Klarinet Archive - Posting 000129.txt from 2002/11

From: "William Semple" <wsemple@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] on the use of metaphor
Date: Sat, 2 Nov 2002 18:11:07 -0500

I didn't mean to suggest that you don't have a unique style or
interpretation, otherwise life would be dull indeed and I wouldn't be
ordering a few of your disks.

For example, I found your Quintet interpretation fascinating. The first
Quintet I ever heard was a recording of Reginald Kell in the 1950's. So I
have been enamored of the "English style," if one can be so called, all of
my life.

In researching my heroes, Goodman and Kell, I came across the following
utterly fascinating article where Goodman under Kell's direction totally
changes his approach to the instrument.

http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/Benny%20Goodman_1.htm

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Pay" <Tony@-----.uk>
Subject: Re: [kl] on the use of metaphor

> On Sat, 2 Nov 2002 07:09:28 -0700, wsemple@-----.com said:
>
> > 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.
>
> You're very charming, Bill:-)
>
> > 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?
>
> I think mostly I don't use metaphors to do that sort of thing. I made a
> post here a couple of years ago that perhaps indicates more clearly the
> idea I'm more commonly after, applied to the problem of articulation:
>
> http://www.woodwind.org/Databases/Logs/1999/09/000395.txt
>
> If you look at that, you'll understand what I want to say about the use
> of metaphor in teaching.
>
> Mark you, I think that the sort of comparison you invited me to make
> would have to be metaphorical. It's just that I prefer to leave
> comparison of that sort to each individual. I don't usually want to
> make a pronouncement in that sort of discussion.
>
> > 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
>
> I will read this.
>
> > 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.
>
> Well, I choose to regard it as a compliment:-)
>
> I think that the personalisation of music is a very important thing, but
> one that is not appropriate to all sorts of music.
>
> It would be a terrible mistake not to personalise Weber, for example,
> because the music very often *lives* in the 'personal' register. But
> other music can be very different.
>
> Perhaps I would want to say that English musicians can more easily make
> the mistake of underpersonalising 'personal' music, whereas American
> musicians can more easily make the mistake of overpersonalising 'less
> personal' music.
>
> The best musicians of either country are equally at home in either
> register, of course.
>
> Tony
> --
> _________ Tony Pay
> |ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
> | |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
> tel/fax 01865 553339
>
> ... Some people are, through no fault of their own, sane.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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