Klarinet Archive - Posting 000323.txt from 2000/02

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: [kl] A comment
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 02:38:20 -0500

On Tue, 8 Feb 2000 02:38:14 -0500, webler@-----.net (quoting tidied up)
said:

> Nancy Buckman wrote:
>
> > Dixie wrote:
>
> > > I have found a Boozihah (sp) wood clarinet that is fairly new and
> > > available for $600.00, maybe less. The name is what the music
> > > store person called it, I am certainly not up on the names of
> > > clarinets. He told me that it was more of a professional
> > > clarinet. Have any of you heard of this, and if so what do you
> > > think of them?
> > > Dixie
> >
> > Dixie,
> >
> > Sounds like your "Boozihah" is really a Boosey and Hawkes model.
> > Check and see and make certain that you know and understand exactly
> > what it is that you are considering before you buy anything
> > resembling a clarinet.
> >
> > Nancy
>
> I'm sorry, but after looking at this all day I can't resist it since
> nobody else is going to make a comment about it.
>
> Is it possible that the name "Boozihah" is a Freudian slip.
> Especially since I've not heard to many good things about the Boosey &
> Hawkes.

Well, I'll make a comment then.

First, I applaud Nancy's contribution.

And, if this instrument is a low-end of the market B&H, it almost
certainly isn't worth considering. But if it were, say, an Imperial
926, then I would actually be interested in buying it myself if it
turned out to be a good one.

If it is, and you're interested in it -- having had a look at it of
course -- then see if you can get a professional to try it. But I do
see that you may not want to bother.

The thing is, and why I finally want to comment: Reginald Kell played on
B&H instruments towards the end of his career; Jack Brymer always;
Gervase de Peyer for most of his career, before switching to a B&H
modified copy (Peter Eaton). I played on B&H clarinets myself for 12
years, and on several recordings, as principal clarinet in the LSO, RPO,
ECO and London Sinfonietta.

So they can't be all *that* bad -- even if you don't think that any of
these players belongs to your, "High Order of the marcelli";-)

I want to say in passing -- not specially to do with this particular
post -- that this list is sometimes what I would call very
*technocentric*.

Of course, giving personal opinions about the technical
details of equipment can be helpful and encouraging, and being helpful
and encouraging is quite important here. And if you can't judge for
yourself, you should make sure that somebody experienced checks out the
workability of what you're spending your money on.

But beyond a certain level of workability, equipment is only a small
part of playing -- unless, perhaps, you're talking about the very top of
the profession. A much more important task is that of developing clear
musical ideas to work towards, in the context of which the sort of
change of equipment that may be required may become more evident.

I have a professional clarinet-playing friend who used to say that he
was convinced that somewhere out there was a clarinet that would make
him play 30% better.

I don't think that this particular belief was especially useful to him.

And it's striking to me that quite the most expressive language I ever
saw here about *anything* was from someone talking about the ineffable
Zen of the master-mouthpiece-maker adding the final, intuitive,
delicate, beyond-analysis personalising touch of genius to produce the
perfect customised master-mouthpiece for his client.

I don't believe it.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE GMN family artist: www.gmn.com
tel/fax 01865 553339

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