Klarinet Archive - Posting 000059.txt from 2001/04

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] Fw: [kl] RE: Jonathan Cohler and friends in
Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 01:46:58 -0400

At 09:25 AM 4/4/01 -0800, you wrote:
>Sorry Stewart. I thought I checked all the messages but missed this
>one. I'm sorry that you feel the way you do, no so much against the
>practice, but because you don't have any reason for your
>statement. Feeling has much less of a place in clarinet playing than one
>would think. As practicing, performing, serious musicians, we need to
>make our decisions based on a lot more than how we feel about a
>practice. Because we function in a subjective business does not mean that
>our arguments about how to play should not have a strong objective side to
>them.

I know Stewart will want to speak for himself, but as I read his post, I
thought he said that he just didn't enjoy the sound of a constant vibrato -
and compared what he meant by "constant" to a string instrument has a
constant vibrato.

He didn't say anything about what he "feels about a practice" - just what
kind of vibrato he enjoys listening to and what kind he doesn't. He also
said, if I recall correctly, that he likes vibrato in some instances and
went on to explain what he meant.

You know, there are others who do not care for a lot of vibrato - and,
personally speaking, I am one who likes it for enhancing intensity rather
than as the standard expressive mode. But, I digress..........

Practicing, performing and serious musicians most certainly need to make
decisions - but as an entire lot, most practicing, performing, and serious
musicians take themselves and their position in the arts (and therefore
their position in the food chain of life) much too seriously. I don't mean
that lightly, but it reminds me of the basset horn discussion and
statements surrounding it. Some things just are not critical to being good
people in life - and, in my opinion, defending a dislike for a sound is not
one of those critical things - as is if the bore of a modern basset horn is
the same as it was 50 years ago.

>You still, of course, have every right to play whatever way you wish, but
>you do yourself a disservice by the abandonment of any rational reason for
>doing or not doing it.

Gosh, I just didn't see this in Stewart's post.

>There are valid technical arguments in support of vibrato on the clarinet
>(and other instruments, too, of course) and I suspect that you are not
>really as aware of them as you might be.

Therin lies the quote......."Be afraid.....be very afraid....."

BTW, a student brought me 5 CD recordings of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto,
performed by 5 different well known artists, to demonstrate what kind of
sound she wishes she could emulate..........it was a very interesting
demonstration and discussion!

Best wishes,
Roger Garrett

Roger Garrett
Clarinet Professor
Director, Symphonic Winds
Advisor, Recording Services
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
(309) 556-3268

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

---------------------------------------------------------------------
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