Klarinet Archive - Posting 000299.txt from 2005/06

From: "Steve White" <bass.clarinet@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Trouble in River City
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 20:47:09 -0400

A truly multi-faceted issue that has its roots in personal economic concerns.
(Interesting bait, Dan)

It is agreeable, to most clarinetists, that to play in an orchestra you are
eventually going to need an A clarinet. How often does the professional
clarinetist play the pieces that require a basset clarinet? Or, more pointedly,
how often is she/he paid to play these pieces. This, in and of itself, tempers
the "requirement" of having one. Cost justification is just as big an issue
with customers as it is with manufacturers. Of course we could push blame to
composers for producing significant amounts of quality material to generate more
of a "requirement" from artistic directors. This is starting to happen with low
C bass clarinets. (albeit exceedingly S-L-O-W-L-Y)

Of course that doesn't mean I don't WANT one. They're beautiful and amazing and
wonderful.....
I can't justify spending that kind of money on one right now - when my A
clarinet will suffice. (and I don't consider myself to be a professional in that
I do not make my primary income from clarinet related pursuits)

Artistic and Music Directors surely love to see these instruments, but they
certainly understand that not everyone has the resources to procure one.

Dreams are infinite - If you can imagine it, it can happen. [Do I want one -
YES!]

Possibilities are tempered by plausibilities - Just because it is possible,
doesn't mean it is likely in any way. [Are they available - YES! - Does that
mean I'm going to get one? No.]

Resources are limited - you can only do what your resources can support.
[Do I have the resources to get one - Maybe.] [Do I really have to have one -
No.]

Although if emotion ruled, I'd have to have at least one of everything.... :)

Of course Dan knows all of this, but I took his bait.

.02 inserted (preparing for Dan's incendiary bomb)

Steve White (Yes, I know I owe you a pizza)

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Leeson [mailto:dnleeson@-----.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 5:13 PM
To: klarinet@-----. org
Subject: [kl] Trouble in River City

Because I am next to the Buffet display, I was generously given every single
item that was given to potential costomers. They are very nice people, and
Francois Kloc was most gracious in his gifts. One of the gifts was a
complete display of the Buffet clarinet products, and ladies and gentlement,
I think we in the clarinet world have screwed up.

The very expensive and very complete brochure showed just about every
combination of soprano clarinets except the basset clarinet. There was also
no basset clarinet in the Buffet display. There were three bass clarinets
in the Buffet display but no basset horns. So I asked Francois about that.

He was very politic and the impression I got was that Buffet is not pressing
the lines of those two products because they are not money winners. They
had D and C clarinets galore, lots of different varieties of E-flat
clarinets, and 5 or 6 different varieties of B-flat and A clarinets.

So what I see in the bleakest sense is that after 200 years the basset
clarinet was reborn in great hopes and the clarinet world has simply ignored
the challenge. While I doubt if these instruments are to be taken out of
the Buffet catalogue of available clarinets in the immediate future, were I
in the management of that company, I would not tolerate a product line that
is not selling. It costs money to keep that product line in the public's
face, even if none are made, and I would simply stop production, have a
bargain basement sale for any still around, and never make another one.

I see the same genearal scenario for the basset horn. Either the public
starts buying them and take them out of the product line.

All things being equal, this time I don't blame the manufacturers, but the
clarinet players for having shown such little interest in the revival of the
basset clarinet and possibly an equal disinterest in basset horns.

That's where the trouble is in River city.

Dan Leeson
dnleeson@-----.net

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