Klarinet Archive - Posting 000772.txt from 2001/03

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] RE: Jonathan Cohler and friends in "Clarinetissimo!"
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2001 22:32:51 -0500

At 06:29 PM 03/31/2001 -0700, you wrote:
> In recent years, I can remember listening to Richard Stoltzman's
> recording of one of the Brahms Sonatas on a cassett in the car stereo on
> the way to a vacation, and thinking to myself, "That sounds terrible! Put
> on the EAGLES". Last month I got to meet Richard Stoltzman at Diane
> Cawein's Midwest ClariFest and observe him in concert and master classes,
> and I have to admit that I enjoyed him very much. He is also a very sweet
> man. I had always resented the fact that he is the "Poster Boy" of
> clarinet playing. I now consider him to be a friend. I just wish that I
> had enough talent and ambition to be part of "Clarinetville".

One of the very first albums I purchased of clarinet playing (after
Marcellus' performance of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with Szell and
Cleveland) was the Grammy-winning recording of Stoltzman performing the
Brahms Sontas with Richard Goode. Great recording - and I learned so much
about how vibrato can be utilized and still not detract from the musical
performance. That album really shaped my attitude regarding freedom of
expression.

Just this past winter, two of my private students (high school age) decided
to go hear R. Stoltzman in concert in Champaign-Urbana at University of
Illinois. I urged them to go backstage and meet RS, but they were
ambivalent about it. So......I gave them my album with a big black
permanent marker and told them to go get his autograph for me - since he
was one of my heros growing up.

Damn if they didn't get to talk to him for nearly 25 minutes - AND brought
back a really great signed album that had a very nice message to me.

The album is now on my piano. I have another signed album - I'll share
that story sometime too - and it is also a very treasured item.

So Annie, not all of us are jealous - some of us are very proud of our
colleagues' accomplishments!

Best wishes,
Roger Garrett

Roger Garrett
Clarinet Professor
Director, Symphonic Winds
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
Phone: (309) 556-3268
Fax: (309) 556-3121

"A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes
another's."
Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825)

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