Klarinet Archive - Posting 000141.txt from 2005/03

From: Elgenubi@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Re: German Sound
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 16:38:58 -0500

Some good discussion here. I always appreciate Dan's comments and I have
read some interesting responses. I think Joseph Wakeling helped clarify some of
the question in saying things like: Obviously no one is denying that clarinet
players make a clarinet-like sound first and foremost. The argument is over
whether there are notable biases in what is heard that are consistent according
to some characteristic (like the design of clarinet being used or the
nationality of the player or whatever else you want to look at).

But what is the point of this argument? I think it is this. If you ask 1000
18-year-old clarinet students what kind of sound they aim for, I bet many
would say 'dark' or 'bright' or 'German' or something else. (And many would say
that the clarinet brand or ligature or something was most important in
realizing the sound.) I think Dan Leeson and most of the rest of us would agree that
any of those are undefinable or useless goals; that these young people
deserve better teaching; that they need to be exposed to more careful language.
These sloppy undefined expressions apparently drive Dan crazy. He is right to
campaign so vigorously.

But I think something is going on. There are different sounds, and clarinet
acoustics, and cultural differences, and playing styles, though I can't right
now define technically what the differences consist of. This is a rich area
for discussion. At times it seems to me, Dan, that you are saying that none of
these differences exist, though I know that you will gladly discuss the
existence of any of them in detail.
Forest Aten just wrote, "Are we talking about producing the "pure" sound,
associated with a sustained tone and then linking it to a "national" way of
playing...or is it that we listen to the "way a player sounds" when performing (a
lot more complex) and then can identify cultural things (as in language) that
have effect on the way a particular player "sounds"? (and then link that
players "way" with a "school" of performance...and then too casually use the words
"sounds like")

Good. Everyone define your terms carefully and keep discussing. If the
concept of German Sound evaporates under inspection, good for us. Or is there
something there?

Wayne Thompson

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