Author: Hiroshi
Date: 1999-09-09 01:11
I think Japanese like moderate tonality,European their own way, and American take German or French style or international.
Even in Japan, where clarinet came mainly from Europe,there are two trends,German and French. Kitazume,Honorable Chairman of Japan Clarinet Association,uses Wuritzers with small bore and darker tone and provably with angled wall mouthpiece. Surely,this is optimal to play Brahms or Schuman,but not for Debussy or Rossini. However,Japanese people do not like too much darkness of tone. Typical examples are dark-toned clarinets such as Festival, Elite, and Recital almost dissappeared from professional orchestras. Buffet started to sell R-13s recently in Japan(they sold only RC or RC-Prestige), but I am afraid they may dissapear in the long run.
Japanese symphonic orchestras do not seem to have decided which tonality to take in mind. In other words,Jack-of-all-the-trade-master-of-none kind orchestras.
However,American Symphonic Orchestras seem to know what they would like to become. George Szell Cleveland wanted German definitely. Pitzberg also. Boston, Philadelphia, NY, international. I guess this comes from the fact that although U.S.is a melting pot there are certain people-German, English, or others- started to dwell in certain parts of north America just after pilgrim fathers came around 1630's.
I do not think Harold Wright or Staley Drucker are dull. Charles Neidich seems in fact to try to reach something different: He went to USSR by scolarship. If Japanese orchestras try to take international tonality, Stanley Drucker clarinet,not too dark and not too mellow,may be a good reference.
I recently feel a little frustrated that clarinets tone are too much dependent on the bore size or taper design to make me change tone color. It may be better to revive old straight bore design again.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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