Klarinet Archive - Posting 000360.txt from 2004/12

From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: metal clarinets
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 19:56:54 -0500


-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Fay [mailto:kevinfay@-----.com]
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 4:33 PM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: Re: [kl] Re: metal clarinets

Ed asked:

<<<What other manufactures produced double walled metal
clarinets? Does a
metal clarinet have to be double walled to be of excellent
construction?>>>

Kevin Fay wrote:

Selmer made a bunch of metal clarinets, I believe both single-
and
double-walled. I have seen a double-walled only on eBay, but
have seen a
single-walled Selmer metal myself. For a time, Selmer metal
horns were
played in the Boston Symphony.

=====

Rosy Mazzeo told me that his teacher, who played with the BSO,
used a metal clarinet throughout his career.

=====

Orsi makes what they advertise as an artist-level metal clarinet;
see
http://www.orsi-wind-instruments.it/cl_professionali.htm. I
have never
played one, however, so can't give a first-hand report.

=====

There was one on ebay about 4 months ago and it was gorgeous with
all kinds of engravings, though that does not mean that it was a
good instrument. Yet buyers flocked to it, and it went for a
high price. There was talk on the list that maybe it was solid
silver, but that was probably wishful thinking. The instrument
was not announced as that.

=====
I have never played on a metal clarinet that I thought was any
good. OTOH,
I've never had the opportunity to play one that was built for
artist-level;
unfortunately, even at the beginning of the last century they had
the
reputation of being for entry level instruments only. I'm told
that some
were fine instruments. My wife tells me that her silver flute
works just
great, so I don't think the material by itself isn't capable of
producing a
good sound.

======

Once more into the fray dear friends. The material doesn't
produce the sound. The player produces the sound. And there is
nothing inherent in silver or pot metal or sheet steel or wood
that makes or prevents a good sound from someone playing a
clarinet made out of it. Also my first instrument was a Buescher
metal clarinet. So I'm nostalgic about the instruments.

=====

Dan Leeson

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org