 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clarinetist
Date: 2006-05-24 21:00
Hi guys!
I played in a concert two weeks ago and my friend recorded it...now I would like to get some comments how I sound and how do you like my playing overall...I think the performance went pretty well. I´m playing Schumann´s fantasy piece nr. 1. It´s okay for the pianist that I put this on the net.
Thanks!
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-05-24 21:05
Sound files are not attachable; you'll have to put them up somewhere else.
BTW - be careful what you ask for ...
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2006-05-24 21:37
if you decide to put it up here, be ready to take any negative criticism as well as positive. It's happened before, and it'll happen again I'm sure.
Alexi <--- who won't be posting up sound clips of himself anytime soon.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2006-05-24 22:33
I posted a sound file a while ago for critique. Not much response, I think it's a touchy subject to critique people's playing. Either way, a good host for sound files is www.yousendit.com
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2006-05-25 01:07
I use www.libsyn.com for my recordings - of course you have to pay, but you can also have people subscribe to your music via a podcast which you can update whenever you like. I'm just using the $5/month account.
I put up a recording a few years ago and got a lot of positive feedback from the people here. Try it out - if you get an overly negative response, take your recording down and get what you can from everyone's comments and ignore the ones you don't want to take on board. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
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Author: Clarinetist
Date: 2006-05-25 08:41
So, I have decided that I will put the recording on the web. Let see how this goes...So Here´s the link: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=D32F8A9D6B8B3FC7
btw, thanks for the link Sean!
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-05-25 15:17
Nice playing. I really like the interplay between you and your pianist!
You might try a slightly brighter tempo and making more of the dynamics.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2006-05-25 16:02
I like the tempo flexibility, the balance between you and the pianist, your intonation and your sound most of the time.
Technically, I think you need to watch for your sound spreading and going flat when you make the crescendos, especially in the throat notes. A little more dynamic range would also be nice.
Musically, you may want to do something a little different with the theme each time it comes back. You tend to play the ritendos in the same place all the time. When you take the theme back after the arpeggios section, I don't think you should play the high E(?) with the same intensity that you played it in the opening. Most of these pieces have some sort of an "arc" a sweet introduction, a high dramatic point, a transition, a recap and sweet ending. You have to find that arc and try to convey it to the listener.
When playing music one has to try to think at many different levels at once: the note, the interval, the phrase, the section and how it all fits together in the piece. I think you have the first four levels in good shape, but may need to think a bit more on how it all fits together.
Nice playing, and keep clarineting!
-S
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2006-05-25 17:28
The rubato is very nice... I'm used to hearing it pretty straight.
There's that one trouble note at the end of the first statement (my pet peeve about this piece)... are you playing on a Bb, or does the note just die off at the end of it?
I might suggest more dynamic and energetic contrast. This doesn't necessarily have to mean louder, but the whole piece feels like it's at mezzo-piano. Some nice pianissimos might be a great surprise. The only time I hear it really quiet is when it goes really low, which is where I'd like to hear a bit more volume, especially at the start of ascending lines when you need it most.
Very nice, in any case.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2006-05-25 18:13
BTW, Tony Pay has posted some intersing comments on Op73 on this board and the klarinet list.
Do a search for Schumann and Pay...
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Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: Clarinetist
Date: 2006-05-25 18:28
Hello again!
I´m glad that you have liked it...I also like very much about those comments you have given, so keep them still coming...I´m trying to improve my playing so well stated critique is always wellcome!
About the critique you have allready given to me: I have heard before that I should play more dynamics and I have also got some critique about my sound spreading sometimes when I try to do crescendos. I´m working on those at the moment.
To Alex: I´m playing A clarinet on that recording. What note do you mean that is tricky?
Thanks
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Author: Ryan25
Date: 2006-05-25 18:42
I enjoyed listening to your performance. There are some very nice things in the performance and I agree with what people have said on here. I would like to mention a couple of things that I feel are important.
The marking for this piece is Zart und mit Ausdruck (Delicately and with expression) and quarter equals 80. I think your tempo was a little under which makes this piece much more difficult. When played at 80 or even slightly above, the triplet figure in the piano creats so much forward motion(which is so great when applying rubato) yet it is gentle motion. While your sound was even and the notes are well played, it felt to strident and in my face. I have always enjoyed playing this piece because for me it is so fun to make my sound another line in the piano part instead of soaring above the piano. I hear the expression but not the delicacy. When there are crescendos and forte markings, these are the moments to come out of the piano texture but otherwise you are just another voice in the piano. This is a fairly easy thing to do because of how closely scored the piano and clarinet are. The effect is great when your audience cant quite tell if they are hearing piano or clarinet. When the moments do come for more "soloistic" playing, they are that much more magical as they seem to blossom out of the piano. If your sound is to big and to much over the piano, you don't give yourself the chance of creating the magic that is in this piece. Furthermore, you don't give your audience the chance to experience it as well. I think this is also a reason why intonation things happened in the louder dynamic sections because you were having to work to hard to create the dynamic contrast. As we all know, the louder we play the flatter the clarinet goes so we bite to keep the pitch up but then we loose are tone quality. I agree it is possible to play well in tune at any dynamic level but the harder you make things on yourself, the more chance there is for problems.
Again it is a nice performance and thank you for sharing it here. I would just like to here more delicacy and more blending dynamicaly with the piano. I see forte in bar 17, fortepiano in bar 22 and 24 and again at 27. I see forte at bar 35 and the whole rest of the piece is piano or pianissimo. The more you do this, the more magical and expressive your performance will be.
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Author: DaveF
Date: 2006-05-25 18:54
I particularly enjoyed your performance, well done. Very nice rubato, stretching notes and phrases when appropriate, this came across well. I can tell you're stressing legato fingers, but this is one of the ultimate legato fingers pieces, so really emphasize that and it will come across even better. Also, well done on the octaves, that came across well. Kind of a bright sounding piano, maybe an older Kawai?
Dave F.
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2006-05-25 19:40
The B natural, ninth clarinet note in the piece. In the recordings I've heard, I never like how that one sounds. It's the one that, if you play on Bb, is a Bb, which is why I'm more aware of it. Even recordings played on A clarinet (as it should be) tend to throw that note away rather than letting it resonate, possibly due to taking a breath after it.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Clarinetist
Date: 2006-05-25 19:56
Alex wrote: >Even recordings played on A clarinet (as it should be) tend to throw that note away rather than letting it resonate, possibly due to taking a breath after it.
I´m used tp hear it played a little vaguely or something like that and I think it can be played a little quieter because it end the first phrase and the line goes down.
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2006-05-25 22:11
...now I would like to get some comments how I sound and how do you like my playing overall...
This piece by Schumann is one of the pieces in the Grade 5 ABRSM exams in Britain, Asia, Europe etc. I have the piece on CD that also includes just the piano accompaniment for practise.
It's also one of my favourite pieces. Slow and full of expression. Very difficult to crtiscise because it invites individual interpretation.
Your playing was beautiful!
Steve
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2006-05-25 22:37
Your tonal concept may be that of your teacher's or of the country in which you live so take the following comments for what they are worth.
IMO, the tone is too spread overall, not just the throat tones. It sounds to me as if your tongue is very low in your mouth which creates a slow air flow resulting in the spread sound that I am talking about. I believe your tone would improve instantly by simply raising the tongue to the point where the sides of your tongue touch the back molars. Leave the tongue there! Do not move it! If you do this you may think the tone loses its robust quality, and in a way you may be correct; the tone will be super focused and more concentrated. In my experiece with this issue, a spread tone is often confused with a robust tone. Do a search on this board; there will be volumes of info on this subject.
Aside from the above thoughts, I liked the performance. Be careful to use the rubato sparingly. If I begin to expect it at your phrase endings then it ceases to be musical and I will get bored. Always change it up. Don't always give the listener what is expected. Be creative.
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