 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Anonymoose
Date: 2021-08-29 19:06
There has been new Buffet marketing on limited releases of Mopane clarinets, (r13, tosca, divine, legende). I believe there are 85 clarinets in total, all are going to high-profile Buffet artists or repairmen worldwide.
My question is, what is the point of the getting these famous clarinettists to talk about the mopane clarinets if normal clarinettists cant even get one?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-08-29 22:57
I do hope if some are going to repairers, they'll be brutally honest in their findings even if there are those around who don't like honesty.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Michael E. Shultz
Date: 2021-08-30 14:41
This publicity could be part of a campaign to get clarinet players prepared for future clarinets made out of Mopane instead of Grenadilla.
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2021-08-30 20:55
Anonymoose,
"Normal" clarinetists can get mopane instruments at a much lower price from Luis Rossi and one or two other makers that I can't recall just now.
Of course, if the normal clarinetists is entrenched in the Buffet myth, then those won't be satisfactory no matter how good they are, even at several thousand dollars less than Buffets.
B.
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Author: EricBlack
Date: 2021-09-26 23:33
I ended up having the opportunity to try one of these instruments out for a few minutes yesterday! In short, the Mopane R-13 I tried had a different feel to it compared to a normal grenadilla clarinet. The resistance and response tendencies felt different and would take some time to become accustomed to. Large intervals seemed a little easier and the way the instrument responded to articulation felt a little different (hard to explain how without more time spent playing it). The wood definitely has an impact on the instrument, though not necessarily better or worse, just different. In the end, I think one's choice to play it would depend on the piece of music being performed and the space being performed in. Anyway, I made a short video on my experience which you can find here:
https://youtu.be/teiA_tbGAhE
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Author: m1964
Date: 2021-09-27 00:38
EricBlack wrote:
> I ended up having the opportunity to try one of these
> instruments out for a few minutes yesterday! In short, the
> Mopane R-13 I tried had a different feel to it compared to a
> normal grenadilla clarinet. The resistance and response
> tendencies felt different and would take some time to become
> accustomed to. Large intervals seemed a little easier and the
> way the instrument responded to articulation felt a little
> different (hard to explain how without more time spent playing
> it). The wood definitely has an impact on the instrument,
> though not necessarily better or worse, just different. In the
> end, I think one's choice to play it would depend on the piece
> of music being performed and the space being performed in.
> Anyway, I made a short video on my experience which you can
> find here:
>
> https://youtu.be/teiA_tbGAhE
I had a chance to try one (R13 Bb) at a repair shop that belongs to a Buffet dealer (the owner is a distinguished player).
He played the regular r13 right after mopane R13.
I agree with Eric Black that the Mopane one had sweeter sound, but I also felt it's tone had a "heart" with ping that was different from grenadilla.
I felt it would blend well with strings and so would be perfect for playing with a string ensemble.
Of course, my impressions come from listening to just one clarinetist (an excellent player who sounds good on any instrument).
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Author: farabout
Date: 2021-09-27 02:37
IMHO & 4 what it's worth: Eric sounds much much & way better on grenadilla.
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Author: Bob Barnhart ★2017
Date: 2021-09-27 03:31
Eric,
I agree—your Tosca has a better sound: denser and with greater depth. The Mopane is nice is you want a more diffuse sound, but it might do better in a chamber ensemble than an orchestra.
BTW, what excerpt are you playing?
Bob Barnhart
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Author: farabout
Date: 2021-09-27 04:38
https://bretpimentel.com/does-material-affect-tone-quality-in-woodwind-instruments-why-scientists-and-musicians-just-cant-seem-to-agree/#:~:text=While%20it%20seems%20clear%20from,all%20else%20is%20never%20equal.
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Author: EricBlack
Date: 2021-09-27 04:53
Thanks for watching and your comments everyone!
I think the primary issue with doing little comparisons like this (and why I try to avoid direct audio comparisons in most of my more planned out reviews) is that I think I tend to sound best on whatever I am most comfortable on (this is probably true for most people). In general, whatever I'm most comfortable on is what I've spent the most time playing on. Of course there are occasional exceptions to this! Sometimes you try a new piece of equipment and it immediately clicks. However, even with some of the equipment I primarily play on today, it probably didn't sound better than the equipment I was playing on when I first switched. In this case, I think I sound better on the Tosca as well, but I also have put 1000's of hours into that instrument. At this point, it's probably fair to say I know its tendencies quite well. Conversely, I had probably 15ish minutes with the Mopane R-13 before I pressed record. Despite me not being as comfortable on it, there were some qualities that the instrument possessed that I really enjoyed. I think those qualities still came through in the recording, even if the Tosca sounded better overall.
It would be awesome to get to spend 2-3 weeks with one of these instruments, I feel like that would probably give me enough time to begin getting used to it. Just with the short time I got to spend with it, I definitely see it's potential for chamber works, smaller orchestral pieces, and certain solo repertoire. I have tried Mopane instruments before, but this just reinforced why they are quickly becoming more common! Ultimately, I don't want anyone to walk away from the video thinking that the Mopane R-13 was a worse instrument than the Tosca, but it is different and something most players would probably have to adjust to.
And good question Bob! It's an excerpt from one of the 30 Cavallini Caprices. In my Carl Fischer edition it is the very first one, however I believe the order sometimes changes depending on what edition you have!
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2021-09-27 05:18
The free online pdf IMSLP version of the Cavallini 30 Caprices, prints them (6 x 5)as 6 opuses, each containing 5 caprices. This one is called Opus 2, number 2, and it appears on page 13.
Post Edited (2021-09-27 05:24)
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Author: Bob Barnhart ★2017
Date: 2021-09-27 08:30
Thanks Eric & Seabreeze for the excerpt references! I have those Caprices (somewhere…).
Bob Barnhart
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