 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Gertz
Date: 2000-09-11 09:06
I used to live in Greece, a country full of great clarinet players, e.g. the legendary Khalkias family from Epirus. That made me indeed want to take up this instrument myself. Rumour says that what they mostly use is a C clarinet. Is that so?
I read about this cheap beginner's "Lyons" C clarinet - sounds like an option to consider, but has anybody out there any experience with it, eventually in balkan music?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2000-09-12 02:30
My guess is this is not so. Probably Bb clarinet (most common type of soprano clarinet made), and G clarinet, which has an alto - like sound (long, straight metal clarinet). To ask someone who really knows, plug the word "Balkanarama" into your browser's search engine. This should lead you to the website of a Seattle - based Balkan band with lots of entertaining info, and someone you can email with your question. Sorry I don't know the url, offhand.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ginny
Date: 2000-09-12 06:11
Johny Pappas (Irene the actress' brother) used an Albert System. Greeks (according to my ethnomusic fan hubby) used Albert or simplex system, but Bb clarinets in the 50's and probably the 60's, perhaps this has changed.
Ginny
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mary
Date: 2000-09-15 16:12
i play a lot of balkan music and have traveled and taken some lessons in yugoslav macedonia and greece. fun stuff! i have never heard of greeks or greek roma (gypsies) playing c clarinet. there, and in recordings of the halkias family and others, it's largely Bb, albert or boehm. g clarinet is turkish, but as there's been a lot of overlapping history, you find pockets of greeks playing g. if you really want to get involved, contact the east european folklife center (type that into search on the net and you'll get the website). they host a couple of amazing music and dance camps each summer, one in california and one in maryland (and a short one in oregon), where you'll find ethnic musicians as well as americans who've devoted their lives to playing music of the balkans. many of them have studied extensively "over there". you can take clarinet classes from masters and dance your heart out to world class greek, bulgarian, and macedonian clarinet...
i adore the playing of the halkias family. if you have a good source of petro loukas recordings, pls let me know!
mary
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ginny
Date: 2000-09-15 16:22
Are you the Mary who plays with Voluta Vox? Teaches in Santa Cruz?
If so I took a few lessons from you a year or two ago.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gertz
Date: 2000-09-17 12:00
Well, I live in Europe (Denmark, that is), so my main source of greek music is simply ... Greece. I guess there are greek record shops in the US - they will probably have some Halkias recordings. But then again, record hunting in Athens would be a nice excuse for a holiday in Greece ...
Living on this side of the Atlantic makes summer camps in the US a less obvious option ... does anyone know of similar things in Europe, eventually in the Balkans??
I guess that the wise thing for me to do simply is to get a standard Bb Boehm beginner's instrument - seems that this would be as good as any also for Balkan music, and it will sure make it a lot easier to find someone who can actually teach me how to make it sing!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mary
Date: 2000-09-19 06:49
to gertz- sorry, i don't know of camp-type things in europe, but i'd still suggest you look up eefc's website. it's extensive, and they may have a clue where to steer you.
ginny- yep, tho voluta vox is barely happening at this point, and i live in the bay area now. vv is playing at cabrillo college in santa cruz on friday, sept 29, and at the kolo fest in san fran the friday after thanksgiving. it looks likely that those two will be our last gigs. hope you're well and still playing!
mary
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kalakos
Date: 2004-01-09 17:15
Ha! Just noticed someone mentioned me a couple of years ago. Not related to Irene Pappas though!
I play C clarinet predominately (like most old time Greek klaritzides), and for certain songs the A or Bb (all in Albert of course).
Web site: www.greekfolkmusicanddance.com
John Pappas (Yiannis Pappayiorgas)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
