Klarinet Archive - Posting 000385.txt from 2003/03

From: POWELLM397@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Recent posts
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2003 18:06:10 -0500

A few comments on recent posts.

First.
When Tony Wakefield commented that Tony Pay would charge around 125 pounds per hour, he was only suggesting how much he thought Tony Pay was worth.

Of course Tony Pay wanted us to know that the information was inaccurate, as many who study with him would not have the means to pay that amount, though I agree with Tony Wakefield that Tony Pay is worth it. I have played in master classes before Tony Pay and had lessons with him. It is not my place to say how much he charges though I would say that he gives extremely good value for money and is generous with his time.

Over the years I have had the privilege to study, or play in master classes, with many eminent clarinettists (English spelling).

Thea King, Tony Pay, John Davies, Karl Leister, Guy Deplus, David Campbell, Georgina Dobree, Alan Hacker etc..

Tony Pay has enormous depths of knowledge about clarinet playing and always trys to draw the musician out of the student, rather that imposing dogmatic positions on style, phrasing and equipment upon them. There are a number of techniques I use on the clarinet which are directly attributable to Tony Pay which I have received over the years since I was 15 years old. ( I am now 40)When he posts to this list he is always thorough, because he is thorough.

Well, there's the eulogy, do I get the 10% now. Not that he needs marketing, I do!

Second.
Are there benefits from playing the piano as well as the clarinet?

Personally I think there are truly great benefits from playing the piano which do transfer onto the clarinet. You can reach a point on the clarinet where practising solely technique brings diminishing rewards. Many professionals reach a technical peak where any degradation in technique from not practising, just performing, does not go below a level that is sufficient for their work. Touching up pieces before they are performed, or learning new works.
Whilst studying at the Royal Academy of Music, I would practise all my scales up to top C, at speed. Most scales practised at speeds of 800 to 1200 notes per minute. Chromatics up to top C and down at speed. One day I thought to myself that I would do all my scales three octaves up to the Eb, and practise further up to a super top C using teeth on the reed techniques etc..I then though, why, what is the point? What pieces do we play that need speed that high, a few tongued scales up to top C, for the Spohr Concertos?
So is technique "God". Some of it is just a vanity. A computer can play fast.

The benefits from playing the piano are not just physical. Piano scales will give you stronger fingers than practising clarinet scales. Simply there is a greater physical action. Think about sportsmen that do exercises unrelated to their sport.. Formula one drivers work out in the gym, cycle up mountains etc.. Basically sitting in a car doesn't strengthen your body. But being physically fit helps their concentration over a two hour race under severe g forces.
Likewise playing scales on a clarinet will not strengthen your hands as much as piano work.

The greatest benefits from piano playing, in my opinion, come from the opening up of your mind to the structures of the music. Harmony, spacing etc.. Knowing the music from both sides. Tony Pay recently quoted Thea Kings remarks that Schubert had never seen the clarinet part of Shepherd on the rock, that of course he had conceived the whole score as one. ( paraphrased from memory )

When I have studied with Thea, ( or should I say Dame Thea, she was recently honoured by the Queen ),she would often accompany me on the piano. Evidently Frederick Thurston would do the same for her. Knowing both parts of our chamber music with the piano is of great benefit. They are both good examples to follow.
I am currently learning the Brahms sonata piano parts for my students.

The next benefit is the astonishing depths of repertoire.
We simply don't have enough 'Great' works for the clarinet. Each time you learn a piece of music from a great composer, it leaves an imprint on your soul. This comes out of you when you perform. Remember we are what we eat. Therefore, when you learn on the piano the works of Bach, Chopin, Beethoven etc.. This music comes out of you when you perform on the clarinet. The fact that we don't have enough great music is why many clarinettists are not satisfied and turn to composing and conducting etc..
When we play Mozarts' Clarinet concerto, of how much benefit is it to have played all his piano sonatas and concertos. How intimate can we get with Mozart?

Any conductors out there fancy playing with me the Mozart Clarinet Concerto and a Mozart Piano Conerto in the same concert?

The other important question is how does playing the clarinet improve our piano playing?
Phrasing melodies, finding beauty in inner lines, cherishing each individual work on the level we cherish our Mozart concerto...... What else?

Now, what can we learn from playing the violin? ( That is my next project. ) The tonal possibilities in terms of pitch and style, vibrato? ( Sidney Griller once paid me the compliment of saying that I played the clarinet like a violin, in melding into the quartet.)

Thirdly.
In regards to the situation with Buffet Crampon. I own a small chain of music shops in England. Last week we received the new brochures from The Music Group, that is the name of the company now selling the Buffet brand. Basically they are the same company and personnel, previously known as Boosey and Hawkes. All the manufacturers they market are exactly the same as before. Boosey and Hawkes only exists now as a music publisher.
Having been quite close to the workings at Boosey and Hawkes, visiting the Buffet factory a number of times, the fact that Buffet was owned by an English company had very little effect on their own policies and quality. Think about it, a French company taking orders from the English? I doubt anything will change. No need to worry.

Thank you for those who have read my ramblings. Apologies for any blowing of my own trumpet, just trying to put across a point.

Kind regards
Martin Powell

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