Klarinet Archive - Posting 000138.txt from 2000/03

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Tony Pay's playing
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2000 05:57:51 -0500

On Fri, 3 Mar 2000 20:27:20 -0400, edsshop@-----.ca said:

> I recently heard on CBC two Tony Pay recordings on period clarinet. A
> Crusell concerto and the Weber Concertino. Just gorgeous: Beautiful
> tone. Amazing intonation. Flawless technique. Tasteful
> interpretation.

I think I'd better go <blush>, following Lelia. (The Concertino rushes
far too much in the scales at the end, IIRC:-(

> Tony, how did you do it?

Editing;-)

> Other than hard work and talent exactly what was your setup? How
> close did your hardware approximate that of Crusell and Baermann?

There were two different instruments: the Weber was done on a copy of a
Simiot clarinet, Lyons c. 1800, the Crusell on a H.Grenser copy of about
the same period, 9 keys both. (Copies done by Daniel Bangham, who
doesn't do that sort of thing anymore, alas.)

The Crusell instrument is rightish: Crusell had an 11-keyed Grenser,
whereas Baermann had a 10-keyed Griesling and Schlott, which instrument
I've never seen. (There's a wonderful G&S bassethorn in Washington,
though, which I had the opportunity to try once, lucky me.)

I think the mouthpieces, although specially made, aren't quite like the
mouthpiece on the surviving Crusell Grenser, but I haven't checked that
out in detail. (I should, I know.) I now use the Grenser mouthpiece on
the Simiot too, which focusses the sound a bit more, and therefore
actually makes it warmer than on the record, which I think is an
improvement.

The most annoying thing about the Grenser is the instability of the top
C", which creates a problem *exactly* where you don't want one. On the
Simiot, it's the D" that's wrong, which is more tractable.

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

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