Klarinet Archive - Posting 000347.txt from 2003/05

From: Charlie White <charliewhite@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Reeds
Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 19:57:20 -0400

Your teacher was probably right. This stuff, Arundo Donax, grows like a weed in
Southern California. Here in San Diego the stuff grows along the San Diego River
and is considered a "weed". There is, from time to time, a considered effort to
get rid of the weed. I don't think that the cane growing wild on the river bank is
clarinet quality.

Charlie

Oliver Seely wrote:

> Thanks, Martin, for the good press (for a change) about Rico. My teacher
> used to tell me that Rico reeds were made from bamboo grown on the banks of
> the Santa Ana River here in southern California. I was doubtful about that
> when I was 13 years old, but one doesn't question one's teacher at that
> age. Still, the Santa Ana River channel was a lot less polluted then
> too. I'll give them a try.
>
> Oliver
>
> At 05:42 PM 05/18/2003 -0400, you wrote:
> >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/
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Klarinet is supported by Woodwind.Org, http://www.woodwind.org/

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