Klarinet Archive - Posting 000266.txt from 2001/12

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Deeper or Higher Timbre
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 06:31:30 -0500

At 04:10 AM 12/12/2001 -0700, Bear Woodson wrote:
>Hello, Klarinet List.
>
> > le jeu 06-12-2001 =3DE0 23:13, Tim Roberts a =E9crit:
> > On Thu, 6 Dec 2001 20:03:23 -0000,
> > "Tony Wakefield" wrote:
> > >
> > >Geoffrey Rendall in 'The Clarinet' states that the
> > >narrower the bore, the lower the pitch, together
> > >with richer harmonics. And conversely, the wider
> > >the bore, the sharper in pitch, with poorer texture.
> > >(Maybe this wider bore system is a specific criteria
> > >in the design of student models - sharper pitch/
> > >poorer texture?). He also says that tone is more
> > >than likely to be affected by the choice of materials
> > >used in the manufacture of the main body, and not
> > >by the different bore sizes.

Like everything else, this is an exaggeration of the truth. Compensations=
=20
are made in tone hole placement and design that alter and minimize the=20
differences. The very well-regarded and absolutely professional Selmer=20
Centered Tone, Balanced Tone, and Series 9 clarinets, for example, are=20
large-bore horns.

> I find this to be VERY interesting, and want to know
>more about the ability to play lower and deeper tone
>quality, as opposed to a thinner, lighter timbre.
>
> When I was in college in the Mid-1970's, one of our
>professors explained that the different countries of Eu-
>rope had different Concepts of Timbre, that were easiest
>to notice in the Oboes, Clarinets and Bassoons. Austrian
>Orchestras would use a thinner, higher tone, while Berlin
>and American Orchestras would use a thicker, deeper
>tone.
>
> (That professor had us listening to records, and trying
>to figure out WHICH Orchestra was playing! It was a
>game that some of us music students would play in our
>apartments. I was just beginning to get the hang of it,
>after several months of trying, and then I moved away,
>and eventually forgot about it.)
>
> Now that I'm thinking about writing for the clarinet,
>these questions come back. HOW do these players do
>this? Is this a matter of tightening or relaxing the throat
>when playing?
>
> It seems that adjusting the Intonation AND Timbre,
>while playing make the clarinet a LOT more compli-
>cated than merely struggling with fingerings! Each
>time I would write for an instrument, I'd study such
>problems and develop a great respect for that instru-
>ment. Now I am looking at the clarinet, and finding
>more playing difficulties than I was aware of before,
>so my respect is growing, but so are the number of
>new questions.
>
> I suspect that Deeper or Higher Timbre are con-
>trolled by tightening or relaxing the throat. Is this
>correct, or is more of it a matter of the design of
>each instrument?

In the case of clarinets, oboes and bassoons, the German orchestras=20
typically use different model instruments entirely to achieve the different=
=20
tonal qualities they seek, such as the Oehler-system clarinets with=20
significantly different mouthpieces, for example.

Bill Hausmann bhausmann1@-----.net
451 Old Orchard Drive
Essexville, MI 48732 ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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