Klarinet Archive - Posting 000081.txt from 2001/04

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] REsponse to Stewart
Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 05:30:28 -0400

At 01:36 PM 04/04/2001 -0800, you wrote:
>Hi Roger,
>
>To answer your specific question, you are not going to find a single word
>in the entire Mozart literature about using a vibrato on a clarinet. It's
>too narrow a target. But you will find in the Mozart letters, in the
>books on singing from ca. 1750-1800, from the general history of music of
>the era, a ton of stuff about the purpose of the vibrato in vocal
>music. Personally, I don't consider the human voice and the techniques
>that are used to amplify andd beautify its nature, much different from
>those used for the clarinet.

Yes, I certainly understand your point. But, given the differing views of
acceptance today with clarinet and vibrato, but the continued use of
vibrato vocally, one can, and probably should, try to view the vocal
techniques and the instrumental techniques as evidence unto themselves -
that, unless the vocal techniques discussed in treatises of 1750-1800
actually reference instrumental music in any way, that it is out as far as
supporting an argument for or against the use of vibrato for
clarinet. Kind of like a judge disallowing evidence that has no bearing on
an attempted murder investigation.

>The main function spoken of by the castrati of the period was that the
>vibrato was to singing as trembling was to human love. As great passion
>makes us tremble or vibrate, it is a wonderful way to express that
>emotion when playing; i.e., through trembling or at least a simulation of it.

Well, that's a great argument for using vibrato for any instrument - vocal
and otherwise. And I really think it is a strong argument for
consideration for vibrato on instruments that do not "traditionally" make
use of it in non-jazz music - eg. french horn and clarinet - maybe even
timpani (just kidding on the last one). Sure persuades me! However, it
does not support the use of vibrato for clarinet in the 18th or 19th
centuries as a common (or uncommon) performance practice for that time
period. In fact, the lack of any writing from that time period referencing
vibrato on the clarinet is more supportive of the lack of it as a
performance practice than anything else we have (or have not) seen.

>But you should already know this. You are an educated guy, you know the
>history of music, you probably have read books on vocal production, so
>none of this should be strange to you.

Darn - you were doing so well until that last paragraph!

I would never suppose to be so educated that I can't ask someone with a
great education and knowledge (eg. you!) in a specific area (eg. Mozart,
etc.) if there is something I may have overlooked.

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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