Klarinet Archive - Posting 000639.txt from 2001/10

From: "Robert Moody" <LetsReason@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] If you are interested
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 13:29:22 -0400

I enjoy hearing other people play and so thought that I should not cower
from exposing myself. I found my recital tapes and decided to throw an
excerpt up. This is the 3rd movement of the Brahms Quintet.

http://www.musix4me.com/clarinet/Brahms.mp3

Though this movement turned out "okay", the overall performance of the
quintet was rather marred by an interesting reed issue.

During the first movement, something came about that caused my reed to
develop this "condition". LOL! It got to where if I moved the clarinet
from a single position (as in to move with the entrance of the first violin
or to show a release) it would close up and chirp. I ended up placing the
bell between my knees at the start of this movement and trying to hold
still. I am not generally a "shaker and a mover", but I do tend to move
some when, particularly when playing with chamber groups. I think you can
hear one chirp in this excerpt. The chirps ended up getting me an A- for a
rather decent overall recital.

Please let me know if there are excerpts of you all that I can listen to. I
enjoy hearing others' ideas of sound. To me, it says a lot about how they
might view certain pieces.

Also, I have had a rather lengthy, and not always comfortable conversation
with Danny Phipps (principal bassoon of the Air Force Band and Symphony)
concerning my timbre. I, in no way, think I am perfect, but I do not really
see what he was talking about. In any case, his point was that I did not
have a consistent timbre throughout the range of the instrument. He comes
from the Moyese school and cites people that he has played with like Wright
and Macellus. He made the comment that in a professional audition (like for
the Air Force band), he would probably vote to drop me (because of my
timbre) in the first round. Don't get me wrong, and he explained this to
me, he did not say that I have a poor tone. He thinks the quality is uneven
throughout the range.

I am interested in your opinions (from what you can gather in this excerpt).
Though I am not always hospitable to the way people say things to each, I am
very open and interested in your professional opinions. Particularly those
of you who have established yourselves as successful performers and
recording artists.

I look forward to your links to hear you and to your comments.

Robert

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