Klarinet Archive - Posting 000570.txt from 2001/08

From: Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] external vs. internal reeds; was Cane vs plastic (revisited).....
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 11:42:18 -0400

<><><><> In tune. Pipes (bagpipes). Same sentence. Amazing! ;^)

<><><> Could have been worse - he could have something truly
outrageous like the Eb clarinet and the piccolo must be in tune with
each other...

<><> Kinda like the difference between a saxophone and a lawn mower,
eh, Mark?

[big chuckle] While I appreciate the humor, I submit that the above
statements are examples of misperception due to:

{A} the difficulty of tuning a bagpipe, and perhaps we seldom hear it
done properly, and

(B) I believe bagpipes were originally _designed_ to terrify an enemy
(rather than being adapted to this purpose) and perhaps special skills
are truly required in order to play them in "concert mode". The
competition that I attended described them as "war pipes", not as "bag
pipes."

Be that as it may, I must tell you that bag pipes *CAN* be played in a
lyrical fashion with full melody and gentle, soothing sounds
(transcendent, and I am using this adjective correctly), and the drone
can be an enhancement to the melody, similar to being backed by a full
string section, rather than the normal nerve-grinding "lawn mower"
effect.

Now I have heard it myself.

I once owned a CD by a "master piper" who had won international
competitions for "authentic performance", and I trashed it after
listening to it twice (the second time in an effort to convince myself
that underneath the surface it truly was pleasing music). So I
understand the comments, and they were spoken with humor. But it ain't
_necessarily_ so.

The bagpipes teach us how *much* of an advantage most reed players enjoy
because we can put our lips directly against the reed and thereby
overcome the built-in "mis-tuning" of our instruments. Pipers do not
enjoy this advantage; but as I've already declaimed, the disadvantage
*can* be overcome by a virtuoso. I would just as soon listen to the
Irish champion again as I would to listen to a Strauss waltz played by a
top symphony orchestra.

Cheers,
Bill

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