Klarinet Archive - Posting 000029.txt from 2005/01

From: Nancy Buckman <eefer@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Peter Schmidl
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 21:22:19 -0500

At 04:26 PM 1/3/2005, you wrote:
><Peter Schmidl plays a standard
>clarinet.....>
>
>Really? A standard what? I thought it was against the law to play on
>anything but a Viennese System Hammerschmidt, or whatever the popular pro
>clarinet is these days in the city of Schlagobers, Strauss und Schnitzel.

Just a quick comment about Mr. Schmidl and his clarinet. He plays a
Wurlitzer Oehler system clarinet. The reason you don't hear changes in
timbre is because that is one of the good things that a Wurlitzer can
do. I spent a good amount of time playing all of the Wurlitzers on Bernd
Wurlitzer's table at ClarinetFest. I was truly amazed at the ease with
which I could move from one end of the clarinet to the other - absolutely
no extra push necessary moving between the registers and no change in
timbre from end to end. Backun products have helped tremendously in this
area on french clarinets, but IMHO there has never been a break problem on
a Wurlitzer. They are expensive, yes, but you are truly getting your
money's worth with them. Their reformed Boehm is a very nice instrument
(@-----. I played the reform
with my new wooden Lomax mouthpiece and the Bois ring ligature. The sound
was crystal clear and very powerful. Even Audrey Travis was impressed with
them (and that is saying something because she thinks she doesn't play well
enough to deserve an instrument that expensive - she had a hard time
justifying the purchase of a new and better mouthpiece, which I am pretty
certain has made a big difference in her ability to execute). She was most
impressed with the Wurlitzer. I have a friend who plays a Wurlitzer
reformed Eb clarinet. He has let me play it and it is spectacular. It
does require a Wurlitzer mouthpiece, but I could play all the way up to C
above high C with no difficulty (at pitch). I am lucky to make it to G
above the staff on my Backun-ed Buffet-R13 Eb, which is absolutely the best
clarinet I own. My old (1968) Buffet set of clarinets was thought to be
blown out, but I have since found out that with proper reconstruction they
can play better than when they were new. They are also better than anything
currently new on the market. But they can't compare to the Wurlitzers.

As for Schmidl's playing, technically he is wonderful, but he lacks any
trace of nuance in all of the recordings I have of him. He also sounds
flat when making the leap to the altissimo much of the time. But if I
could play as well as he does, I sure wouldn't complain about it.

I don't get to spend much time here anymore. I am so busy playing - I won
a seat in a flute choir (be nice) and have been playing a lot of clarinet
in the opera orchestra this year (Tosca). I miss all of the discussions
and especially the warring. I do read the list every day though and so, am
maintaining connection to the list. I hope everyone had a great holiday
and may the new year bring you all great playing opportunities.

Nancy

Nancy Buckman
Principal Clarinet / Orchestra AACC
eefer@-----.net

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