 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sarah
Date: 1999-07-27 05:13
I was talking to one of my friends the other day and she was telling me about her new festival and when I asked her if it was an R13 she said she didn't know. Does anyone know anything about the Festival that might help her because I think that she might even think its a real expensive intermediate(this is only her second year!) What possesed her parents to buy her a Festival is beyond me. Thanks for any help you can give!
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Author: col
Date: 1999-07-27 10:30
yeah the festival range of clarinets are really expensive and really a professional instrument. Your friend is very lucky to have one
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-07-27 11:56
Sarah,
<br>The Festival is an "upscale" model, based on the R-13. The register tube is a millimeter or two higher than the R13, and the tone holes are slightly shifted. The bore is polycylindrical, and there's an auxilary Eb key for the left hand. It's also silver plated, and the wood is unstained. On average, the Festival is slightly better in tune than the R13, but the throat tones are weaker and need more support than the R13.
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<br>The Festival is not sold via mail order - it must be bought directly from a dealer.
<br>
<br>Its street price is about $2100 - about $300 more than an R13. If you want a silver plated R13 (which costs about $200 more than the standard nickel plate) a Festival may be a better buy - if you like the tone and how it "drives". It sounds & plays different than an R13. As was discussed here a few days ago, Ricardo Morales of the Met just switched to a Festival Greenline.
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-07-27 13:49
As Mark said, the Festival is an upscale professional grade clarinet. I've had one for a few years and I have learned to love it. It's very much a pro horn, with all of the additional training a good pro horn requires to make it play to its potential. Many novices may find the Festival to be too much horn initially. It's versatile, very responsive, with an excellent tone. I've had pros play my Festival every now and then, and they like it. It took me years of practice as a part time hacker novice to finally get my Festival to play decently, but it wasn't the horn's fault. If you have a very good pro horn like this one, be prepared to put the work into it to get the tone and performance out of it.
As you learn to play the horn, also learn how to take care of it. The wood Festivals should never be taken out in the weather. Swab it thoroughly and wipe down the keys with a clean soft cloth when you are finished with your session. Store it in its original case. Use simple and easy tarnish prevention techniques to care for the silver keys. If you want to learn how to use the additional key, take the time to find out how it can be a help and how it can get in the way.
Finally, enjoy playing the Festival. It's a very good horn that can last a lifetime. Make it a point to play it often and play it well.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 1999-07-29 01:47
Buffet started to sell Festival and Elite maybe not earlier than 10 years ago and surley after Boosey&Hawks merged Buffet.
In Japan,many orchestra clarinet players started to play Festivals when they came up.But now there are only a few players use them.I do not know the exact reason.But I can guess as a pro,it is equally important for a player to love an instrument and for other players to love the clarinet player's sound.Does any clarinet players of American major orchestras use them?
If I were your friend I will take a more popular professional model such as R-13,RC,or their presige models since they have been tested for very long period,maybe longer than 40-50 years.And there are quite a few accessories in the market to match them such as barrels, mouthpieces.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-07-29 02:28
Hiroshi,
The RC and Prestige are not all that popular in the USA. The RC is (I believe) more common in Europe, and I know that the Prestige is fairly common in Europe and Japan.
Right now probably the most famous player using a Festival is Ricardo Morales.
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-07-29 14:34
In the way of Eb clarinets, pros usually go with the RC or RC Prestige. That is, if they use Buffets. And i have to admit that the R-13 Eb isn't very impressive. And i've had mixed feelings about the RC's as well. Some i have liked, others i haven't. i have an opportunity to buy a used RC for well below half retail. They are advertised in IMS for $2595, this one is $1200. Thank gawd for starving musicians who are willing to let instruments go cheap... :-) Anyway, if i like it, i will trade in my 1965 Selmer Series 9 for the $500 i paid for it and pay the remaining $700...
As if you guys really cared about all that... heh..
As for Ricardo probably being the most famous clarinetist. I wouldn't say that. Probably the most famous in the ICA world, but ask any clarinetists not in the ICA or a regular on Sneezy or Klarinet and they probably won't know who you're talking about. Unless they're professionals who get around in the clarinet circuit
Mark Charette wrote:
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Hiroshi,
The RC and Prestige are not all that popular in the USA. The RC is (I believe) more common in Europe, and I know that the Prestige is fairly common in Europe and Japan.
Right now probably the most famous player using a Festival is Ricardo Morales.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-07-29 19:57
Daniel wrote:
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As for Ricardo probably being the most famous clarinetist. I wouldn't say that.
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Oh? Can you name another famous clarinetist playing a Festival? That <i>was</i> the question.
As for Ricardo being famous - he is as famous as most other orcestral clarinetists. Outside of the "clarinet" world, the only clarinetist people may know about is maybe Stoltzman. Just as most people can name 2 flutists & 3 tenors. Doesn't mean the others aren't "famous", just not as well known outside an immediate circle.
Quick - go down to a classical music store and ask any customer there to name the clarinetists of the Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Boston, or NY Symphonies ... (apologies to all the other Symphony orchestras out there - but you get my drift).
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-07-30 01:52
Mark Charette wrote:
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Daniel wrote:
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As for Ricardo probably being the most famous clarinetist. I wouldn't say that.
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Oh? Can you name another famous clarinetist playing a Festival? That <i>was</i> the question.
Daniel:
Actually, i can't name anyone except students i know that play Festivals.
I'm by no means disrespecting Ricardo. I think he's a fabulous player and as i've never met him, i've heard and it seems that he's a delightful fellow.
Mark Charette wrote:
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As for Ricardo being famous - he is as famous as most other orcestral clarinetists. Outside of the "clarinet" world, the only clarinetist people may know about is maybe Stoltzman. Just as most people can name 2 flutists & 3 tenors. Doesn't mean the others aren't "famous", just not as well known outside an immediate circle.
Daniel:
Interesting addition, I was looking up well known and famous clarinstists like Marcelus, Opperman, Gigliotti, etc, in the Oxford Dictionary of Music and the only one i could find was Stoltzman.
Mark Charette wrote:
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Quick - go down to a classical music store and ask any customer there to name the clarinetists of the Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Boston, or NY Symphonies ... (apologies to all the other Symphony orchestras out there - but you get my drift).
Daniel:
Unfortunately, Houston doesn't have a half descent music recording store to speak of. The closest Tower or Virgin Records is Dallas and north of Ft. Worth. And the large classical music departments of them are usually airheads or potheads that usually work in the other departments and only know stuff like Metallica, and thrash bands, etc. Which is why anytime i'm at a record store and someone asks if they can help i shrug them off.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-07-30 02:20
Daniel:
Unfortunately, Houston doesn't have a half descent music recording store to speak of. The closest Tower or Virgin Records is Dallas and north of Ft. Worth. And the large classical music departments of them are usually airheads or potheads that usually work in the other departments and only know stuff like Metallica, and thrash bands, etc. Which is why anytime i'm at a record store and someone asks if they can help i shrug them off.
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If you're ever in Detroit visit Harmony House Classical. Only classical CDs - a whole large store's worth.
Unfortunately, no classical radio station - but at least we can listen to Windsor, Canada's station.
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-07-30 03:52
Atleast in Houston we have two classical stations... unfortunately they don't always play music i like... heh.. but of course, it ain't a perfect world...
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