 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: wjk
Date: 2005-04-12 03:38
I'm seriously considering purchasing an A clarinet. Am I crazy? I'm in love with Leister's tone on the Brahm's trio--would others recommend a Buffet R-13 A clarinet? What are other possibilities/options?
Thanks!
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-04-12 08:18
How old are you? And how serious are you in performing with orchestras, chamber ensembles, etc?
When I was in HS, it would have been useless for me to buy an A. There was nothing to play it for and it would have been a waste of money to just go buy one. (we had no string or orchestra program, and little performing opportunities that would involve A clarinets)
Now that I am in college, we want to be "true" to the Mozart Concerto and such solos that involve A clarinet. And I have been getting gigs with orchestras and chamber groups, so I eventually bought an A. But... I still use it rarely.
I say that it depends on the demand for the instrument, otherwise wait until there is. I only paid $700 for mine, but it was an old Buffet Continentale. It's a great horn, but it needs some work. Most ppl wouldn't be so lucky as to find a good A for below $1000. :-/
--Contragirl
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-04-12 10:47
There are plenty of brands of A Clarinets which are very good.
Yamaha, Selmer, Leblanc, Buffet are the 4 majors and probably what you should stick to if possible.
Try to go to one of the big wholesalers in person and try a bunch to pick what you truly like the best. Just going to a music store and buying the 1 that they have (or have to special order) is not a great way to pick what is best for you.
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2005-04-12 10:54
If you believe that Leister's tone is made by his clarinet, a Buffet may not do it for you. He is an Oehler player. (Some might almost say, he is THE Oehler player!)
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2005-04-12 11:53
Some of the 30,000 series Buffet clarinets in A are "keepers" at bargain prices.
Best A clarinet I have played (sounds good to me, feels comfortable) was a Yamaha 'V' series - but they tend to be pricey.
However, if you don't practice scales on it, or otherwise give it a regular workout - it can gather expensive dust in the case...
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-04-12 12:55
Hey, wjk, aren't you a student of GBK's? He can offer some great advice on navigating the tricky R-13 A clarinet waters. Watch out for those register tube issues.
And David, that was my first thought, too -- Leister is THE signature player of German clarinets, so the R-13 is taking pretty much the opposite direction.
________________
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: graham
Date: 2005-04-12 13:34
Are you in love with Leister's tone when he plays B flat? If you are a fan of his, then the logical next step is to buy more of his recordings. If you work out that he sounds great to your ears on either instrument then I suggest you think about changing your B flat to get it closer to Leister's. Let's assume for some good reasons that you do not want to change to Oehler system; then you can get hold of a German bore Boehm clarinet (one is made by Yamaha I believe), and see how that helps you in your quest to get close to Leister.
If all of that works out (and it may well not for a variety of reasons), then you could add a German bore Boehm A to your collection when it is clear that you will have sufficient use for it.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-04-12 14:00
Michele Zukovsky has a Yamaha German Bore Boehm Clarinet that she plays too (along with her Wurlitzer) depending on the style of music.
Why not just get the German Boehm A in the first place?
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2005-04-12 14:01
Yes, buy an A clarinet...the best one you can afford. Take the time to practice on it to learn to play it well...it's not a Bb clarinet playing horn. All the suggestions above are OK, the main thing is:
Practice on the correct clarinet specified by the composer.
Make you decisions on which instrument to actually use for a performance after you've learned to play both instruments equally well.
My only concern it that you have options.
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2005-04-12 23:19
Aw wjk, just answer these two questions:
1. Do you want it?
2. Can you afford it?
If both answers are yes, just do it. If one answer is no, then don't. (But if the first answer is yes and the second is no, a backup plan might be to steal one of GBK's. He's got so many he might not even notice.) ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-04-12 23:45
Jack Kissinger wrote:
> a
> backup plan might be to steal one of GBK's. He's got so many
> he might not even notice.)
Oh, yes he would. ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif) ...GBK
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Author: wjk
Date: 2005-04-13 00:34
To GBK---You haven't noticed that Eb that I "borrowed" yet.....
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2005-04-13 01:27
D'OH! Jack, now GBK will be more vigilant, so you have foiled my plan to teleport a C clarinet outta there in the middle of the night.
wjk-- one side note -- there are folks who buy an A and then a couple of years later decide they need the money more than they need the A. I of course can make unlimited instrument purchases -- in my dreams.
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Author: wjk
Date: 2005-04-13 01:31
Spending all that time in the Hamptons....want an A, another Bb, an Eb, a C.....
Post Edited (2005-04-13 01:31)
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Author: msloss
Date: 2005-04-13 03:55
If you are a serious orchestral/solo clarinetist, not having an A clarinet is not even an option. You should assume they come as sets. Too much of the orchestral and solo lit calls for A clarinet, and not just because the transpositions are easier, but because the unique timbre of the instrument is an important color in the ensemble.
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Author: Robert Moody
Date: 2005-04-13 04:45
If serious player and in a position to need it, of course, get it.
msloss suggested, "...but because the unique timbre of the instrument is an important color in the ensemble."
I can almost guarantee you that if I played an A clarinet and a Bb clarinet and did not play the lowest note, you would not be able to tell which instrument I had played simply by listening.
I am not a "buyer" of the A clarinet "sounds" different than the Bb school of thought. I'd be happy to put it to the test too. ![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif)
Robert Moody
http://www.musix4me.com
Free Clarinet Lessons and Digital Library!
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Author: graham
Date: 2005-04-13 08:45
I cannot see any merit in buying a German bore A to go with a French bore B flat. But I do not believe a French bore A is the way to sound like Leister. I think the whole sound-like-Leister thing needs more knowledge and consideration than an initial enthusiasm with one recording gives (however understandable that enthusiasm is). The criterion for buying an A is the need to use it for A parts. It's not like a basset horn. You don't just buy one for the sake of having one.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2005-04-13 12:24
It certainly easier to deal with the key of concert A major on the A clarinet rather than the Bb,
and once someone hears how much of a struggle your having trying to play Mozart's Concerto on the Bbin the original key) they would probably wish there was a Snooze button on your performance.
At one time in Italy and France all orchestral players used the A and dispensed with the Bb clarinet altogether!
There is nothing wrong with buying an A clarinet assuming you can afford it..as to tonal concept the A does play quite differently from the Bb especially in the Altissimo and so much so you may find that your regular Bb clarinet altissimo fingerings will not work so well on the Bb.
The real challenge is to find a reed that works well on both clarinets if you are doing orchestral playing...hence some of the advice which I offer ...
As to instruments" they should(your Bb and A) be adjusted and matched in terms of resistance and intonation fairly closely so going from one to another is not such a headache or cause of frustration!
As to timbre I prefer the A clarinet over the Bb due to the eveness of sound across the throat register( a least on my own A clarinet)....
Another warning, don't get missiled into buying the first one you try. Comparison shopping is very important...!
I suggest getting a pro or a local orchestral player to assist in dealing with the A clarinet as a purchase. If it is a Buffet R13A you should check your testing against a tuner especially in the upper chalumeau and throat range of the horn.
The other thing is if you are buying then make sure you pick an instrument you feel is of quality and will benefit your development/playing etc.
Best wishes in this search..!
Regards,
David Dow
Post Edited (2005-04-13 12:31)
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-04-13 14:48
If you want an A just for occasional stuff, Buffet makes an E-11 in A that's a pretty nice instrument. You might want to get a Chadash barrel with it to enhance the intonation a bit in the throat tones.
But, if you're serious and will be using the A a lot, get the R-13.
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Author: Covalaga
Date: 2005-04-13 17:38
Hi WJK,
Many years ago I didnt have the money to purchase an A clarinet and when I played in an amateur orchestra, whenever the music was written for A clarinets, I had to transpose every note down a semi-tone. This was OK when the A clarinet music was in C , then I would have to flatten every note. The problem is that whenever the clarinetist is playing in say Eb, the already flattened notes become double flats.
It all depends whaat you enjoy playing--certainly if you were to play in any Gilbert and Sullivan operas, You would need to have an A clarinet, as much of the music calls for it.
My advice is ( if you can afford it) purchase an A clarinet---but knowing what sod's law is, you will have to buy an Eb clarinet and don't forget a bass clarinet--it never ends--but once you have them, you should get more 'gigs' on the premise that you have and can play all the clarineta and what's more you will enjoy all the music.
Good Luck to you--Go for it !!.
Colin Campbell
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Author: rc_clarinetlady
Date: 2005-04-14 19:23
When our newly formed community orchestra formed, the director asked me if I had an A clarinet. I told him that I didn't but that I could get one if needed or just transpose all the parts. I thought we'd be needing the A's maybe once or twice/ year... max. I had an extreme rude awakening when one of the first pieces we played was Night on Bald Mountain which uses both the A and Bb back and forth within that same work. We played two more works needing an A and only one using the Bb. I bought an A clarinet. That week! I wasn't even that careful about it. It was a Selmer Series 10, a clarinet I knew was Selmer's professional model in the 70's. I bought it off of EBay and was lucky that it turned out to be a good experience. The problem is that it's too heavy for me. I'm used to my Buffet R 13 Bb so I just recently bought a 1976 R 13 A. The intonation on this particular instrument is unparralled by any other I've ever played. It is spot on with the tuner at A 440 on every note up the chromatic scale. Unbelievable. I am using the Buffet barrel too. I have to use a Moennig barrel on my Bb but not on this A. The wood is just gorgeous too.
I suppose my point is this........these wonderful A clarinets are out there and at good prices too if you just take the time to research them and are willing to play a used one. You may have to invest in a repad or do some repair work of some kind but in the end you may end up with a clarinet that is one you will never part with and at a price you don't go away with feeling that horrible "buyer's remorse".
It all depends on what you will be needing it for. I do think there is a timbre difference between A's and Bb's. We have 5 clarinetist in our orch. (too many, I know) and 4 of us own an A. When the 4 of us are on our A's and the 5th is on her Bb we have an unblended sound. We just don't mesh very well. The other night the 5th was gone and the 2nd chair mentioned that our intonation was just wonderful that night and we had such a good sound. I think it has something to do with her ear but also the mixing of the different clarinets. The Bb has a somewhat brighter sound when played with the A. It is darker in timbre in my opinion.
Luck to you in your quest.
Rebecca
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Author: allencole
Date: 2005-04-16 13:54
I just went through this in the fall. I just wanted the A for a few narrow purposes, and thought about finding a used one or an E-11. Fortunately, I was able to get an R-13 greenline (along with a matching B-flat) and it has been GREAT. Got'em both Brannenized as well. It's more money than I've ever spent at one time on music, but having a quality, well-adjusted instrument makes a huge difference in the ease and satisfaction that you experience.
I primarily play my A in a Western/Cowboy band where I often need to improvise rapidly in some very sharp keys. An E-11 would do, but sometimes I have to deal with circumstances in my playing environment that would make it a fight. The quality instrument makes it less of a fight and more of a performance.
If you can dig up the $$$, go on and get something that you will really, really look forward to playing on. (BTW, I opted for the Brannen's register tube adjustment and am very glad that I did)
Allen Cole
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-04-16 14:19
Good advice, I'm sure from above. IF I had need for more than my old Kohlert 17/6 A cl, I'd opt for a Basset Clarinet [of course in A] as a good f[r]iend did and had fun transposing parts in making use of its characteristic tonality. A bit more investment, of course, but would/could have uses beyond Mozart. Just a thot this AM. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2005-04-17 09:55
Without reading all the posts I think the answer to the original question is very simple and frank: If you're going to play music where it's written on the top: Clarinet in A, Klarinette in A, Clarinetto in La or something similar easy to understand, get an A clarinet, if not, don't.
Alphie
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