 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-08-15 23:40
I ordered a couple of Jon Manasse's CDs last week and they arrived this week. I may never get my jaw off the floor.
What an incredibly clean sound! It's a clarity and purity that makes you think that you (or even I!) could have with a lot of work and dedication. No vibrato, no excessive mellowness, just pure, glorious clarinet!
And I'm incredibly impressed with his technique. I've never heard anyone make Weber sound so easy. Through the trickiest runs he sounds amazingly relaxed, like he's just taking a brisk little stroll through an obstacle course. Listening to him on the last movement of Weber 1, I think of a kitten playing with a ball of yarn. He takes all the labor out of that piece and infuses it with a playfulness puts a big ol' goofy grin on my face.
His Vol. 2 of Weber (with both concertos and the Concertino) arrived earlier this week and it's been a mainstay on both my home and car CD players. The "Clarinet Music from Three Centuries" arrived today and I haven't had much chance to really listen to it, but on the basis of his Weber work,I'm sold -- Jon Manasse is now my new living favorite
________________
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
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2003-08-16 03:10
Those of us in the NYC area have been listening to Jon's artistry for many years.
Even though he is not yet a household name, he is one of the true clarinet superstars of our generation.
His Weber recordings, in my opinion, are the modern benchmark performances ...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Schwab
Date: 2003-08-16 04:17
I had read that one of the best ways to develop a good tone was to listen to good clarinets players and use their sound as a reference. So, just a few months after I began playing the clarinet again (following a 23 year hiatus), I saw a clarinet CD in one of the local music stores by a no-name label (XLNT) titled "Clarinet Music from Three Centuries" and played by some dude I never heard of before. I figured he had to be respectable since he had a CD featuring his playing, though I must admit that, judging from his picture, he looked no more than a teenager. I had no idea of what I was in for.
Listening to it triggered mixed feelings. For one, I was in awe of Manasse's sound. His playing sounded so sine wave like (many moons ago I used to program sounds for a DX7II that I had midi's to an Atari 1040 running a Steinberg patch editor/ librarian). I had no idea a clarinet could even sound that pure.
The other feeling was one of disgust with myself. I felt as though my tone resembled more that of a bagpipe than what this guy sounded like. It took some exposure to Richard Stolzman, Eddie Daniels, and Pete Fountain (especially Pete Fountain) before I could consider that I wasn't as bad as I thought I was, that it's OK to have a bit of an edge to your sound, and that Manasse's sound was incredibly pure and rare.
Since then I have heard hints of the same sound quality as I listened to others play clarinets made by Buffet. I think there's a sound that Buffets are known for that Manasse is just able to exploit. From what I understand, it's also a sound that a good number of premier players are trying to get away from now. I seemed to have been distracted by a red herring.
So Ralph, I agree. WOW!
Bob "I'm not worthy" Schwab
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-08-16 11:01
Psst... I heard him live, two weeks ago... and he had one piece of advice to the young players I had in tow...(in reference to his full sound)
"I wish I could tell you that there is some magic barrel, or perfect brand of reeds. You could spend years searching for the 'right' mouthpiece. The only thing that works is practicing long tones in a good room, two hours, EVERY day. Sorry."
He looked my teacher in the eye and they exchanged the secret handshake.
Does he play Buffet? Sure.
Is that little ovall cartouche stamped into the sceptre the source of power?
If it works for you, why not?
Me... I'm stretching out my whole note chromatic scales to play 6 legato tones at 56bpm, and aiming to do the same at 48bpm... for stamina.
That, and I eats my spinach.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tim2
Date: 2003-08-18 03:01
I heard Jon Manasse last April. I share your enthusiasm, Ralph G. Jon Manasse is one great clarinetist.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: bobmester
Date: 2003-08-19 15:25
Thanks Ralph. You just cost me 20 bucks. Went to Amazon, listened to samples. You are right. He is great. Thanks for bringing him up on the BBS.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-08-19 15:55
bobmester,
When I discovered Marcellus years ago, I was inspired, but there was such a unique ring and liquidity to his sound that I felt was truly his own and that I could never imitate. It was just his gift. It sometimes made me sad.
Listening to Manasse, though, I'm just as inspired, but now I hear an ideally pure sound that I think I could one day come close to imitating with lots of hard work and practice. That's not a slam against Jon Manasse for having a sound that "any average Joe can have." Instead, it's the end result of perfectly mastering the fundamentals we should all be familiar with. He just does nothing wrong.
Among other things, Jon Manasse has given me a whole new appreciation for my Baermann III book.
You won't regret your purchase!Ã
________________
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
Post Edited (2003-08-19 15:57)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-08-19 15:59
Heard Ricardo Morales last night, too.
Amazing how such brilliant playing can be distinctive.
Each has a definitive turn to phrasing, and what sounds like an effortless approach. That means (of course) that they practice like demons.
More intriguing is that each is genuine and gracious to the public.
(Ricardo played some gorgeous Poulenc, that's for sure.)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-08-20 02:00
Lake Luzerne chamber music festival.
I was the good looking guy in the back, tapping time (more or less).
Nothing like hearing one of the top players, up close and personal.
He had such a smooth, and light approach to the topmost notes.
It seemed like he was singing.
Afterwards, he demurred about his performance, claiming that his flawless playing was not up to what he expected of himself.
I'll gladly pay the long dollar to hear him at my next opportunity.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Clar inet
Date: 2003-08-21 05:51
Mr. Manassee is fantastic. You should hear him now more than ten years later.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ken
Date: 2003-08-21 21:57
Manasse is superb, he’s more widely known in some circles than others; still I’m frankly surprised he isn’t as popular, at least in the west. What I wanted to kindly address are the remarks on “imitating” other players. It troubles me, as I’ve seen dozens of potentially fine instrumentalists with high promise who get caught up in cloning themselves and then forfeit their self-identity and inner source of creativity. We all have our mentors and it’s perfectly natural to adopt others methods and style who we admire and respect. Unfortunately, and more often than not the well-intentioned teacher is the culprit. It takes on many forms; students using recordings as quick-fix interpretations, transcribed solo books, how-to orchestra transcriptions CDs, etc.
Musical individuality, speaking, making a personal statement to the world are key elements to what performing arts are about.... not riding someone else's shirt tails. The mastering of ear training, instinct, fundamentals and most importantly, “self-confidence” should work together as partners in producing the accomplished musician. Yes, listen; use players as positive influences, apply their strengths as a blueprint but never substitute your identity and originality. Considering the months, years, and investment that go into the commitment of a musical instrument, we owe it to ourselves, profession and craft to forge singular paths.
As for duplicating someone else’s tone, it’s impossible. The individual brings their own uniqueness to the instrument and like a fingerprint we all have our own “natural” sound .... and, the more skilful the player the invariable its characteristics become. Eventually, and "in the long term" no practice, equipment combinations, embouchure adjustments or reeds will make a difference. Yes, we can alter tone in the short term, but it is a full circle ... for good or ill, we will always sound like what we sound like. More, it is not only what we cannot change but making certain "what we hear is what is actually coming out". v/r Ken
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Garret
Date: 2003-08-22 02:28
It's my hope Jon Manasse makes many more recordings of all of the great works for clarinet. His recording of the Gershwin Three Preludes is so fluid and he makes it sound easy (I played it and it sounded like a bull in a china shop). The Weber Andante and Hungarian Rondo is also incredible. His CD's are in my car so I can listen to great tone and technique while driving, especially when driving to my clarinet lesson.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
