 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Keil
Date: 2001-10-26 00:50
What exactly was Wright's setup and what happened to his clarinet after he passed?
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Author: Ed
Date: 2001-10-26 02:16
I don't know what happened to his set up, I am sure there are those out there that know. His set up was Chedeville mouthpieces, Vandoren reeds (#5), regular Bonade ligature, Buffet R13, Moennig Barrel. I know that Everett Matson worked on his mouthpieces and the horns had some custom work. Earlier, his horns were Moennig's work, later, I am not sure. Albert Alphin in Needham, MA may have been doing his work.
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Author: HAT
Date: 2001-10-26 12:50
More important than the equipment Harold Wright played was what was in his head. His knowledge of repertoire was vast and was, in addition, an incredibly deep and perceptive knowledge. His concept of sound was ideal for his musical concepts. His ear for balance and intonation were formidable. His articulation was impeccable.
One of the great musicians of the 20th century.
David Hattner, NYC
www.northbranchrecords.com
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Author: Bill
Date: 2001-10-26 13:39
I have a "Music Minus One" lp made by H.W. I've got several things---I have his Brahms sonatas with Peter Serkin, which I do NOT care for. But the "Music Minus One" lp is some wonderful playing. I'm sure the technical recording tactics used cause great variance in how we appreciate a recording. I don't know that much about him, except Pamela Weston's portrait. The pictures of Wright on the cover of the aforementioned "MMO" record are strangely "telling." It is a series of photos of him taken during the recording session, but they have a very unposed quality, and Wright (apparently about 35 at the time) appears meditative, very remotely thoughtful. I like the photos a graet deal, and whoever took them really captured something unique---captured the personality, perhaps. The playing (one of the Brahms sonatas, I can't remember the rest of the tracks) is rapid, perfectly articulated, and even and lovely-sounding.
Well, I haven't been very empirical today . . . a great player and most likely a fascinating personality as well. --Bill.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-10-26 15:26
Keil -
Harold Wright had a number of instruments and mouthpieces, as you might expect. He owned Ralph McLane's Buffet A clarinet, which had an 18,xxx serial number (1935), set up by Moennig. Everyone who played it says it was the best ever. I heard him play the Brahms Quintet on it, and the sound was amazing. I'm also told he didn't use it very much, because it had a lot of wear on it.
I'm told that for his regular work, he used Buffet R-13s from the 1970s, at least some of them set up by Kalmen Opperman, and that he used both Chedeville and Opperman mouthpieces.
As David Hattner says, he sounded like himself on every instrument and mouthpiece. Players at that level sound great on everything.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Pat
Date: 2001-10-27 01:43
I heard from my current clarinet teacher as far as reeds, he would go to France and get the old Vandoren french cut. I guess sometime in the 60's or 70's, Vandoren changed the cut of the french reeds
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Author: donald nicholls
Date: 2001-10-28 11:12
i thought that in later years he played a mouthpiece by Dan Johnston (from Buffalo?), does anyone know if this is true?
donald
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