Klarinet Archive - Posting 000360.txt from 2002/12

From: AnneLenoir@-----.net (Anne Lenoir)
Subj: [kl] I anybody familar with Hungarian Clarinet professor Bela Kovacs?
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 21:43:13 -0500

I heard a couple of clarinetists play one or more of Bela Kovacs
HOMMAGES for unacompanied clarinet last year at the Oklahoma Clarinet
Symposium in Norman. I didn't buy them right away because they were sold
out, and I thought they were probably too hard.
Well, I thought I would mention them because I just ordered them
from EBLE MUSIC in Iowa, and I really love them. I have never heard Bela
Kovacs play the clarinet. He sure does write beautiful etudes. They feel
so comfortable to the fingers. Each of his HOMMAGES are for various
composers, including: Bach, Paganini, Weber, Debussy, de Falla,
R.Strauss, Bartok, Kodaly and Khatschaturian. A while back, several
clarinetists were writing to the list asking for un-accompanied clarinet
pieces. I don't know if this collection was recommended or not. It is
definitely worth the $24.50. All of them are worthy of playing on a
recital.
I have gotten to the point where I don't enjoy working up Etudes
just for the sake of working them up. I have to love the music. I hope
Bela Kovacs is alive and well. Maybe Dr. Etheridge will invite him to
Oklahoma some day.
I try not to get involved with discussions about mouthpieces on the
list, because everybody has so many opinions that it gets tiresome.
About 3 weeks ago Jon Manasse recommended that I try the Vandoren M-30.
Jon helped make recommendations for its design. I tried it and it is
working very well for me. I have much more flexibility and more
even-ness. I would use some other adverb-type words to describe how I
feel about my tone, but I'm afraid the "Tone Nazi's" will pick me to
death. Anyhow, the combination of the new mouthpiece, (which is supposed
to be similar to a B-40, but better), and the HOMMAGES are working well
for now. ANNIE

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