Klarinet Archive - Posting 000984.txt from 2001/10

From: "Rien Stein" <rstein@-----.nl>
Subj: [kl] diploma bass clarinet
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 20:00:55 -0500

Three years ago Uldis Locenieks came grom Liepaja (Letland) to Utrecht to
study bass clarinet with Harry Sparnaay. He joined the wind band I am in in
Zeist, and we became good friends.

With the NERV convention (NERV stands for "Dutch Single Reeds Club) last
April the Emiliano quartet from Italy stayed with us. The bass clarinet
player, Paolo de Gaspari, studies in Rotterdam with Henry Bok. He comes to
Rotterdam once a month for lessons. He used to come by plane, leave early in
the morning and come home at night, but, due to recent events, not only the
tragic events leading to this tragic, and in my opnion unjust Afghan war,
but also because of a severe accident with an SAS plane in Milano, flying
from and into Italy nowadays is a problem. Last week he and his wife
Antonella, she is a very fine player of the soprano clarinet, came to us in
a camper. They went to Rotterdam by train.

Now I wonder: is there a special reason professional claribassists take all
this trouble to come to our small country? Uldis was away from his wife and
daughter a full year, and I can tell you he is dearly in love with them.
Paolo and Antonella left Modena Wednesday night to arrive with us only
Thursday at 11.30 p.m. Paolo had two hours of lessons Friday and two hours
Saturday (Henry Bok had caught a terrible cold). After having diner with us
they started off at 7.30 Saturday night to arrive in Carpi, near Modena,
Italy, Sunday night at 8.00 o'clock p.m.

Are Dutch claribassists so good as teachers, or is there any other reason?

Rien

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