Klarinet Archive - Posting 000402.txt from 2004/08

From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] K. 581 performance practice
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 16:28:14 -0400

- The clarinetist you referred to is almost certainly John
Denman, of whom I am
a "grand-student" (my current teacher studied with him). He
passed away either
before I moved to Tucson, or at least before I'd taken the
clarinet up again,
so I did not have the opportunity to meet him.

Yes, it was John Denman and I knew him well. I was a frequent
lecturer at U of A (I lived in Tucson and taught mathematics at
the U of A in 1954-1956) and would often see Jerry Kirkbride's
predecessors including Sam Fain and John. John and I got to be
good friends and I supported him during the problems he had with
the Administration of the U. of A. If I am correct, he got a
substantial settlement, and partly because of my involvement with
the matter.

He could not understand why anyone would want to improvise in the
Mozart repertoire saying, "The Music Doesn't Need It," to which I
would invariably contradict him saying that "The Music Needs It
Because It Was Written To Encourage Improvisation."

When I lived in Tucson, I was bass clarinetist with the Tucson
Symphony. Played a lot in that town. Loved it.

Dan Leeson

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