Klarinet Archive - Posting 000213.txt from 2002/10

From: AnneLenoir@-----.net (Anne Lenoir)
Subj: [kl] Steve Hatman's CD, "Bernhard Henrik Crusell Concertos.
Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2002 08:10:39 -0400

Steve Hartman just sent me his CD of the 3 Crusell Concertos, and I
wanted to thank him. I am very glad to have this CD, not only because
Steve plays so beautifully, but because I have never had a chance to
really listen to these works. As many of you know, I am not an avid
student of music history and did not even know anything about Crusell,
who lived from 1775-1838, and composed 3 clarinet concertos, all of them
on Steve's CD.
This might be a good time to give my 2-cents about "copying" other
people's clarinet playing based on listening to a recording. I
personally think that if you have never heard the composition before,
and hearing it inspires you to want to learn it, then go for it. If you
change your mind later and want to play it in another style, then at
least you have had the experience of being able to learn one particular
version. When I hear a CD that I like, Like Steve Hartman's, for
example, I like to put it in my car stereo for a couple of weeks and
"learn" the compositions by heart just from hearing them over and over
in the car, so that I can sing it in my mind. One advantage to listening
in the car is that it relaxes you in the traffic. At this stage of my
life, I personally do not have any desire to go to the library to study
the original scores of Crusell to make up my mind how to play them. Why
should I when I can listen to Steve's recording. Anyhow, the Crusell
concerti are beautiful and worth learning. They aren't as difficult as
many concertos and would be great for some of my students. The Sinfonia
Concertane in Bb, Op. 3 for clarinet, bassoon and horn, was beautifully
performed by Steve and bassoonist, Marc Goldberg and French Horn player,
Peter Reit. ANNIE

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