 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-04-01 20:52
The Chicago Symphony, which now owns Wurlitzer clarinets used for German music, has announced that it has purchased additional instruments for use in music of other nationalities. Hereafter, for music of each country, the players will use instruments made in that country.
For English music, they will use Bossey & Hawkes instruments. The orchestra has been fortunate enough to get pre-war 1010s, which, although the intonation is quite unstable, truly match the traditional English style.
For Austrian music, they will use Hammerschmidt Austrian style clarinets, which, like Austrian orchestras, are tuned to A-448. While this may produce problems for some of the other players in the orchestra, the authenticity of the sound makes up for it.
For Italian music, the players will play Amati, Orsi and Patricola instruments (all three being played at the same time) with crystal mouthpieces and the reed on the top.
Hungarian music presents a problem, since no one but Hungarians seem to be able to produce their unique sound. As a compromise, tarogatos will be used.
Russian music is also a problem, since until recently, most players play student-grade instruments, with many leaks. Once again, a compromise has been made, and the orchestra has purchased a number of Regent metal clarinets, half Boehm and half Albert. The Brannens will take the covering off the pads, leaving only the bare felt, and will also provide plastic mouthpieces especially scratched, and 30 year old vintage Rico reeds.
For Czech music, special instruments have been ordered with a czecherboard design engraved on the body. These instruments can only be played out of doors, but once again, the gain in authenticity is well worth it.
Finally, for American music, the symphony has purchased an eclectic mix of U.S.-manufactured instruments. Unfortunately, since no professional quality clarinets are made in America, these instruments will be of student quality. The irregular intonation and extreme sharpness in the high register will, however, match what clarinetists growing up in the U.S. have gotten used to.
"Everyone should support this change," said a Chicago Symphony spokesman. "These clarinets will truly let us bring to our audiences the actual experience that those in other countries are subjected to and have come to expect."
Members of the Chicago Symphony clarinet section could not be reached for comment.
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Author: Henry
Date: 2003-04-01 21:06
Ken: You apparently missed the part of the announcent that says that French music will no longer be performed and that all their Buffets and Leblancs will be put up for auction to pay for the new acquisitions.
Henry
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-04-01 21:20
Hmm- I'm still waiting for the "April Fools" to be shouted........
Bradley
Exclusive Buffet player that firmly believes R13s are the best clarinets out there- especially the newer ones from 1970-on........
(Yeah right!- not even I could believe that lol )
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-04-01 21:20
Ken - have you really finished reading all the books in your library?
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-04-01 21:30
diz -
Not a chance. I have enough to keep me occupied until 4/1/3003.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-04-01 21:38
My Gosh, Ken, can this all be in seriousness? not a BAD April Fool, tongue-in-cheek joke ! ? The pitch of 448, the reed on top, student-quality insts, etc/etc sure make us scratch our heads in disbelief. If it could be true, we'll have to move the CSO from conservative to ultra-liberal!! HELP, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2003-04-01 22:25
I don't get it... Is it an April Fools joke or not?? I'm a bit ditzy sometimes :(
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-04-01 22:46
Aussie Nick wrote:
> I don't get it... Is it an April Fools joke or not?? I'm a bit
> ditzy sometimes :(
Sometimes? ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-04-01 22:52
Haha......you really had me going for a bit until the checkerboard thing.
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Author: CPW
Date: 2003-04-01 22:53
Almost had me there...until I realized Amati is Czech
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Author: Chris Zello
Date: 2003-04-02 12:46
I certainly hope that we will be blessed with the sound of a C.G. Conn double walled metal clarinet for at least some American music. You know the silver bodied instruments with the gold plated keys, like the "Wonder" model had.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-04-02 13:48
Even though it's April 2 now, I wanted to add that Icelandic music will be played on matched sets of instruments melted out from a single block of 20,000 year old glacier ice. The mouthpieces will be carved from walrus ivory, and reeds will be of dried seal skin. It's rumored that there was a disaster with the prototype when Larry Combs tried a few hot licks....
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-04-02 13:50
No mention of Turkish music?
At a WOMAD performance I became very impressed with the style of music and the G-clarinet.
However their locally made clarinets put to shame the attempts by the rest of world to produce junk!
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-04-02 15:23
Ken - Mucho Vunderbahr, wish I could think of that many problem-situations. Regards, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-04-02 15:33
Chris Zello wrote: "I certainly hope that we will be blessed with the sound of a C.G. Conn double walled metal clarinet for at least some American music. You know the silver bodied instruments with the gold plated keys, like the "Wonder" model had."
To the contrary, Chris, I would instead urge the use of the C. G. Conn laminated "Pan American" model, which I believe to be the only plywood Clarinet ever put into production. Imagine the audience's delight when treated to a performance of Charles Ives music during which at least one instrument falls completely apart. This would likely go over especially well with "Decoration Day," wouldn't you think?
I have taken this thread to heart. As an afficionado of Brazilian jazz, I have contacted my correspondent in São Paulo to determine availability of a Brazilian Clarinet. Authenticity forever.
Regards,
John
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-04-02 20:09
John -
I had forgotten about the delaminating "propeller wood" models. Obviously, the ideal model for these purposes. We should work those red-pad Indian Army models in too.
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Author: William
Date: 2003-04-02 22:00
Someone has been spending too much time blowing long tones again.
(LOL)
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-04-02 23:48
Ken Shaw wrote, among other keen stuff:
"We should work those red-pad Indian Army models in too."
Are you sure, Ken. Don't you think those instruments may be too valuable for anything so mundane as actually trying to play them? Right now I'm looking for one myself, an Eb to make a matching table lamp smaller than the other one.
Regards,
John
who reminds you, an unemployed jester is nobody's fool
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Author: Carmen
Date: 2003-04-03 00:08
Perhaps either Mr. Combs or Mr. Smith could stop by and give their thoughts on this latest announcement ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
***...so do all who seen such times, but that is not for them to decide. All you can do is decide what to do with the time that is given to you.***
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Author: donald
Date: 2003-04-03 10:19
it's now way past 1/4 but you americans have to remember that you are actually a day behind us "down under", so when "Aussie Nick" read the post he probably wasn't in "April fool" mode as it was 2/4 for us.
meanwhile- i take it that we can assume that the lack of French instruments means that the CSO will no longer be playing french music as a way of political protest to the French (threatened) use of the security council veto. That SOUNDS like an april fool joke.
meanwhile- good one Ken Shaw.
donald
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Author: Tim P
Date: 2003-04-03 14:26
Hey donald
Good point. Also, to show how the world has trouble communicating:
I had to read your first statement several time. We'all up here would perfer to say 4/1 instead of 1/4 and 4/2 instead of 2/4. I kept read 1/4 as one quarter.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-04-03 14:30
Gosh Sakes, Mz Agnes, I didn't realize that April-Foolishness could last this long, with such vunderbahr contributions, I partic. like JMcA's quip re: the unemployed Jester, wish I could have "generated" it. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: donald
Date: 2003-04-04 02:25
virtually every single country in the world puts the day first and the month second, an extreemly useful thing to know.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-04-04 02:27
donald wrote:
> virtually every single country in the world puts the day first
> and the month second, an extreemly useful thing to know.
Eh??? I guess many of my European friends and the ISO must be wrong, then ...
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-04-04 02:48
That's only every *single* country, not those that are betrothed or married.
Regards,
John
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Author: donald
Date: 2003-04-04 20:06
i'd be pretty sure your european friends are doing it the "wrong way around" to be nice to you as i've had this conversation with Germans, French, English and Hungarian people...(maybe they were being nice to ME???). i think there's a few asian countries that do it the american way as they "went english" after WW2 when the US influence was big in that part of the world. Which way around you have the date doesn't really matter- just get rid of that stupid imperial measuring system.
but lets not make a big deal out of this- Kens original post was a good joke
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