Klarinet Archive - Posting 000633.txt from 2001/07

From: "athompson" <athompson@-----.za>
Subj: [kl] German v French
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 04:37:24 -0400

As luck would have it, I purchased a pair of Hammerschmidt German system
clarinets a couple of years ago, and so have been able to compare them with
my own Buffets. As I am naturally more comfortable with the Boehm fingering,
it is difficult to comment in detail on the difference in fingering, except
to say that there are aspects of the German system which are quite awkward.
For instance, the A throat key must be played without touching the g# key,
otherwise it is way too sharp. Also, the lack of alternate little finger
keys results in the need for much sliding across the rollers, which in some
pieces is very difficult indeed (try sliding from left b to c# and back
again at speed!). Another major difference is that the German high C is
played with the second finger (like the sax), and the Boehm Bb/F fingering
is B-natural/F# on the German, with the fork F being often awkward as well
(although there are two alternate fingerings for this note). The Wurlitzer
and Hammerschmidt mouthpieces that came with the instruments are very
closed, with the result being a very squeaky clarinet indeed, much to the
amusement of those in earshot (but , of course, that is more my inexperience
in handling the narrower German mouthpiece at this stage than a fault with
the mouthpieces). With my Vandoren A3 crystal, the sound was great - richer
than the Buffets throughout the range, although still potentially squeaky -
but, I suppose to use a French mouthpiece is cheating somewhat. The other
problem is pitch. These instruments are tuned to 444, and even with a long
barrel pulled out, the pitch is never less than a sharp 442. All in all, I
would prefer to use these instruments to play Weber, Brahms and other German
compositions, but the extra effort required to master these instruments,
without a German system clarinettist around to show me the tricks and
alternates, will probably see me returning to the French system for these
works, and the Hammerschmidts will return to the cupboard. I see, though,
that Hammerschmidt make a Boehm system clarinet with a German bore - it
would be interesting to hear if they duplicate the German sound at all.

Allan Thompson
athompson@-----.za

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