Klarinet Archive - Posting 000344.txt from 2003/05

From: POWELLM397@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Reeds
Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 17:42:36 -0400

On the subject of reeds.

This week I have had the fun job, of demonstrating the Rico Grand Concert Evolution reeds, to the students at three of London's top Music Colleges. The Royal Academy of Music, The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Trinity College of Music.
For these seminars I was joined by Jean-Francoise Rico, from the South of France, and Robert Polan, European Director of Rico from Sun Valley California.

These reeds have been in development for about ten years. Many clarinettist around the world have been working on them including Ricardo Morales, David Campbell and myself.

For the demonstration I had an assistant join me from the audience who had to open an unopened box of reeds which I would then play on one by one, having never played them previously. Almost a case of professional suicide, except for the superb consistency offered by these reeds.
On each of the reeds I then played excerpts from the Brahms sonatas, Tchaik 6, the opening of the Ireland fantasy sonata, Weber II opening, Spohrs concertos tonguing upto the top C's.
etc..

Quite fun on reeds you haven't selected, before an audience of clarinettists.

The point being made, that you can spend ages working on reeds, which frankly don't work in the hall you are playing in. But having consistent reeds, that work straight out of the box, you can quickly find a good reed for the hall you are in. Problems come using reeds that are green, and terribly inconsistent in strength. Naming no names.

Over the two days, going through many boxes of reeds, I only found one reed that I could not perform on, and that one needed just a little scraping.

I believe the strength of these reeds come from the quality of cane, and the cut, leaving more wood in the heart of the reed.

Kind regards
Martin Powell.
PS. I am not being paid by Rico to write this e-mail.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is supported by Woodwind.Org, http://www.woodwind.org/