Klarinet Archive - Posting 000624.txt from 2003/05

From: "Matthew Lloyd" <Matthew@-----.uk>
Subj: [kl] In defence of the Eb Clarinet, an instrument of character.
Date: Mon, 26 May 2003 06:35:13 -0400

I play Eb in a concert band. I don't know about Marching Bands, save
watching the occasional clip of some hugely expensive traffic
obstruction on the news over here (Trooping the Colour or some similar
lunatic activity). I have played Eb as a sixth former over here (about
Rebecca's age) and have played on a number of instruments. My first was
a Buffet which had silver keys that made my hands green. It was truly
truly horrible. No idea of the model - or whether a real Buffet or one
of the E series. It looked as it if had been abused from new in 1900 or
older!!! The second was a Noblet - which at least worked. Not bad, but
not great. Tuning was better and there was at least some hope for the
player. But I could get either of them coming over a concert band at
full pelt - I have a recording of the band (nearly twenty years old!)
where you can clearly hear my top G across a fortissimo band.

Go back a couple of months from today. Some of you many know I have
spent a long time in the wilderness and took up the clarinet again last
autumn. I have joined a local band that didn't have an Eb player so I
went out and bought one. Since my days of playing all those years ago I
now can afford rather more (I am a lawyer prosecuting in the East End of
London) I went out and borrowed (from Howarth's - fantastic place -
http://www.howarth.uk.com/) an R-13 Eb and then a few weeks later an RC
Prestige. Well, they're different instruments from the clarinets of my
youth! By coincidence we are playing the Second Holst Suite - a work I
last played at the Bedfordshire County Youth Concert Band many years ago
under the baton of Geoffrey Brand. I was playing Eb then too. You'll all
know the second movement "song without words" (and if you don't - shame
on you and get to know it pronto) with the lovely solo clarinet part at
the beginning passing to Eb clarinet and others. Well, in my youth I
dreaded that solo. The notes are easy - goes up to a top D but no more -
but keeping it in tune was hard - really hard. Well, the R-13 was good -
but the Prestige was wonderful. It is in tune - really in tune and so
"just playing the notes" is all one has to do. Obviously you need to be
careful, but my concern last night was phrasing not tuning. I had put
both on a tuner before and got a green light almost the whole way up on
both, and those that weren't spot on were very close and achievable with
ease. The Prestige was the better tuned - but then given the price it
ought to be!

So Samantha, I think you should think again about your opinion of the Eb
until you have heard a decent instrument played by someone who has some
understanding of its nature. I'm not claiming to be a great Eb player
please note - just that I think I have, after many years looking at
scores (Mahler especially, but obviously many others) I understand what
makes it unique. It can sound lovely. It needn't be strident. You just
need to pay for a good instrument. My gut instinct is that I could play
on a cheaper Bb far more easily than I could an Eb. Thank heavens I
don't have to, but I think that would be the case. Do other Eb players
(Nancy - you play a lot don't you) agree with me?

>From what I understand the average America High School buys instruments
on the cheap - Bundy/Vito et al - with Eb clarinet this is not a way to
get an instrument that will work well. [I hasten to say that the average
English Secondary School would be lucky to come up with a couple of
cheap Bb clarinets these days - you are much better equipped over
there!]

The long and the short of it is that I think Samantha has some points
that need to be considered, but my instinct is that she is wrong to
condemn the Eb in marching band. Clearly if you are only interested in a
brassy sound you'd forget it. But that sounds an odd way of behaving
[and before anyone flames me I know I'm no expert on marching band!] in
that the higher clarinets can give the sort of sound that would cut
across the open spaces. You certainly wouldn't need more than one,
unless there is more than one part. It occurs to me that for Rebecca to
be so keen to play it that there must be music written for marching band
that requires it. If so, how does that fit in with the suggestion made
by Samantha that Eb clarinets should be forever banished to the inner
circle of hell? [I jest to make a point.]

Going back to Rebecca's original point - I don't think she has the power
to "make" her band dictator do anything. But if he would let her play it
if she had her own then I think she would regret it if she bought a
clarinet of lesser stature than a Noblet or E-11. (Howarth's speak well
of the modern Noblet and suggested that if one couldn't afford a good
Buffet (or equivalent) then the Noblet would do a good job and those
buying them were happy punters!} Certainly the prospect of a $299
Woodwind Eb (what sort of brand name is that?) is one that would terrify
me! Specifically as Rebecca is so happy with her R-13, could she bear
the comparison? I doubt it. Having said that Keith was saying some good
things about Amati the other day - did you try an Eb Keith?

Matthew Lloyd

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