 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: LeOpus1190s
Date: 2003-12-19 01:59
Today I went to the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. For those of you who don't know its a huge convention held at the Hilton Towers in Chicago. All the major everything in classical music come out and exibit what they have to offer. This of course also means there were many many many instruments and what not to try. Anyhow here are some things that I feel enough to mention.
Selmer Signature Series Clarinets.... I was told by people that they felt weird and had a poor tone. In fact most of the time people don't mention selmer, just really buffet and leblanc. I must say that the horns I tried were absolutley fantastic. When I play tested the horns against my buffet r-13s the signatures sounded better. It could have been the reed, who knows. They seemed darker, fuller and the whole horn resonated. I really recommend them. For myself that says a lot becuase I have been a strict buffet person.
Leblanc Clarinets.. pitched their Concerto and Opus II line after temporarily being set back because of the fire in france. They recovered quickely, kudos to them. I was excited after trying to signature and felt perhaps I would actually like other brands of clarinets this time but unfortunatly with even being hopful I didn't like the new horns at all... If you can find a shop that has the the old opus and concerto from the early nintees those are the way to go if you go leblanc at all..
Buffet Tosca Clarinet... Francois said that the horn had a smaller bore and that they keywork was redone and the not to forget the low F correction Key. I personally felt that the clarinet felt stuffy, nothing like my r-13s. I also didn't feel that the low F key made a significant difference in the low F. I did however find a greenline festival that was beyond excellent and a very good R-13.
For the last 4 and a half years I have been playing on a vandy optimum lig. For one reason or another i bought an other optimum ligature (perhaps because the other one wasn't very silvery any more). Anyhow there was a significant difference in the new ligature. My old ligature was fine, it was really never bent or abused. Try a new ligature.. its often over looked but it could make a difference for you.
Well enough rambling. I am curious what peoples thoughts are on these items. Thanks..
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-12-19 04:44
Some time back, people here were wowed by the Signatures when they play-tested them, but several who then took them to ensemble rehearsals reported they weren't the best match for that setting -- they lacked the power and flexibility of the regular horns they'd used for years. I realize it's hard to guesstimate how they'd do in an orchestral setting after one playing, but did your experience give you any indication they'd be less favorable than the R-13 at an ensemble rehearsal?
I've been curious about the Sigs for awhile and would love to try one, but my local store doesn't carry them and the clerks seemed mystified the last time I asked about them
________________
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: Ed
Date: 2003-12-19 14:14
Last I know, Todd Levy was using them in Milwaukee Symphony. Riccardo Morales had used them at the Met as did Sean Osborne.
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Author: LeOpus1190s
Date: 2003-12-19 17:59
Ralph-
I am not sure how well the signatures would be able to cut through an orchestra. I would have to test them for that. I was just very impressed because they felt so fluid and the core of the sound was clearly their. The intonation was fantastic. If they can't project in the orchestral setting I better they would be a perfect set for someone who does chamber work. I was surprised that they are only about 2,000 dollars a horn.
With the particular reed I was using at the time, the signatures were more favorable to me than my own R-13s which i love. But of course the reed you are using can make a huge difference in how you percieve a particular instrument.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-12-19 20:43
I'll second the recommendation of the Greenline Festival. Something over a year ago (just before WW&BW in NYC closed), Francois Kloc showed a dozen or so new Buffets that he had touched up, and the GFs were the stars. Jon Manasse bought two out of the three on the spot for his students at Eastman.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: William
Date: 2003-12-19 21:03
The exhibition hall of the Hilton Towers Mid-West is no place to play test instruments. The acoustics are terrible and the instruments themselves are often out of adjustment, for a variety of reasons. It is a good place to see and handle them, but one should not make permanet decisions about any bases on a brief exhibit floor play test. Having bought equipement "off the floor" at that convention only to get it home and hear how it really plays, I speak from experiance.
My experiance with the Signiture clarinet is that is plays well in the music store practice room, but when taken into a live ensemble, it lacks projection and expression, compared to my Buffets and LeBlancs. The one that I tried was the best of four from a Milwaukee music store--and maybe it really wasn't a "good" one for me. But four of my fellow section clarinetists also tried it and had the same reaction--unflexable and lacking in tone quality and power. However, my experiance does not mean that there are not great Selmer Signitures "out there" to be found. Like with any other brand, there are some good, and a lot of "not so goods" to be had. You gotta do your own playing reasearch.
But the floor of the exhibition hall???--not a good audition situation to properly evalutate an instruments quality.
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-12-19 22:34
Did you get to hear my school's orchestra do the Firebird? (New World School of the Arts)
Bradley
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