Klarinet Archive - Posting 000309.txt from 2005/06
From: "Keith" <100012.1302@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Trouble in River City
Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2005 07:06:16 -0400
I can't say I fully agree with Dan about using basset clarinets as routine
instruments. As he knows, I have a nice Steve Fox lower basset joint for my
A clarinet (Leblanc Concerto), which is an inexpensive and high quality way
to go. And I perform K581 on it, third time this year coming up shortly. But
I do not use it for regular orchestral playing. The reason is simply that it
is significantly heavier. I need a neck strap and chest support while
playing it, which I just do not want to bother with for routine playing. Now
I find that even the Buffet Greenline, an otherwise superb clarinet, is
heavier enough that I don't find it as comfortable as other Buffets or
Leblancs. I did play K581 on the basset clt for an audition for Colin
Touchin's new Spires Philharmonic of Coventry recently - Colin, that was the
first time I had played it standing up! And I picked a piece on bass
clarinet that needed the lowest notes. Glad I didn't have to stand up for
that.
There's a subsidiary reason, which is that the little fingers (those
pinkies) do need to be more accurate on the basset because there is more
stuff down there. There is more risk of touching the wrong one. Probably
this would go away if one used it 100%.
I don't yet have a basset clarinet in Bb... Parto Parto is very fine to play
but I am still waiting for the call from Covent Garden .... Yes it was a
dream to own a fine basset horn and basset clarinet, which I held for
fifteen years before I could afford them. I never pretended that I had to
have it or that it was justifiable as anything other than pure indulgence.
But by golly it is life enhancing!
Now let me hoist Dan by his own petard, because it is such fun. He states
that there is a better sound on the low "regular" clarinet notes if the
basset extension is there. True. But he has now and then been noted to
insist that we play music on the clarinet for which it was written. Apart
from the K622 and K581 and a reconstructed (serves him right) concerto by
Sussmayr, virtually all the clarinet literature has been written for a
clarinet that is not basset. So the composers clearly had in mind the sounds
of the regular clarinet .... No?
And actually I should like to insist that orchestras should play works on
the types of instruments for which they were written, in particular basset
horns and basset clarinets and low C bass clarinets, and at the same time
strongly discourage professionals from buying such instruments. Steve is
right, it is not justifiable economically, and a complete waste of their
money. They don't have to have one. Forget it.
The orchestras can manage perfectly well by hiring me instead. And Matthew
Lloyd and a few other dreamers from this list.
I proudly sign myself for the first time as
Keith Bowen
2nd/bass clarinet
and whenever possible bassethorn ... I hope we do the Mozart Requiem soon,
or wot about the Alpine Symphony, hint hint
Spires Philharmonic Orchestra
Coventry
> From: Steve White [mailto:bass.clarinet@-----.net]
> Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 7:45 PM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: RE: [kl]
>
> 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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