Klarinet Archive - Posting 001015.txt from 2001/01

From: Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: [kl] Klezmer - Moshe Berlin - How to
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 22:50:25 -0500

This post is mostly to Moshe Berlin, who has posted here
occasionally. Perhaps my question will also interest non-Klezmer
players who squeak when they don't want to, or who (like myself) haven't
figured out yet what it takes to intentionally make a drastic but
predictable change in tone for a single note and then to return to the
original tone.

In passing, I want to recommend Moshe Berlin's CD titled "L'olam Lo
Eshkach: Moshe Berlin & Klezmers playing Carlebach". I've only
listened to the first track (several times) so far, but it's excellent
music with a "big band" flavor and the melody carried principally by the
clarinet and a flute. Perhaps there are some electronic instruments in
the background, I can't tell for sure.

....enough preamble, here's my question:

It's difficult to separate the effects of klezmer scales and note
bending from the effects of changing tone color, but 1 minute 20 seconds
into track #1, which has more the feel of a lullaby than of a bouncy
dance, Moshe Berlin bends a longer note (perhaps a quarter note?) _and_
simultaneously abandons the 'round' tone of the lullaby-like melody and
replaces it with a more 'squeal-ish and jagged' tone.
I emphasize that this change in tone color is not a 'yip' that
lasts only during the note's attack. This is a longer legato note that
maintains its 'jagged squeal-ish' color for the entire note, and then
the clarinet returns on the next note to the 'round lullaby-like' color.
(This happens just a few seconds before the flute solo. A similar but
less pronounced version of it is 0 minutes 56 seconds into track #1.)

Mr. Berlin, is there anything that you would care to post about
embouchure, tongue, jaw or whatever else that would help me to visualize
what it takes to do this and then to return to the lullaby-like tone?

Thank you,
Bill

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