Klarinet Archive - Posting 000247.txt from 2002/09

From: The Ciompi Family <deal5@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Uhl Studies
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 01:40:58 -0400

I too balked at the Uhl studies as a youngster. Looking back at them
now they feed the fingers as well as the harmonic musician in one. They are
neither easy nor do they sound well unless your ear instinctively shades the
notes to "imply" the fascinating harmony.
Playing Reger calls upon this same harmonic understanding to bring out
the beauty and direction of his exquisite harmonies. He's also a good way for
a "period" clarinetist to draw out the final gasp of romanticism through his
clarinet.

Cheers,

Arturo

Tony Pay wrote:

> Because of what a student is bringing to me, I just had occasion to look
> in detail at the Alfred Uhl Studies, book 2 -- for the first time,
> really, since I was a student myself.
>
> I could do with practising them at the moment, and have started to work
> through the book. Because if you spend much of your time playing period
> instruments, and only the solo and chamber music repertoire on the
> modern instrument, you risk becoming what I think HAT called here, "a C
> major virtuoso" -- that is, a virtuoso, NOT.
>
> Playing regularly in an orchestra is another thing.
>
> Anyway, the degree of musical understanding required to make some of
> these studies 'work' musically -- and the fact that they do nevertheless
> then work as complete pieces -- is something I find quite striking. I
> probably never fully realised that such understanding was called for
> when I struggled through them as a teenager, and as far as I recall my
> then teacher never really represented that necessity to me.
>
> It occurs to me to wonder: has anyone recorded them?
>
> I do realise that in a way, it'd be counterproductive to do so, because
> at least a part of the value is that being required to play them
> musically forces the student to think harmonically and dramatically
> about seemingly unpromising material. If a solution is available, then
> that sort of work is short-circuited. (Rather like publishing 'answers'
> to Zen koans.)
>
> I can still hear some of that Jettel, too....in my dreams....
>
> :-)
>
> Tony
> --
> _________ Tony Pay
> |ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
> | |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
> tel/fax 01865 553339
>
> .... If a mute swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------

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