Klarinet Archive - Posting 000631.txt from 2003/06
From: "Brash, Alexander" <BrashA@-----.org>
Subj: RE: [kl] Political postings - ON topic
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2003 15:27:31 -0400
I agree,
There's a huge danger in saying things like "we're musicians and
artists first." I don't understand how you can feel like that. We're human
beings first, living in a real world. Art, Music, and politics are not these
separate entities. Trying to separate yourself from the real world is folly.
Something a little disturbing: I recently spoke with a friend at the
Aspen music festival who didn't know about the riots in Michigan. Moreover,
they hadn't read or seen a newspaper. In response to my shock, she informed
me that "it's a pretty insulated place, no one really cares about that
stuff." I hope that's not true.
Alexander Michael Brash
Education Dept, New York Philharmonic
10 Lincoln Center Plaza, 5th Floor
phone (212) 875 - 5735
cell (646) 284 - 0439
email brasha@-----.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Matthew Lloyd [mailto:Matthew@-----.uk]
Subject: [kl] Political postings - ON topic
Some of the greatest musicians have been political - look at Toscanini
for a start. Didn't he do concerts at Madison Square to raise money - as
a patriotic Italian -- for the American War effort? Having told
Mussolini where to shove it?
What is art for if not to improve the human condition? Or do you follow
Wilde and feel that it is ornamental?
Beethoven IX?
Fidelio?
Figaro?
Ornamental? Nahh - POLITICAL
Matthew Lloyd
-----Original Message-----
From: LARISA DUFFY & DAVID DOW [mailto:DUFFYL@-----.CA]
Subject: Re: [kl] Vibrato on the Clarinet
I think politics should be banished from this board for once and
all...this
is not the place for any of these. We are musicians and artists
first....
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brash, Alexander" <BrashA@-----.org>
Subject: RE: [kl] Vibrato on the Clarinet
We handle the problem like this: playing in an AMERICAN "tradition." As
Stravinsky said in his Charles Eliot Norton lectures at Harvard:
'A real tradition is not the relic of a past irretrievably gone; it is a
living force that animates and informs the present. (...) Far from
implying
the repetition of what has been, tradition presupposes the reality of
what
endures. (...) Tradition ensures the continuity of creation. (...) A
renewal
is fruitful only when it goes hand in hand with tradition.'
I think this quote outlines very well (among other things) the spirit of
the
American clarinet. We take established schools and traditions and let
them
inform us as we continuously evolve. This is why the principal players
in
our orchestras are not deadly boring musicians, ie Leister. And speaking
of
"relics of the past irretrievably gone"...ummm where are the women in
your
orchestras? I know they're trickling in, but I wonder how female German
clarinetists feel about the male dominated German school. Oh wait! I
know
what they do! They become soloists instead and then come over here and
play!
You wrote:
Seriously, I think we are missing something, historically speaking. Over
here it would be totally unthinkable to use vibrato (at least in
Austro/German chamber music) and I must say that it DOES sound FAR
better
than the less restrictive performance practice...
Please prove to me it sounds far better. See Mr. Cohler's article for
some
discussion of his own experiments with non musicians, and asking them
which
tone quality they prefer. Let me see something similar from you.
By the way, I can think of several great places to shove my freedom
horn.
Alexander Michael Brash
Education Dept, New York Philharmonic
10 Lincoln Center Plaza, 5th Floor
phone (212) 875 - 5735
cell (646) 284 - 0439
email brasha@-----.org
-----Original Message-----
From: ferengizâde daniêl shawqy [mailto:rab@-----.de]
Subject: Re: [kl] Vibrato on the Clarinet
No!
Clarinet and vibrato! How could a civilized Conductor tolerate such a
gross
abuse of the noblest of all wind instruments? I think in Germany you'd
get
lynched if you'd dare to try even the most subtle vibrato.
Yet,
the great Muehlfeld (for whom Brahms wrote his late parts) was reported
to
have played with more vibrato than the cellist of the Joachim
quartet....
Seriously, I think we are missing something, historically speaking. Over
here it would be totally unthinkable to use vibrato (at least in
Austro/German chamber music) and I must say that it DOES sound FAR
better
than the less restrictive performance practice... maybe one day we'll
have
to acknowledge that the modern Austrogerman Clarinet and it's playing
tradition is in fact a different instrument and should be given a
different
name or rather the French/Italian instrument should be called "claroe",
"clarott", "claroon" "clareek" or something like that...
BTW, may I ask how US players handle the problem of playing an
instrument
that is either French or German in tradition (i.e. evil in any case) --
Did
you have to rename it "freedom horn" or did someone come up with a new
"redneck"-system?
Regards,
danyel
----- Original Message -----
From: Deidre Calarco
Subject: Re: [kl] Vibrato on the Clarinet
On 6/18/03 1:48 PM, "Jimmy Lee" <jrlaudio@-----.net> wrote:
> a conductor that does not want clarinets to use vibrator is a
> loser
ROFL
I agree. It's none of the conductor's business if the clarinetists like
to
use vibrators. That's personal!
(back to lurking)
-Deidre
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