Klarinet Archive - Posting 000541.txt from 2002/09

From: w9wright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] My attempt to formalize my unstructured ideas
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 00:23:50 -0400

<><> John=A0Varineau wrote:
Regarding the controversy over which clarinet to use, I've never seen or
heard an argument that takes into account the make of the clarinet,
mouthpiece and reed that are also part of the clarinet sound.

This was one of my points in a previous message when I posted:

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
"But why is it such a sin, given that equipment and tastes _do_ evolve"
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

As an example (I think I posted this once before), I remember sitting in
the back of a recital room before I had purchased my wooden clarinet.
I was paying special attention to the issue of A vs Bb because I hadn't
decided which tuning I wanted. My teacher was sitting next to me.

Because we were in the back of the room and couldn't see the stage, I
decided to 'test' myself. Could I distinguish which instrument the
professor was playing just by listening? I decided he was playing an
A, and my teacher replied that she wasn't sure which he was playing.

I called him the next day, and I asked: "Last night, I think that you
were playing an A. Am I right?"

His voice (actually, I think I spoke to his wife, who played the same
night) was somewhat pleased as she replied, "He was playing his Bb
because his A is being serviced right now; but he consciously chose a
mouthpiece and reed that sounded as much like an A as possible because
that's what the piece asks for. He'll be glad to hear that it worked."

My ear is not reliable, but a person has to accept whatever evidence
that is available, and that's what the evidence was in this case --- I
was deceived, and my teacher (a professional freelancer, she _does_ have
an ear) couldn't give a firm answer.

Cheers,
Bill

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