 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jez
Date: 2004-01-17 17:52
You may remember, from some of my earlier postings, my interest in different national characteristics in clarinet players.
In the past few weeks we've been lucky enough to have 2 visitors from the United States performing here in North-west England so I've been able to hear some different styles, live, with very interesting results.
The first visitor was Ken Peplowski, a jazz player who also doubles on tenor sax. Now I'm not a great lover of jazz, but was persuaded by those more knowledgable and less prejudiced, that I would enjoy listening to this player. They were right, I thought he made a gorgeous sound reminiscent of Brymer and I could listen to him for a long time before my dislike of the music intervened.
The second was the professor of clarinet at one of the US universities. This performance was much more what I would have expected from an American player. Great control and technique but the sound very different from the British players I get to hear more regularly, with very little vibrato and a tone which projects without sounding either particularly loud or full.
Is it time for me to rethink my opinion of jazz? Do all jazz clarinet players sound this good? If I were to hear 'straight' players who are working in the leading US orchestras would the sound be more like what I hear this side of the Atlantic? Have I been subjected to English players for so long now that I can't appreciate those from elsewhere?
Thoughts?
jez
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Author: allencole
Date: 2004-01-17 18:08
You just might, Jez. As I understand it, the Brits go for reedier sounds--and my CD of the Thurston Clarinet Quartet would tend to bear this out. Vibrato also seems more in vogue there, with Gervase De Peyer being one of the most tasteful I've heard.
Jazz players also favor reedy sounds, and tend to have a very good grip on vibrato. In Europe, though, you may hear less of Eddie Daniels, than of Woody Allen--but that's another issue.<g>
As for classical players here, our tradition seems to involve taking a German approach to French mouthpieces, but I'll let someone with greater expertise in the are share their...greater expertise!
Allen Cole
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-01-17 23:14
I often find it ironic that American clarinetists play predominantly on French made instruments, with French style mouthpieces (and reeds), and are taught the tenets of playing based on principles laid forth by a master teacher with French roots.
Yet all Americans are deperately trying to achieve a hybrid sound of the French, German, Viennese and English schools.
Those of you outside of the USA, feel free to laugh ...GBK
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Author: Stéphane
Date: 2004-01-18 00:00
GBK,
No envy to laugh, the US are a huge melting pot, this is where your cultural diversity and richness is coming from. That is true too afa clarinet playing in the US is concerned!
Stephane.
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Author: bob49t
Date: 2004-01-18 13:15
Well, try as I might to categorise players' sounds into geographical locations, I just can't do it. If I witness a certain classical player's sound, I don't think French, US, Hungarian, German, English (UK actually from a Scot !), I'm more inclined to like or dislike the sound on the basis of its timbre. Style is another thing as there will be an expectation of a traditional sound from a traditional player. Technical aspects of course come in here when sliding, bending, both way glisses, eg in Kletzmer, Slav. I see I've digressed.
Further digression -
Now, is anyone in USA going to mass produce a clarinet that would be a world beater - up there with the fancifully titled "big four"???. Or has the US market really been saturated with these high level "foreign" products ?
BobT (already ducking and with no axe to grind with our English countrypersons)
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2004-01-19 22:34
Unless my memory has totally failed, Reginald Kell used considerable vibrato in comparison to most other Clarinetists of his day. No doubt his influence most affected the English (UK) style of play.
As Stèphane writes, surely the US is a land of cultural diversity. But it is also a land of cultural flexibility almost unseen in any other country. This is due to the exchanges and combinations of various elements from many cultures. Perhaps we should not be surprised to find that some American artistry may be a combination of practices from multiple sources.
Regards,
John
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Author: RM
Date: 2004-01-20 21:53
Your thoughts of the classical clarinetist are very common. To put it simply, Europeans generally concentrate on musical ideas and sound first, technique second, while Americans do it in the reverse order. This does not go for all clarinetists in the US or the UK, but that tends to be the general sway of the masses. It seems both Americans and British have some very general sterotypes built up about how each other play. But as stereotypes go, in reality they apply to some but not all. The US is such a diverse place that you can find just about any type of player here, from those with a very "straight tone", to those occupying big orchestra seats with more of an English "floaty" tone. I hope more clarinetists from both sides of the pond do more investigation into how the other play, not by old recordings but by listening to the current players; you may be surprised.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2004-01-21 14:19
I have always found the parrallels greater then the divergences between the different schools, however I find the European school becoming more homogenous in terms of tone and playing.
The more open British sound is far less heard then even 10 years ago...and in some regards this is sad yet in many ways good.
The biggest fault in the American school is the obcessiveness with straight sound and eveness.
This can be dangerous, especially when the tone or the performance is affected by being "faceless".
Characterization of a piece is sometimes the last thing thought about, and hence the yawns in the audience....my he plays nice, but what was the music he was playing?
One of the main reasons the Orchestral scene in Europe is growning is because many orchestras tolerate divergence in sound ...and in many ways cultivate this aspect.
David Dow
Post Edited (2004-01-21 14:20)
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