Klarinet Archive - Posting 000656.txt from 2004/03

From: Tony Pay <tony.p@------.org>
Subj: [kl] Howarth extension, and the Tosca
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 20:19:35 -0500

I had the opportunity today to play, at Howarths, both the Howarth basset
clarinet, and coincidentally, the Buffet Tosca clarinet.

The Howarth basset clarinet -- which incidentally is *not*, as I previously
stated, an extension to a Selmer instrument, but an extension to a Howarth S3
clarinet -- I found to be excellent. It has a powerful and generous sound,
and the basset notes are both rich and well in tune. It was commissioned by
Stefan Harg, who was kind enough to send me some pretty pictures of it, and
explain how he came to have it made.

Stefan is kindly leaving the instrument in Howarth's for a few weeks so that
they can show it at the Frankfurt Fair; so anyone interested can confirm my
judgement if they are in the London area before mid-April.

I was able to have a blow on the Toscas because a colleague who had just
bought a pair in Paris happened to be in the shop when I came in to try
Stefan's instrument. I thought they were delightful. (The A clarinet did
particularly well on the clarinet solo in 'E lucevan le stelle', but I
suppose that's only to be expected:-)

Of course, it's difficult to judge when you're only playing in a showroom,
but I thought the nature of the instruments was capable of being both
brilliant and warm, at choice. The 'alternative' low F is extremely easy to
use, though probably only really required on the A clarinet.

I look forward to having a more extended go.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd tony.p@------.org
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

... I've found Jesus. He was behind the sofa the whole time.

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