 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: graham
Date: 2006-01-25 13:24
Last night I went to hear/see the London Symphony Orchestra playing Shostokovitch 10th Symphony. All those long clarinet solos in the first movement were taken by the Andrew Marriner the beauty of whose playing defies description.
Eat your hearts out....
Seriously; one thing I noticed from my sideways view from the Circle was that all three clarinetstists held their instruments so that the bell was situated between their knees, though the knees were not touching or supporting the instrument in any way. This is not a very obvious position to hold the instrument, and gives a slight effect of crouching over it. I wondered whether they had worked out that the position gives a little extra projection to the sound. The quiet passages were certainly very "present" in the hall, while at the same time obviously being played extremely quietly.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-01-25 15:00
I've noticed in a lot of the world's top orchestras the woodwind players, especially oboists and clarinettists have postures that I know I wouldn't be allowed to get away with - although they are great players I do feel like having a go at them, and they should set an example to us amateurs.
But that's the only fault I feel I can express a view on, otherwise I can't touch them as they're in a league of their own.
I do feel posture is important, but not to the point where it means being absolutely rigid during performance as if they've been told by a Victorian schoolteacher to 'SIT UP STRAIGHT!'.
One thing that definitely leads to bad posture is the low desk stands used in Big Bands - and especially for me on bari sax, and matters are made even worse when we're standing up and trying to read the dots through the top U tube. It causes nothing but backache and eye strain - I've managed to get through life so far without needing glasses (considering my family have a history of poor eyesight, I've done remarkably well in my 33 years by not needing glasses), and don't plan to at this stage.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-01-25 16:02
Chris P,
Amen on the bari sax/big band stand situation! I do a lot of that too, and it's so hard to read the music on the low stands the reed players are stuck with that I've been tempted to quit that sort of work altogether -- it's very uncomfortable. Clarinet players have it easy.
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Author: charlie_star_uk
Date: 2006-01-25 16:51
i also have a slightly hunched posture when playing as does my teacher who is a pro... we have talked about it and decided that it helps the breathing... i find it really hard to completely fill my lungs when i am too straight. it seems to restrict the "belly" area and sometimes giives me upper back ache!!
charlie
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