Klarinet Archive - Posting 000123.txt from 2001/01

From: "Benjamin Maas" <benmaas@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Band Clarinetists
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2001 14:50:41 -0500

One of the best musical experiences I have ever had was playing in a band.
Until this point, I had an opinion that band really sucked and I didn't want
to have anything to do with it.

Then came the Eastman Wind Ensemble... When the group tours, (every 2
summers to Japan) they have an amazing ensemble. At Eastman, they rotate
players for every concert to allow everybody to have a chance. It is a
great policy, but the quality of the ensembles tends to suffer a bit as a
result. For the tour, they audition a group and it stays the same for an
entire semester. The rest of the school tours, but not the EWE. By the end
of that semester, after working under Dr. Hunsberger for the semester
playing absolutely fantastic repertoire, the group is incredible.

I believe part of its success is the limited instrumentation. When we
toured, we had about 8 clarinets, e-flat, 2 bass, and one contra. All brass
was one on a part, the flutes were 2 on a part, oboes and bassoons one on a
part... The blend with top players was great... We could be lush when
needed, but also very transparent as well. The tonal colors created were
pretty impressive :-) It was really chamber music on a large scale.

This was by far the best ensemble of *any* kind that I have ever played
with. A bad band can be a real drag (especially when you play repertoire
that is a bad orchestral transcription). However, playing with an ensemble
of the caliber of the EWE is a pleasure that I would hope everybody could
experience once.

--Ben

Benjamin Maas
Freelance Clarinetist and Recording Engineer
Los Angeles, CA
benmaas@-----.com
http://www.fifthcircle.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: rgarrett@-----.edu]
>
> At 09:49 AM 01/03/2001 -0600, you wrote:
> >At my school, in the top wind ensemble we have 6 clarinets. It's
> not that we
> >don't have any more than that, because we have several more in the
> >department. But, the conductor keeps the section small because
> all 6 of us
> >are strong players, and, don't know if this is his thinking but
> I certainly
> >thisnk this, that the smaller the section (providing they are all good
> >players), the better it will sound. I personally cannot stand
> listening to a
> >section of 25 clarinets (my high school band was that way and I was their
> >fearless leader!). It makes my head spin thinking about it.
>
> Lacy,
>
> Your band director is smart to limit the section to capable players -
> although the one or two that are not great but are influenced
> easily would
> benefit from being in the section with better players.......especially if
> sectionals are done often. I have a "wind ensemble" of 54 - and I keep a
> standard compliment of 8 clarinetists in the ensemble. However, if I had
> 10 or 12 competent one - all good players, I might consider
> adding them in
> - for blend. I took list members' advice and had the ensemble
> perform Blue
> Shades by Ticheli; I was amazed at the ensemble's development on
> this piece
> that they really loved. I have to admit, I enjoyed conducting
> the piece -
> and will do it again. The performance will be hard to match
> though - very
> good band.
>
> William D. Revelli carried 34 clarinets in his Symphony Band of 110 at
> Michigan. The blend was amazing. I don't think I've ever heard a more
> perfect sound from a band before - especially on the recordings that were
> recorded in Carnegie Hall in 1961. Of course, not every
> clarinetist would
> be playing - he edited them out here and there - but when he needed them
> all - they provided a wonderful blend. But - you have to have players to
> offset the clarinet section. For every few extra clarinets, there should
> be another horn added (from four up to eight). Trumpets should not
> overbalance the horns or trombones. A great compliment is 8
> clarinets, 5
> horns, 6-7 competent trumpets, and 4-5 competent trombones
> (inclusive of a
> bass trombone). Surround them with 4 saxophones (2 alto, 1
> tenor, 1 bari),
> 2 euphoniums, 2-3 good tuba players, and standard flute/oboe/bassoon
> numbers, and you will be set. Percussion? 5 or 6 work well.
> Balance of
> the ensemble must be maintained - but blend is determined by numbers of
> competent players - more is better than less in some cases.
>
> >But besides all this, after this semester I won't be in any wind
> ensembles
> >and hope to never be again. Long live orchestra!!! (maybe this
> is why the
> >shortage).
>
> Hmmmmmm...........it is sad that you have this attitude towards bands and
> wind ensembles. Having played in some of the finest bands in the
> world, I
> can say the experience can be as good as playing in an equal quality
> orchestra. The literature available to the orchestra is much
> more rich and
> diverse than for bands, but the musical experience in either can
> be wonderful.
>
> >My $2 worth
>
> $2? Geez.......inflation!!!!
>
> Sincerely,
> Roger Garrett

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org