Klarinet Archive - Posting 001274.txt from 2003/04

From: Karl Krelove <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl]Mid-performance crises
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 21:05:52 -0400

Reeds sometimes *feel* different if you've made your selection in a home
practice studio with acoustics that are (necessarily) different from those
in the recital hall. It's important to have some time in the hall to check
reeds there. Ideally a well-broken-in reed adequately wet and warmed up in
the recital hall should generally not behave very differently during the
performance unless you're biting or somehow approaching it differently
because of nervous tension once the audience is in the room.

That said, if you start to play for the audience and things don't sound or
feel so good, you just have to adjust to get the best you can from it, as
you did. The audience will not feel most of your pain nor hear how difficult
a time you're having if your adjustments are sufficient. You hope you can
ride the thing well enough not to disappoint until at least the end of the
piece. Whether it's a solo or chamber recital or a symphony concert, I don't
think I'd change reeds until an intermission, but I've done it then. At
least I have some time to play on it backstage and adjust to it. Changing
reeds in mid-composition during a performance seems like a bad idea.

I once, decades ago as a student, attended a concert at the Academy of Music
in Philadelphia given by the Cleveland Orchestra when Szell and Robert
Marcellus were both in their primes. The first piece on the program was the
Prelude to Die Meistersinger. Came the first big clarinet solo, Marcellus
put the clarinet to his mouth and you could see him blowing but practically
no sound came out. He managed to force enough out not to have the notes
completely absent, but as soon as it was over he had the reed off, wet
another one and had it on the mouthpiece in time for the next solo entrance
(meanwhile the assistant principal player filled in). The next solo sounded
perfectly fine. So, no matter what is said about what *should* be, sometimes
stuff happens and you have to deal with it the best way you can.

Karl

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Semple [mailto:wsemple@-----.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 7:53 AM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl]Mid-performance crises
>
>
> Last Sunday, I performed the Mozart Clarinet Quintet at a faculty recital.
> During the performance, in fact early on, my once perfect reed began to
> collapse and on one note I squawked. A small one, but it was like an
> earthquake to me.
>
> I scaled back, opened my throat, relaxed my embouchure, and got through in
> pretty good shape. The audience loved it, and I guess that is what counts
> (but we know it doesn't).
>
> Here are my questions:
>
> 1) What is the experience of those on the listserve with the
> difference, if
> any, between pre-recital reed performance and recital reed performance?
>
> 2) Does anyone select a reed that is a smidgen stronger for performance,
> given the adrenalin rush? Tony, do you ever get nervous?
>
> 3) Has anyone ever had similar issues, and how do you respond?
>
> 4) Has there ever been a case where a performer has had to CHANGE REEDS
> during a performance?
>
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