Klarinet Archive - Posting 000057.txt from 2002/06

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: [kl] Why play the Period Clarinet?
Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 19:22:03 -0400

On Sat, 1 Jun 2002 20:13:19 -0400, clarinet@-----.net said:

> So - as to why play the period clarinet, some possible reasons come to
> mind, such as:
>
> 1. Boredom with playing "normal" clarinet. (Too easy? Been there,
> done that?)

That's pitched a bit strong -- but I think, and have said before, that
having a different set of technical problems allows you to develop new
solutions to musical problems that you might have overlooked.

> 2. Intellectual curiosity as to how well the period instruments could
> be played.

Certainly that.

> 3. Economic demand for period players.

Yes -- it amounts to being willing to fill a demand.

> 4. What did Stadler, Baermann, Hermstedt or Muhlfeld sound like?
> (This is slippery slope stuff considering the variety of sounds that
> can be made by a variety of players on the modern clarinet.)

As you say.

I have no idea what they sounded like.

> 5. Desire to recreate the actual "period sound". (See slippery slope
> comment in number 4. How would you know if you actually succeeded in
> sounding like Stadler?)

Again, as you say, a difficult argument to sustain.

I think that it's not so much that *my* instrument sounds very
different, but that combinations of period instruments sound different.
The fast decay of the sound of early pianos, for example, encourages a
much more parlando style from everyone. I think I've said that before
here.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
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