 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: n_hanson12
Date: 2003-05-25 00:31
I was wanting to find some really good clarinet players to listen to, but my efforts are leading me nowhere. Do you know of any person or group that is definately worth listening to? And where can I find their music?
Thanks
~Nicki
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Author: Benny
Date: 2003-05-25 00:33
Get some Robert Marcellus recordings. If you want to listen to jazz, get some Benny Goodman, and try some Naftule Brandwein for klezmer.
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Author: Rick Williams
Date: 2003-05-25 02:34
Hi:
Here 9s my short list.
Anything with Robert Marcellus. He played with the Cleveland Symphony and his Mozart Concerto K622 is one of the standards. Searching on Marcellus and K622 on Amazon should find it.
Any number of recordings of Benny Goodman.
There is a CD called Romanza: The Art of the Clarinet. Several top European player on it and well worth listening to. The Poulenc 2nd is superb!
Eddie Daniels 5 Seasons is another top contender.
Any recordings with Daniel Bonade
Larry Combs with the Chicago Symphony is considered by many to be one of the best orchestral players around so any recordings by the CS, would be worth listening to, particularly Beethoven Symphonies.
Best
RW
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Author: David
Date: 2003-05-25 23:47
George Pieterson on the Mighty Wurlitzer. He is just completely on it , for sound and musicality.
For chamber music, the Netherlands Wind Ensemble. Look for Mr P on the cast list. Utterly stunning.
I've always liked Gervaise de Peyer, too.
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Author: javier garcia m
Date: 2003-05-26 11:30
I love the playing style, sound and musicality of Karl Leister, german soloist.
I have the Mozart Concerto, the Brahms quintet and Weber Nº1 concerto.
also, he plays on the Vienna-Berlin woodwind quintet.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-05-26 11:51
KARL LEISTER (all recordings of)
Alfred Prinz Mozart Concerto
Walter Boeykens Schubert Octet
Harold Wright Boston Symphony recordings(try the Sibelius Symphonies on Philips with Davis)
Robert marcellus
Artie Shaw
Don Byron
Thea King
Gevase dePeyer
Luigi magistelli
Deiter Klocker
Martin Frost
david Campbell
David Glazer
Sabina and Wofgang Meyer
William O. Smith
David Dow
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Author: BARRY
Date: 2003-05-26 12:35
wHAT ABOUT MY fRENCH FAVOURITES/
Michel Arrignon (few disks)
Paul Meyer (many, many)
Pascal Mouragues
Philippe Cuyper
??
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-05-26 17:04
Don't forget Pete Fountain for jazz.
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: rbell96
Date: 2003-05-26 17:22
I agree with David Dow. I think David Campbell is a wonderful clarinet player. His recording of the Mozart K622 is available on the Regis label.
I have heard him play many times and he is always top notch.
I also like:
Robert Plane
Ronald van Spaendonck
Louis Cahuzac
John McCaw
Stanley Drucker
Walter Boeykens
Jack Brymer
Reginald Kell
Antony Pay
Michael Collins
Gervase de Peyer
Regards,
Rob
Post Edited (2003-05-26 19:01)
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-05-26 20:13
Definately Benny Goodman for jazz! I prefer his earlier stuff . . . Anything from the beginning through his Sextet days is usually good. Once you get past that, sometimes he's great, sometimes he's on autopilot, although there were some excellent live recordings he did in the 60's or 70's . . . I forget what concert it was, though.
And if you want to hear a nice, smooth gliss, listen to anything by Artie Shaw because he used them over and over and over and . . . (but he was really good at them)
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Author: cyso_clarinetist
Date: 2003-05-26 21:51
I really feel there are only a few players that stand out as exceptional in what I think the clarinet should sound like.
(in no particular order):
Jon Manasse
Larry Combs
Sabine Meyer
Michele Zukovsky
Karl Liester
Robert Marcellus
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Author: javier garcia m
Date: 2003-05-26 21:59
I would like to add Luis Rossi (also clarinet maker). I've heard him on lived performance, a gifted artist with a very personal sound, superb technique and musicality.
I think some of his CD are available at WW&BW
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Author: William
Date: 2003-05-26 22:30
One of my favorite's is John Bruce-Yeh, Associate Prinical Clarinetist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has a number of great CD's "out there" which include an astounding performance of the Nielson.
For jazz, there is none better than Milwaukee's Chuck Hedges.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2003-05-27 08:52
cyso_clarinetist wrote: "I really feel there are only a few players that stand out as exceptional in what I think the clarinet should sound like."
Wow, you've got conservative taste!
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-05-27 23:20
clarinetgiggirl wrote: "What about Sidney Bechet for Jazz as a contrast to Benny Goodman?"
Personally, I have trouble telling the difference between when he's on sax vs. clarinet half the time, and his vibrato is a little too wide for my taste, but still, he was a good (not to mention dominant) soloist, and yes, he provides a contrast to almost any swing-era clarinetist!
Other clarinetists w/ perhaps even more unorthodox styles include Frank Teschmacher and Pee Wee Russell.
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Author: CPW
Date: 2003-05-27 23:56
Ricardo Morales Met opera and soon to be Philly Orch.
Michael Rusinek (Pittsburgh symphony)
Burt Hara
Sabine Meyer
Gigliotti
Wright (late Boston Symph)
Gino Cioffi (also BSO)
and of course......Mr. Aker Bilk (here we go again)
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-05-28 00:34
Ah, yes . . . Mr. Acker Bilk - possibly the world's finest example of what not to sound like. My teacher actually made a CD at one point of various clarinet features, and she put "Stranger on the Shore" as the first track and tells her students, "This is what you sound like when you first start playing . . ." and then there's a track of a well-recognized clarinetist with GOOD tone (I forget who, though), and she says, " . . . and this is hopefully what you'll sound like after you've been taking lessons for a while!" ![[happy]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley12.gif)
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Author: dfh
Date: 2003-05-28 02:38
I have to add two more, one of which I know almost nothing about:
Barney Bigard (on "The Great Summit" with Louis. A. and Ellington - it's FANTASTIC!) I'm going to do a separate post on him in a sec.
And David Krakauer for Klezmer - live if possible - you just won't believe that he can make a bass clarinet do the things that it does when it's in his hands!! If you ever get a chance to hear him play classical, take it - he can do it all. (he loves Sidney Bichet by the way)
And Pete Fountain - I had no idea he had (at least) two VERY distinct styles. Personally, I prefer the pure Dixie land stuff.
It's fun to read everyone's favorites!
Happy Listening!
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-05-29 19:27
Among the prominent European schooled I like
Pascal Moragues
Phillipe Cuper
Robert Fontaine
Guy Dangain
Guy Deplus
Alessandro Carbonare
Walter Boeykens
Thomas freidl
George Peterson
Frank Van der Brink
Harry Sparnay
Luigi Magistrelli
Ernst Ottensamer
David Dow
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2003-05-29 22:48
What I feel is a good sample of clarinet music out there:
Robert Marcellus playing Mozart concerto
Alessandro Carbonare playing Mozart and Brahms quintet
Harold Wright playing Brahms sonatas
Paul Meyer playing French Clarinet Art (saint saens, debussy, honegger, milhaud,...)
Karl Leister playing Spohr concerti
Eduard Brunner playing Dal Niente (CD with a bunch of 20th century music solo pieces)
Walter Boeykens playing Messian quartet for the end of the time
Chicago Symphony Orchestra recordings with Larry Combs for the german repertoire.
Montreal Symphony Orchestra recordings for the french repertoire.
There are of course many many other recordings out there and many many very good clarinet players. This is just a small sample of what I really like.
Enjoy,
-S
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: cyso_clarinetist
Date: 2003-05-30 04:23
If you want a good laugh, listen to paul meyer's debussy.. The tempos are about as far away from music as you can get and!!! He plays the typos as written at the end of the piece. Great work!
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Author: 68fordfalcon
Date: 2003-05-30 16:44
I love all the recordings and players mentioned so far. How about Mitchell Lurie? His recording of the Brahms and Mozart Quintets with the Muir String Quartet are beautiful.
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Author: Meri
Date: 2003-05-30 18:27
My picks:
Sabine Meyer (especially Clarinet Connection)
Kalman Berkes
Ken Peplowski (jazz)
Robert Plane
Claude Faucomprez
James Campbell
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2003-05-30 21:02
cyso_clarinetist wrote: "If you want a good laugh, listen to paul meyer's debussy.. The tempos are about as far away from music as you can get and!!! He plays the typos as written at the end of the piece. Great work!"
The "typos" are still a matter of debate. They appear as Paul Meyer plays them in Debussy's manuscript.
I can't wait for your own recording of the Rhapsody to see how "far away from music" your playing is.
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Author: lyn
Date: 2003-05-30 21:23
Harold Wright
Michael Collins (if you like the English tone)
Harold Wright
Burt Hara
Harold Wright
and
Did I mention
Harold Wright?
lyn
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Author: RM
Date: 2003-05-31 06:02
I second liqourice's comment. I've been noticing some of your comments, cyso clarinetist, and think you should tone it down a bit. Paul Meyer is one of the most successful clarinetists in the world, we should give him some respect. He does take the tempi a bit different, but isn't that what music is all about, interpretation? You have your right to your opinion, but doesn't cyso stand for Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, meaning you are in High School? Until you are older and have some more musical and life experience, I would hold off on some of your very opinionated comments. Whats the old saying, you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? I highly doubt it. We were all just like you at that age, and if I had the chance to do it again, I would, and I would keep my mouth shut!
Anyways, my favorite clarinetists are
David Shifrin
Frank Cohen
Richard Hosford
Robert Hill (London Philharmonic)
Ted Oien
Andrew Marriner
Emma Johnson
Robert Marcellus
Jack Brymer
My least favorite, (hey, everyone is entitled to their opinion, right)
Burt Hara
Harold Wright
Stanley Drucker
Larry Combs
Anthony Gilgliotti
and the list goes on...
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Author: Andy
Date: 2003-05-31 12:25
Here we go (in no order):
Andrew Marriner (Finzi Concerto, Mozart Concerto and Quintet, Weber Concerto's and Bernstein Prelude Fugue and Riffs to start it all off)
Michael Collins (Finzi Concerto, Bax Sonata, Trio disk, Mozart and Brahms Quintets etc)
Paul Dean (Ariels Music, Brahms Quintet)
Robert Hill (seems to be very underrated on this BB in my oppinion)
Sabine Meyer (Many many CD's that I like)
Alan Vivian (wind quintet playing that is sublime)
Jack McCaw (Nielsen Concerto, is there any better recording???)
Harold Wright (his Respighi disk is wonderful, the rest of his catalogue has never really grabed me, but then my taste isn't so American as many on this BB)
Stoltzman (Copland!!!! It makes me drool)
Chuck Hedges for a bit of jazz
(Bryn Terfel, Susan Graham, Fischer-disk, Callas, Yuri Bashmet and bernstein conducting the Mahler symphonies are also really worth listening to as they are wonderful and can also help give insight into tone production and variation of tone colour)
I'll follow up on my least liked performers, again in no specific order and as the previous post says, we are all entitled to our opinions:
Robert Marcellus
Jack Brymer (though I have enormous respect for the work these two performers did and the recordings they made, I personally wouldn't choose to listen to them for anything but a historical purpose)
The mighty Acker (really....)
Might I conclude by saying that altough I enjoy all of the above mentioned performances, I find the most emotionally satisfying ones are the performances I have just done as they are from MY heart and not someone elses. I know that in comparison to everybody I mentioned my clarinet playing doesn't rate a mention, and most likely never will, but at least what I do is from me, not someone else and really isn't that why we play....)
Cheers,
Andy
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-31 13:38
Sidney Bechet was a great clarinetist even when he played sop.sax.
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Author: Lisa_UK
Date: 2003-06-01 08:59
Benni wrote:
"Ah, yes . . . Mr. Acker Bilk - possibly the world's finest example of what not to sound like. My teacher actually made a CD at one point of various clarinet features, and she put "Stranger on the Shore" as the first track and tells her students, "This is what you sound like when you first start playing . . ." "
Benni, I remember my music teacher telling me the exact same thing when I was about 7, and I've remembered it ever since. He went one step further though, and told me if he ever caught me sounding like Acker Bilk, he'd ram my clarinet where the sun didn't shine. Best advice I ever had
I'm fairly inexperienced as to what artists to listen to, but I did hear a young lady called Sarah Williamson performing at the Young Musician of the Year finals a couple of years back - she was absolutely awesome. In fact, it was her performance that inspired me to take up the clarinet again after a significant break.
I'm not sure if she's made any recordings though, but it might be worth looking into.
Lisa
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Author: abrogard
Date: 2003-06-01 12:46
Before you knock Acker you've got to define 'really good' and I put it to you that's not easy to do.
Is it mechanical technical competence?
Is it the subjective satisfaction the player gets?
Is it the objective satisfaction the audience gets?
Is it a certain sound?
I think in the real world Acker doesn't think of himself as the greatest clarinettist - but he probably made more people happy with his clarinet sound for a few years there than anyone else....
Pete Fountain maybe did think he was the greatest, I don't know, but he gave it up, didn't he, out of boredom - 'been there, done that' - so how great is that?
I'm saying that once you get past the Mrs Millers (like me) judgements about 'great' are largely subjective. Fashions change. Tastes change. En masse and for individuals.
Nicke has to judge for herself. If she likes Acker that ought to be cool.
Anyone tried to ram my clarinet where the sun didn't shine just because I sounded like Acker would soon learn to sing a few new tunes, I'll tell you.
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Author: Ted
Date: 2003-06-01 14:41
I don't want to repeat many of the names already mentioned. Here are a few that deserve to be heard. Each was/is a suberb artist that brought/brings the clarinet to it's peak in their own styles.
Jacques Lancelot
Dave Webber
Edmund Hall
Eric Dolphy (bass clarinet)
Anthony Braxton (contra bass)
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-06-02 03:51
Gervase dePeyer in his terrific Brahms record of the Quintet with Melos!!!
David Dow
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Author: graham
Date: 2003-06-02 12:59
Listen for variety to:
Alan Hacker's Brahms Sonatas:- raw gutsy tone and musicality
Dieter Klocker in, say, the Schubert Octet: pungent engaging sound and committed musicality
Charles Draper in Mozart Quintet. Fabulously focused yet opulent sound, with a heartbreaking turn of phrase
Reginal Kell in Brahms Quintet (1930s version) for searing insight into the musical message
Harold Wright in Shepherd on the Rock
Sabine Meyer in anything that shows off her wonderful tone.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2003-06-03 06:46
Acker Bilk represents a dichotomy that drives me crazy as a teacher. Like most of us here, I would not want any of my students to sound like him--at least in the vibrato department. But it should be recognized that he does enjoy some popularity, and serves as a reminder to us that while we strive for the elusive 'dark' sound, it turns out the the public actually seems happier with reedier sounds.
The other bit of irony that gets me is that Mr. Bilk has recorded a lot of simple songs that people could play by ear at fairly early stages. It's difficult to find other clarinet recordings where this is the case, but I live in fear of students developing a vibrato that sounds like a washing machine with an off-balance load.
I would give my right arm for a CD of easy listening, non-virtuoso, clarinet playing that my younger guys could sink their teeth into and even successfully imitate.
Allen Cole
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-06-03 16:19
Interesting, too, that they chose Acker Bilk's famous recording of "Stranger on the Shore" as the song the clarinetist finally learns in Mr. Holland's Opus . . . I just sat there thinking to myself, "Well, at least she gained confidence . . ." 
Speaking of vibrato, Benny Goodman's is my favorite, yet one of the hardest to imitate!
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-06-03 16:47
"Like most of us here, I would not want any of my students to sound like him--at least in the vibrato department. But it should be recognized that he does enjoy some popularity, and serves as a reminder to us that while we strive for the elusive 'dark' sound, it turns out the the public actually seems happier with reedier sounds."
1. Do most of us dislike Mr.Acker Bilk? I think not.
2. He enjoys(ed) more than some popularity.
3. Do we all strive for the dark sound? And what's so great about it?
4. Does the public like reedier sounds? Who says so?
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-06-03 17:04
BobD wrote:
> 1. Do most of us dislike Mr.Acker Bilk? I think not.
We will not have another "Acker Bilk" discussion here - we've had enough.
He does what he does and is familiar to (and perhaps loved by) millions of people; however, his tone is so far from the "norm" that comparisons to anything don't lead to anything constructive.
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Author: larryb
Date: 2003-06-03 21:00
johnny dodds, especially when playing with Louis Armstrong - then you can ingnore dodds and just groove on pops
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Author: abrogard
Date: 2003-06-04 01:50
I think this has been an interesting, informative AND constructive discussion thus far.
I can't see that discussing and comparing that which is far from the norm can't lead to anything constructive. Quite the opposite I would have thought. It is the search for and study of anomalies that drives most research and innovation.
I like Mr Allencole's posting about the indubitable popularity and - of equal or even more interest - the dearth of a certain kind of recording.
There's quite obviously a need being filled here, a dual need, one of which Allencole himself recognises and is willing to sacrifice his right arm for (as long as the sound is a little different - a little less acceptable to the mass, shall we say)
But, my friend, why don't YOU fill the need? Why don't you make the recordings?
Easy as pie nowadays with computers and cd burners. If this is any problem to you I, and thousands of others, would be happy to help.
:)
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Author: ned
Date: 2003-06-04 22:48
May I ask, how is a "normal" tone actually defined?
Seems Acker Bilk has come in for a bit of a hiding here lately. Does the clarinet have to have a particular "sound" or are all people free to play it as they feel?
Is there some sort of bias against self taught players who may have a broad tone and employ wide vibrato when compared to legit players?
I am not a particular fan of AB anymore, but he does have his place, he plays sweetly and in tune, so what more is required of a clarinet player to be "accepted"?
By the way Nikki, check out some New Orleans players like, J Dodds, A Nicholas, S Bechet, J Noone, G Lewis.........and the list goes on............I've said it all before actually.
I wonder if any of the above mentioned would pass the "normal" test?
JK
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Author: abrogard
Date: 2003-06-05 00:20
Ah, yes... Australia... there's a really good jazz clarinettist in Australia been playing for many years... his name escapes me at the moment... anyone know? I don't think it has been mentioned so far... And what a wonderful country...
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