 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: michal
Date: 2002-03-18 18:35
Hi All!
a rel emergency: I need Kovacks birth year for a program, and wondered if anyone knows it. He is the clarinet teacher in Budapest Listz Academy.
thanks, Michal.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-03-18 19:19
Michal -
Note that his name is Kovacs, not Kovacks, which may have confused the search engines in looking for him.
Here's what I wrote about him a couple of years ago:
Bela Kovacs is one of the finest clarinet players in the world. He teaches at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest and is, or was, the principal clarinetist of one of the Budapest orchestras - I think the Budapest Opera. He made many records during the LP era, which were issued on Hungaroton, Supraphon and other East-European labels. Recently, he has made CD recordings for Naxos. He is primarily known as a performer and teacher.
His playing is phenomenal. Even in those impossible passages where everybody has to struggle, he plays absolutely clean. His tone can be powerful or caressing, and his phrasing is wonderfully elegant. I can't think of anyone who plays better.
His name is pronounced to rhyme (approximately) with "no notch."
A search on "Bela Kovacs" on Google http://www.google.com/advanced_search produced hundreds of hits. Apparently the name is not unusual, and there was a prominent politician with that name. A search on "Bela Kovacs" and Liszt produced clarinet links, including a website of one of his students at http://www-personal.usyd.edu.au/~ejlim/.
he also records for Naxos, which might be able to give you his birth date or tell you where to find out. The Liszt Academy should also have a web site, though it may not be in English.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-03-18 19:44
michal...Béla Kovács was born in 1937...GBK
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-03-18 22:31
As Ken has already stated, he has always been one of my favorite clarinet artists, too.
Unfortunately for me, Mr Kovács is not aware of it...GBK
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-03-19 03:15
As an interesting aside (I hope diz doesn't see this), does anyone know what equipment he uses? GBK, surely this is right up your alley.
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Author: javier garcia
Date: 2002-03-19 11:29
According to the information on the CD Clarinet Evergreens (Naxos 8.553427), recorded by the Budapest Clarinet quintet, "The Budapest Clarinet Quinte is led by Bela Kovacs, a well known chamber-music player. From 1956 to 1981 he served as principal clarinetist of the Hungarian State Opera and is now on the teaching staff of the Liszt Music School in Budapest and of the Graz Musikhochschule."
The CD is wonderful!
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-03-19 13:55
OK, I see the central european characters don't come through. I am under the impression that the name is prounced "Kovach". Ernie of the same name from black and white television days was, I believe, of similar descent....and,as I recall, played clarinet too.
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