Klarinet Archive - Posting 000122.txt from 2004/02

From: "Ken Wolman" <kwolman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] BBC Interview about Rhapsodie in Blue
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 09:07:37 -0500

Noel Taylor wrote:

> You can find an audio interview in RealPlayer format at the link below on
> the BBC Radio 4 website. It is described below. You do have to listen to a
> load of other stuff before it comes to the clarinet interview - El Greco etc
> - but you eventually get there.
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/frontrow/frontrow.shtml#collins

Collins sounds wonderful. The Gallidoro clip is better. I can see why
the old guy is a legendary player. What I'm a bit mystified about is
why I'm supposed to be surprised that the opening of Rhapsody is
difficult. I didn't need Collins' explanation to at least sense that's
involved. I would think that unless you've thoroughly mastered the
techniques of maintaining fingering, embouchure, and the resulting tone
during an extended slur, you will sound like an idiot trying to play
this music. Gershwin must've hated the clarinet about as much as
Giuseppe Verdi hated dramatic sopranos: he wrote wonderfully for the
clarinet but nothing here is for the faint of heart or technically
unsophisticated. In a moment of gross stupidity I once acquired the
sheet music for the Three Preludes. Forget #1 and #3: I don't even know
the names of some of the notes he wrote into those things. But even #2
puts demands of rhythm and articulation on a player that make anyone
less than fully schooled technically sound they should go back to
"Twinkle, twinkle." I don't hear music you grow into: you'd better have
grown there before you pick it up.

Two cents cheerfully refunded.

Ken
--
Kenneth Wolman
Proposal Development Department
Room SW334
Sarnoff Corporation
609-734-2538

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