Klarinet Archive - Posting 000329.txt from 2005/01

From: "John D. Stackpole" <jstackpo@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Ligatures--Important?
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 17:31:48 -0500

This bit of showmanship works in reverse quite well, too.

Some years ago, in my salad days, I attempted to play in public at an
office party with my co-workers. I was totally unready to do so (but
didn't realize it at all) and it was all a complete flop. I was
kidded about it (and rightfully so) for some time after.

A year later, I was asked to MC the same office party - I had no
problem talking and introducing people, anyway.... As I stood, at a
little lectern, and introduced each person I slowly, and quite
publicly, assembled the clarinet, a little at a time. About half way
thru the office party program, the clarinet was all assembled; I
started sucking on a reed, and introduced another person, and sat
down, of course.

Then as I introduced the next person on the program, I started,
equally slowly, to disassemble the clarinet, not having played a note,
of course. As you can guess, I timed it so the last introduction
coincided with the last part going in the case and it was snapped
shut.

I got a tremendous round of applause. Try it, you'll like it!

JDS

----- Original Message -----
From: "Shaw, Kenneth R." <krshaw@-----.com>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 3:13 PM
Subject: Re: [kl] Ligatures--Important?

The story is about Simon Hermstedt, for whom Spohr wrote his
concertos.
He also gave the premiere of Weber's Grand Duo, which, was, as I
recall,
dedicated to him rather than Baermann. He was one of the great
technicians (even Baermann was in awe of him), who improved the
instrument. (It was said to be "covered with keys.") His tone and
musicality were said to be inferior to Baermann, though apparently
this
improved as he got older.

I'm not sure where I read this -- on a record jacket cover, in Rendall
or Baines, or in the old series of The Clarinet. He would walk out on
stage without a clarinet, dressed in a long coat with many pockets.
He
would nod to the conductor to start the concerto introduction, and, as
it went along, pull one part of the instrument from each pocket and
put
them together. As his entrance approached, he would put the reed on
the
mouthpiece, wrap the string around it in a blur and bring the
mouthpiece
to his lips exactly on his entrance.

Ah, they were true showmen on those days.

Ken Shaw

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