain about reeds, which are probably more
consistent and timesaving than what they dealt with, and then think about
THEM, well...I usually have to shut my mouth. How can I complain - they
fault lies with me.

So let us not forget those who came lived in the years BB...Before Bonade.

This semester, I wrote a 25 page paper following the musical development
of the clarinet, and in doing so, I got to learn about quite a few
virtuosi, and so I would like to name a few players and WHY I consider
them to be amongst the top 10. I am no expert in the field, and do not
claim to be, but I hope my offerings have some meat to them.

1. Heinrich Baermann.
This man's reputation soared throughout ALL of Europe, including
Russia, Germany, France, Spain...you name it. He was said to be better
than all of the great clarinetists who preceded him (Beer, Tausch). Not
only that, but he inspired "no less than three great composers (Weber,
Mendelsohn, Meyerbeer) to write for him" (Pamela Weston, Clarinet Virtuosi
of the Past). I myself have been to several master classes, where his
name is always mentioned in a prestigious manner (but maybe because
someone always plays Weber for the clinician). He taught his son, who
went on to become a clarinetist-composer of similar calibur, and who's
method, which was actually written for the Mueller clarinet (the Oehler's
predecessor), has become a solid foundation for many player's technical
development today.

2 and 3 (tie)
Franz Tausch and Joseph Beer, who were similarly known virtuosi,
and were actually the first (excluding England's mysterious Mr. Charles)
known. Not only were they superbly proficient, but these two players laid
the foundation for the two predominant schools of playing that existed
up until this last half century. Tausch's tonal nuance was famous, and
was loved by the Germans, who sought to emulate his beauty of tone. The
Germans didn't care for Beer (a rather ironic statement, hmm?), who's
sound had tremendous brilliance and technical dazzle, but the French (who
had found the clarinet rather annoying prior) latched onto Beer and took
to his style quite well. Tausch would pupil Baermann and Crussel; Beer
would pupil Yost (who would pupil Lefevre).

4. Daniel Bonade
Although I don't know tons about him, I feel that Bonade has been
a key factor in the 'degradation' of the walls separating the French and
German schools, primarily by building the American school which sought to
mix the tonal nuance of the German school with the brilliance the French
school. Does that make the American school better? Not neccesarily -
just a tool that has brought the best of each schools differences
together, and ... well, we Americans like it. I don't think we're the
only ones, since today's German players sound very much Marcellusish (I
speak of D. Klocker and S. Meyer, the two I am primarily familiar with),
and the one French player I know...well, he still sounds French (P.
Meyer).
Keep in mind that I'm pretty young, and so that previous paragraph
could be considered as "a young upstart talking out of his arse."

5. Benny Goodman
I don't mention Goodman simply for his playing ability, but for
his contribution to our literature. Yes, he was a good player, but it was
his commissions which have added a fantastic selection of works for us to
play. Hindemith, Milhaud, Copland, and Bartok all wrote for him, and
their works are some of the most substantial of their (our?) era.

I think I should stop there, having not enough to really determine where
players like Crussel, Stadler, and Muhlfeld fall. The elder Stadler and
Muhlfeld were good players, but not so outstanding as to have reputations
that stand out alone - we know these players because Mozart and Brahms
wrote for them, and had they not, would the names Stadler and Muhlfeld be
so familiar today? I think a great deal of credit should also be given to
J.X.Lefevre, not only for his mechanical developments, but for starting
the Solo de Concours, which has spawned several exceptional works. Klose
should get some noting - the majority of the world's clarinetists use his
instruments to this day (Boehm had nothing to do with the Boehm clarinet -
it was all Klose and Buffet!). Marcellus and Wright were certainly
wonderful players, as are Meyer (any one of them), Shifrin, Cohler, Pay,
etc.

Ag, let's face it - we clarinetists all kick ...uh, aspartame...

J. Shouryu Nohe
http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe
Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
"If I wanted a 'job,' I'd have gone music ED, thank you very much!"

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