Klarinet Archive - Posting 000646.txt from 2006/03

From: Laurence Beckhardt <lbeckhardt@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Clarinet Fest at Eldridge Street Synagogue, April 5
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 10:51:51 -0500

Article from the Jewish Week:

(Reed-ing Is Fundamental)
http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=12240

Reed-ing Is Fundamental
It is a long, black cylinder with shiny silver keys
and a reed at one end, and it’s been around since
Johann Christoph Denner looked at a chalumeau and
thought, “Hey, I bet I can make something that sounds
and looks better than a wheat stalk with a bunch of
holes cut into it.” And early in the 18th century,
Denner did exactly that, turning the chalumeau — that
wheat stalk that had been a shepherd’s and children’s
instrument — into something sleeker and altogether
more appropriate for serious music: the clarinet.

Of course, it fell to guys like Johnny Dodds, Omer
Simeon and Sidney Bechet to make the clarinet swing,
to Dave Tarras, Naftule Brandwein and Shloimke
Beckerman to make it sing in Yiddish. And to the folks
at the Eldridge Street Synagogue to bring together a
handful of world-class clarinetists to remind us of
the many kinds of music that draw upon the throaty
voice of the clarinet for soul.

“Clarinet Fest!” which takes place on Wednesday, April
5, will showcase four of the many ethnic musics that
rely on the clarinet, with virtuoso players Debra
Kreisberg (German “oompah’), Paul Corn (Italian
processional), Lefteris Bournais (Greek traditional)
and Greg Wall (klezmer) providing prime examples.

Wall, who is probably best known as one of the leaders
of Hasidic New Wave, started playing clarinet in
college.

“I was a student at the New England Conservatory of
Music, and I auditioned for a job playing with the
American Repertory Theatre orchestra, based at
Harvard,” Wall recalled in an e-mail interview last
week. “I played sax and flute, and when they asked if
I played clarinet lied and said it was in the shop. I
didn’t own one, and I didn’t think I’d get the
position anyway.”

Of course, he did. So he immediately went out, bought
a clarinet and “practiced like crazy for two weeks.”

When the job began, Wall realized that his parts were
almost entirely written for sax. But a love affair had
begun between musician and clarinet. Wall joined a
traditional jazz band at the conservatory and started
studying Dodds, Simeon, Bechet, Johnny Noone, Buster
Bailey and Barney Bigard, eventually moving on to the
big three of klezmer clarinet: Tarras, Brandwein and
Beckerman.

What is it about clarinet that appeals to Wall?

“I like the woodiness,” he wrote. “I like the ability
to use speech inflections, and the ease of speed and
ornamentation. Saxophone is about power and majesty.
Clarinet is comfortable anywhere, with a huge range of
expression.”

Ironically, he pointed out, it is exactly that
strength that is the instrument’s weakness, too.

“[On clarinet] you are not forced to adopt any
particular perspective,” Wall explained. “Sax is much
more limited, so you are forced to come up with your
own voice.”

Wall has done that on all his instruments. He’s become
one of those formidable soloists who is instantly
recognizable on flute, tenor, soprano or — of course —
clarinet.

When asked what he will be playing at the Clarinet
Fest, he replied, “I’ll be representing the Jewish
clarinet tradition, from ancient to future. Is that
enticingly vague enough?”

Vague? Perhaps.

Enticing? Definitely. n

“Clarinet Fest!” will take place on Wednesday, April 5
at 7 p.m. at Eldridge Street Synagogue (12 Eldridge
St.). For information, call (212) 219-0888, Ext. 302,
or go to www.eldridgestreet.org.

Dear Reader,

The article appearing above was sent to you because of
your interest in this subject. This article and
dozens of other news and feature stories appear on
www.thejewishweek.com and in the weekly print edition
of our newspaper, The New York Jewish Week.
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Thanks for your interest and if you have any comments
about The Jewish Week, please let us know by emailing
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The Jewish Week

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