Author: McDonalds Eater
Date: 2023-10-02 09:07
I don't mean any negative connotation to this question; I'm simply looking for guidance for my ignorant self and wish to learn and appreciate more from the old masters.
I frequently see a great appreciation for the great players of the past: Harold Wright, Ralph McLane, Robert Marcellus, Louis Cahuzac, Yona Ettlinger, David Weber, etc. As someone who is young and grew up listening to exclusively modern clarinetists, I just simply don't get it. But I do want to know what made these players not just great, but legends.
For context: my favorite clarinet players growing up include Martin Frost, Ricardo Morales, Nicolas Baldeyrou, and Alessandro Carbonare, to name a few. My concept of sound up to this point had always been a round, smooth, dark, covered sound, one that sounds good up-close or for recording, almost Viennese-like. My interpretation of performing music had always been more on the entertainer side, extending the fortes and pianos to their absolute max, and making it obvious to the audience (perhaps forcefully showing?) how I was phrasing the music and trying to really make it super clear what I was doing with the music. I've never liked being a boring performer or playing "on the conservative side." Famous players today that represent this kind of playing and I try to emulate include Martin Frost, Kevin Spagnolo, and Giovanni Punzi.
It comes to no surprise that when I first heard Harold Wright, or any other name listed above, I did not like it. Again, I don't mean to trash-talk here, but to be frank, I simply thought it was boring, straightforward, and that the tone was narrow, thin, bright, or whatever other negative word you can think of. Yet, I constantly hear from my teachers and here about the beauty of their sounds and how it's some of the best clarinet playing they've ever heard.
I wish to change my way of listening in order to truly appreciate the masters. What about their playing made them great? Phrasing? Sound? As someone who's listened to only modern players, how can I change my listening habits to truly understand and appreciate Harold Wright for example?
My inspiration for this post came after a lesson with my teacher. He gave me a reed that felt as soft as paper and to me sounded like an electric beard trimmer or like bees buzzing inside my head while playing. It felt like I could not play louder than a mezzo forte and also felt very squared and edgy, contrary to the smoothness and velvetiness that I like. He said the sound was terrific and I still don't understand how or why. He then prompted me to listen to Wright and Marcellus, which brings me here.
I wish to understand. Any response is heavily appreciated.
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
