Klarinet Archive - Posting 000165.txt from 2003/04

From: "Russell Harlow" <lharlow@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Russel Harlow's note
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 00:31:42 -0400

Dan
We just played a piece by Utah composer Leroy Robertson as part of a tribute
to conductor Maurice Abravenel. The part was signed Herbert Blayman 1948 -
so that was 23 years before me. I started in 1971. Also right after Blayman,
I believe, Nepolion Cermanera was principal for a year before Martin Zwick
took the job.

As for the 1969 instrument- I still have it and love the quality of sound it
still has. What happened was the keywork became looser and not much could
be done with it as it continued to ware. I was advised the getting new keys
could create more problems than it would fix. The other problems that
developed were the scale began to alter (high notes sharper) and upper notes
would not speak as easily. Perhaps the "floating" keys created leaks or 30
years of swabing altered the bore-I do not know. What interested me was
that a new instrument corrected all the problems - but - the sound I wanted
was not there in the new horns. When I found instruments that were vintage
but only lightly used or had not been used at all, I found in them the sound
I was looking that I had in the 1969 horn. I feel the really big difference
for me is the resonance one gets with an instrument whos body is as thin as
the instruments from 1900 up to about 1980 when Buffet and other makers
began to make thicker walled instruments.

I would like to see makers continue to make fine clarinets as they are doing
but also make an instrument that has a thinner wall that can really produce
the quality and resonance and color that the older instruments had. That is
why I appreciate what Yamaha has been doing, especially in making this
prototype for me with a thinner wall. It made a great difference. If you are
in Utah in July look me up and try out this instrument. I would appreciate
your opinion.
RH

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>From: Dan Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
>To: "klarinet@-----.org>
>Subject: [kl] Russel Harlow's note
>Date: Sat, Apr 5, 2003, 6:26 PM
>

> I read this note with great interest, and as a side issue, does Russel
> have any memories or heard stories from others about Herb Blayman who
> played 1st with the Utah orchestra many years ago, probably a long time
> before Russel got there.
>
> Now tom my points. Russel said that he played his Buffets for many many
> years until they would not play any longer, but valued the sound
> character he achieved with them.
>
> Why did they not play any longer? What went wrong.
>
> It is interesting to comment on the phenomenon of a sound changing over
> the years but the player perhaps not being aware of it. For example,
> weight change, lung capacity (particularly for smokers), loss of teeth,
> etc. So when one says, my so und is different today than it was 30
> years ago (not that Russel said that), the natural question that arises
> is how was is measured 30 years ago, or is one a good observer of what
> one sounded like 30 years ago?
>
> So when Russel got two new clarinets (after the one he had "would not
> work any longer"), is it that they did not sound as he hears himself
> today, or do they not sound as he remembers his sound of 30 years ago?
>
>
> --
> ***************************
> **Dan Leeson **
> **leeson0@-----.net **
> ***************************
>
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