 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Olorin
Date: 2009-02-28 10:03
Hey everyone -
I'm wondering what people have heard that they really would recommend to use as a model sound for Eb playing. Of course, I'm a huge fan of Ted Johnson. I really liked hearing the Orchestre National de France on medici.tv (Rite of Spring); their Eb clarinetist is phenomenal!
However, I'm wondering if anyone wants to recommend any specific recordings... especially with Nuccio? I am ashamed to admit that I've never heard his Eb playing, and don't know where to start...
Thanks so much!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: srattle
Date: 2009-02-28 10:11
My advice is the Eb player of the Berlin Philharmonic, Walter Seyfarth. He makes a really extraordinary sound. You can hear him on the Rhythm is It DVD in Rite of Spring, or they have a new cd of Symphony Fantasique out. Those are both pretty good Eb piece. There's also an old performance of them doing Bolero on youtube.
Worth checking out in my opinion, you wont find much better than him
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2009-02-28 18:10
It seems that the concept of the ideal sound on an Eefer is much more variable than what we have on Bb. In fact I brought it up about 6 months ago myself as I think even my own concept has changed a bit over the years. I have played a couple of times with multiple Eefers such as in some of the Mahlers and in the Hammersmith in concert bands. These are made more difficult by the different concepts people have for an ideal Eefer sound and often the two concepts do not blend well. What I sort of try for is a "high Bb" sound with a bit of an edge to it. It sort of adds pepper to the clarinet section in its best form. My sound has sort of a "ping" to it. I try to stay away from the more raucous, uncontrolled sound that seem to pervade a lot of Eefer playing.
My early role model was my teacher's playing. You can hear him doing some of the Strauss things like Till with the NBC Symphony inder Toscanini. This was on a Penzel Mueller instrument. Until I had my Buffet Prestige I never have had an Eefer that was quite the same sound as that old horn. I wonder how many other instruments were tested before this horn was found!
What Eefer playing I have that I liked is Peter Hadcock with the BSO, Nuccio with the NYP, Bruce Yeh with CSO (his is especially full in sound)and the Eb player with Montreal on the Ravel works (don't remember his name but several of the performances of Daphnis and other Ravel works were just beautiful). I'll definitely have to check out Walter Seyfarth based on srattle's recommendation too.
My "test" for a good Eb player are the Ravel piano concertos and Shotakovich #5. Both of those are treacherous parts and they can easily sound BAD.
Hope that helps!
Eefer guy
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: crnichols
Date: 2009-02-28 18:32
Other than those already mentioned, Tom Martin (currently with the Boston Symphony) is superb.
Christopher Nichols, D.M.A.
Assistant Professor of Clarinet
University of Delaware
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ed
Date: 2009-02-28 20:45
Don't forget Peter Simenauer, who was in NY before Nuccio.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gregory Smith ★2017
Date: 2009-03-01 00:32
Larry Combs on some selected Solti recordings when he was still asst. principal/Eb - (Till, Bolero, Rite of Spring, Shost 5th w/Previn, etc).
Jerry Stowell on some CSO Martinon and Reiner recordings (not all are consistently tops).
James Rettew of the Cleveland Orchestra - anything with Szell in the 50's - is a model of great playing. He died in 1961 of MS.
Gregory Smith
<http:''www.gregory-smith.com>
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: asabene
Date: 2009-03-01 04:29
I love listening to Ted Johnson play Eb--there's a nice shostakovich 5 recording with maazel that sounds great... I heard Mark Nuccio doing Daphnis and Chloe live about 2 weeks, i've never heard those doodles in the general dance so even, clean, and in-tune! On another note, I've heard some funky Eb playing in Berlin... in a till recording i have with karajan conducting, the Eb player is noticeably out of tune on the big solo at the end, especially on the high F# and G... I find it hard to listen to. Also in the boulez daphnis and chloe recording with berlin the Eb player is noticeably uneven with the very high sixteenths passage at the end of the first Eb solo in the general dance.
I have a question for anyone out there... in that old Shostakovich 5 with Bernstein from the 50s, is that stanley drucker on eefer? He uses that vibrato that is so characteristic of stanley. I have a bolero recording with bernstein again from the 50s that I again thought had to be stanley drucker on Eb based on the sound and that vibrato stanley has always used. Can anyone tell me if he was the Eb player at that time?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DAVE
Date: 2009-03-01 05:52
Greg,
That recording of Larry on the Rite of Spring and Bolero is amazing. He told me that was the very first thing he did with the CSO. He told me he had never played the Eb with a professional orchestra before that. I think that CD is out of print. I have not seen it in many years. I used to have it, but it was stolen... I would love to have it. Somehow, Larry made the Eb sound so clarinet-like.. not so much like a toy... very legato. I loved hearing that recording.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ryan25
Date: 2009-03-01 14:42
Along with the great suggestions made here already, I would add the Mahler symphony recordings with Tilson Thomas and San Francisco Symphony. Luis Baez is an amazing E-flat player that is worth a listen.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2009-03-01 16:09
All good legit suggestions, and some friends of mine, but let's not forget the commercial use of Eb clarinets.
I've played dozens of Broadway shows, hundreds of jingles, and countless film scores on Eb, Bb & Bass, but the Effer always stands out.
Try listening to the OBC CDs of:
Jerome Robbins' Broadway
Sweeney Todd
Titanic
Big
Fiddler on the Roof
and more, if you're interested.
For Hollywood films, I'll have to do some serious re-listening, as there are so many good examples in many great films.
BTW: Nuccio & I played a Messiaen piece a few years ago with the NY Phil. that I believe was recorded, and it featured TWO Eb clarinets doing bird sounds. A very cool listen!
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2009-03-01 18:25
John,
Do you have any details on the Messiaen piece with Nuccio and you? Would love to hear it.
I love the Eefer parts in Fiddler. They are fun.
Thanks!
eefer guy
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
