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Ridenour Libertas and Lyrique review

Author: MartyMagnini
Date: 2015-04-26 18:50

**Disclaimer** I am not affiliated with Ridenour Clarinet Products in any way. I have been a satisfied customer, and Tom sent me a couple of clarinets to try and give him some feedback about how I think they would fit in with school music programs. I am not compensated in any way, and won’t even receive a discount on these instruments should I decide to keep them for myself or my school.**

I received a Libertas and a Lyrique for evaluation on Monday. The first thing I noticed about the Libertas is that the keywork is much more solid and “robust” than on my previous Lyrique (about 3 years old). The key layout takes a bit of getting used to – just like switching between any two different makes of clarinets – but I settled in easily and enjoyed the feel of the keys much more than on my current Lyrique. I have to admit that the only thing I didn’t love about my old Lyrique was the keywork, and that issue has been thoroughly addressed in both of the new models.

The sound is dark, rich and full. I’m a believer that 99% of the sound comes from the player / concept, but it’s nice to have a clarinet that will do what you want it to, and I found the Libertas to be flexible and able to produce different colors when needed. I like the sound very much. I warmed up for a bit and then put it on a tuner – here is where it gets interesting. When I was playing and watching the tuner, I thought some of the throat tones were off – which didn’t make sense to me, given what I’d heard about the tuning characteristics of the instrument. It was then that I realized I was favoring and voicing the throat tones the way I would on my current instrument – (a Yamaha CS Custom set up by Brannen with a MOBA barrel and bell) that I like very much. I had to concentrate in order to just play the pitches down the exact center of where they wanted to fall (I’m used to voicing up quite a bit on F and G), but when I did, the tuning was spot on. Up and down the instrument, it’s probably the most accurately tuned instrument I’ve ever played, and in my day I’ve played regularly for years on an R13, an R13 Prestige, and the Yamaha, using my current Lyrique mostly as my demo instrument at school and in lessons. The twelfths were surprisingly in tune up and down the horn on both instruments, and the low E and F were easy to play in tune, without sacrificing the B and C.

For those who’ve never played any of the recent crop of Ridenour instruments, the most striking thing about them is the evenness between registers. These things make the altissimo play just like the rest of the horn, and you just don’t have to work up there – it just plays. You just use the same relaxed embouchure from the lowest note up into the stratosphere, and the instrument just responds – it’s really amazing, and for me, it’s hands down the most impressive thing about Tom’s instruments. You just don’t have to work hard to play them – they just play. I had several of my band students try the Ridenour clarinets, and they were blown away by how easily they were able to play in the altissimo register, even those students who would normally struggle getting those notes out.

I would highly recommend either of these instruments for anyone in the market for a professional quality clarinet. My personal preference is for the Libertas, but some might prefer the Lyrique. Both models are worth a look or a trial, even if you’ve tried one of Tom’s clarinets before – these new models are an improvement, and a joy to play.

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