Klarinet Archive - Posting 000103.txt from 2002/11

From: "William Semple" <wsemple@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] on the use of metaphor
Date: Sat, 2 Nov 2002 09:50:23 -0500

What a gold mine this list serve is.

This question is directed mostly to Tony Pay, and shows that at least I read
to the bottom of his biography. I dare ask it because no doubt this issue
has been thoroughly analyzed before. The bane of the new member, I suppose,
but it keeps the topics churning. At least the issue of what part of the
clarinet is "more important" got the master's attention.

What metaphors do you use to describe the sound of the clarinet? For
example, how would you describe the sound of Harold Wright vs. Reginald Kell
vs yourself?

As an audio reviewer for the Absolute Sound, I struggled with terms that
conveyed the quality and texture of the sound I was listening to. As a
philosophy major who studied linguistics, existentialism and phenomenology,
I have been fascinated with the use of metaphor (e.g., Martin Heidegger,
Ludwig Wittgenstein).

But my own use of metaphor seems pedantic.

http://www.cruzio.com/~autospec/metafor.htm#hd1

p.s. This may be a wild generalization, but English musicians, either in
temperament or in style, allow the composer to be heard, rather than
themselves specifically.

As a reviewer of classical recordings, I am struck with the difficulty of
ascribe a "character" to the RPO, LSO, or LPO, whereas one could do so much
more readily with an American orchestra. Before my LP collection (4,000
recordings) turned into molten vinyl because of my house fire, one of my
favorite recordings was the Boult recording of the Brahms #1 on EMI, out of
eight that I had.

I just listened linked to your Quintet recording -- I felt I was listened
more to Mozart than to you. I hope this is a compliment.

---------------------------------------------------------------------