Klarinet Archive - Posting 000118.txt from 2006/01

From: Tony Pay <tony.p@-----.org>
Subj: RE: [kl] Mouthpiece selection
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 22:51:15 -0500

On 16 Jan, "Keith" <bowenk@-----.com> wrote:

> I have just had the pleasurable experience of selecting new mouthpieces at
> Walter Grabner's workshop/home. I did veer away from the "unstable flight"
> analogy that Tony draws, though I do not deny its validity for people who
> play much more than I.
>
> However though the argument (that a less controllable mouthpiece may be the
> best choice for a highly skilled player) may be true, the flight analogy is
> but an analogy not a proof.

I didn't mean to say that a less controllable mouthpiece was the best choice.
Obviously you want it to be controllable. I rather came about it from the
other direction -- namely, that mouthpieces that are very 'forgiving', and
therefore very 'comfortable' to play, tend to be too unvarying in tone colour
and dynamic response.

I had that experience playing on a Selmer C85 many years ago, I recall. I
had to do a radio performance of Boulez's Domaines, in the full version. The
sound was very homogeneous, and the response very even, which is a relief
when you're doing those sorts of pyrotechnics -- especially Cahier F. But
listening to the tape, I found it lacked character.

Of course, it depends on what you want.

I don't know what you could mean by a 'proof' in what you write above. The
underlying concept that makes the analogy worthwhile is surely very general,
to do with any control system that you want to have a wide range of output
with a fairly constrained input.

As Joe Wakeling says, there's a tradeoff -- an excellent mouthpiece for a
given person makes an optimal tradeoff for that person. (I think I did say
that, Joe, in the post -- something like, "the fact is that there's a
tradeoff in tolerant mouthpieces.")

Anyway, I'm sure you're right about Walter's mouthpieces. When I met him a
few years ago -- a delightful experience for many reasons -- I bought one of
them which I played in several concerts. It worked very well, though I'd
have to try others from his now much expanded range to find the one that was
the best for me -- and I haven't been in Chicago recently.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd tony.p@-----.org
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

... I could be arguing in my spare time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org