 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2009-10-22 02:53
I dont know when I was more impressed by a fine Symp Orch concert than the just-finished L A PHIL , both the Adams and Mahler 1, wonderful !. Both were new to me and sure required [and received] highly skilled playing. I looked and found by search of "PBS Great Performance L A Phil" links to discussion and comments by many viewers. As a cl side note, the solo cl'ist's ligature looked like a Giglotti to me. Comments ?? Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2009-10-22 14:01
LA Phil concert was indeed impressive. I especially admired the unnamed saxophone player in the Adams piece. I was disappointed that none of the clarinetists seemed to use the C clarinet where specified by Mahler; as a result a lot of the clarinet work lacked the "bite" that C clarinets would have given it. I didn't see them observe Mahler's "bells up" dictum either!
Dudamel's conducting was clear and expressive. For me it validated some of the critiques that compare him to Leonard Bernstein. The orchestra players looked involved and energized -- the solo viola player perhaps a bit too much so!
Don, it looked like a Gigliotti ligature to me, too.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2009-10-22 14:22
LB, "I didn't see them observe Mahler's "bells up" dictum either!"
Sorry, Larry, but one of the FEW SHOTS given of the clarinetists was one in which the principal clarinet was imitateing Artie Shaw with the bell pointed straight out aimed right at the conductor. On the whole, I would have liked to see more shots--I recalled perhaps *4* closeups--of our favorite instrumentalists and less of the oboist (although she was quite "easy on my eyes" and sounded good- lol). I also thought the orchestra played well but was rather under the impression that they would have done so no matter who was on the podium--the conductor being more about "show" than about specific musical direction. He was passionate, but I would give him an Academy Award for acting rather than *conducting*.
And were there any trombones?? I was hoping to catch a glimpse of an aquaintaince who plays with the orchestra.
Larry, I thought I saw a C clarinet in one of the rare closeups (???)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2009-10-22 14:43
William, were we watching the same show? I guess I missed the solo clarinet's observance of the "bells up" -- didn't see the oboes do it either. I did see lots of shots of the principal trombone play great solos in the (over-long) Adams work.
I totally disagree with you about the "show"[y] demeanor of the conductor. IMHO the whole performance would have been much less energized and integrated without his clear and inspired leadership -- and I'm usually a conductor hater!
On Wisconsin!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinetfreak
Date: 2009-10-22 15:58
The Alto Saxophone player was Timothy Mcallister.
http://www.timothymcallister.com/
He's a great player!
Good Times!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: vjoet
Date: 2009-10-22 16:05
I'd bet a box of reeds that the C clarinet was used. The coo-koos in the first movement were indeed bright in character. Shots of the clarinetist (Lorin Levee?) show him playing on a instrument with tarnished keys, and a barrel without rings. Later shots showed him playing an instrument with bright keys, and barrel with rings.
The runs and riffs in the Adams for clarinet and sax were magical. Wonder who played the alto sax?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2009-10-22 18:31
There's an excellent DVD called "The Promise of Music" about Dudamel conducting the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra in Venezuela. The DVD also includes the orchestra's concert performance. He's a lot more (and a lot better) than a mere showman.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: grifffinity
Date: 2009-10-22 18:40
Quote:
The coo-koos in the first movement were indeed bright in character.
Did anyone else notice the weird head tick the Principal clarinetist had at the attack of every coo-koo? (At least the ones caught on video)
I only caught the Mahler. Overall the orchestra responded very well to Dudamel. I agree with Larry that his conducting was very clear and expressive. Sometimes I find Dudamel pushes tempi only for the sake of pushing it to extreme limits. I felt a little of that last night. It sounded like the orchestra was playing catch up a few times to Dudamel's abrupt tempo changes in certain spots.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2009-10-22 19:04
Looked to me like the first clarinet was fingering D-A on the cuckoos. On C clarinet it would be C-G. Could it be that the different look of two clarinets he was playing might have been Bb-A?
Upon review:
Oops, a little more complicated than that. Cuckoos in the intro are for Bb clarinet E-B. Part changes to C clarinet in the development -- cuckoos there are written E-B for first clarinet. I do know that the cuckoos in the finale, for Clarinet III in C, were definitely played on Bb clarinet.
Post Edited (2009-10-22 19:39)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2009-10-23 14:28
TKS for cuckoo enlightment, Larry, I had been wondering, with no action of course, since many cl C's are in some of my fav. pieces of music, like Respeghi [I think !] et al. GBK, does this thread qualify for "Keepers" with modifications, I'm glad I kicked it off. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-10-24 03:12
I didn't see this performance but I'm going out on a limb here. 90% of a conductors work is done at the rehearsal that no one in the audience every sees. Maybe even 99%. Yes, the inspiration of a conductor at the concert can add or detract from a performance but the works already been done.
As far as using a C clarinet goes, I really think that a good player can make the passage sound more "brilliant" on their Bb clarinet buy changing the tone color slightly in the given passage. One can even change their reed for that movement to a reed that's not as rich or dark sounding and I seriously doubt that anyone in the audience will notice. Our principal is always changing reeds anyway at a concert during a piece for certain passages. As far as bells up, of course we do it in the BSO, but other than perhaps making the tone a bit more unfocused or flat if you don't work at not letting it do that, as we do, I really think it's just for show. It is my belief that in Mahlers time in his orchestra clarinet players played with the clarinet in a more forward position. We tend to play the clarinet more towards the body so when we have to play bells up we either have to bend our necks back to keep the tone focused or play with an unfocused tone, we bend out necks back. It's all show, I can't play any louder with my bell up than I can in a normal position. As a matter of fact I really believe I can to the opposite, that is play louder in a normal position, maybe it's just me. Did Mahler want "louder, more projection, or a more unfocused tone. Maybe someone knows. I'll keep doing it with the rest on my section but I thinks it's just for show. Of course you don't have to agree with me. ESP
http://eddiesclarinet.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chetclarinet
Date: 2009-10-24 21:55
I actually was Tim Mcallister's saxophone private teacher when he was in middle school. He taught me more than I taught him. He was absolutely amazing back then!
Post Edited (2009-10-24 21:57)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
