Klarinet Archive - Posting 000640.txt from 2001/10

From: Oliver Seely <oliver-seely@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] If you are interested
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 14:39:57 -0400

Thanks, Robert. That was most enjoyable.

Oliver

At 01:29 PM 10/20/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>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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