 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jim Coburn
Date: 1999-08-06 15:33
That's it! Anyone use them, compare them, love them or hate them?
What's your experience? I'd really like to try one -- they look distinguished -- but I've heard the sound is not very good.
Any thoughts, please?
Regards,
Jim Coburn
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-08-06 16:13
Koussevitzky definately had an opinion! (I forget who, but a very famous clarinetist lost his job with the BSO for playing a metal clarinet when Koussevitzky saw him).
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-08-06 19:12
The clarinetist's name was Gaston Hamelin. He showed up playing a Selmer metal clarinet in 1930.
Ref. "A Tribute to Rosario Mazzeo", Clark W. Fobes. "The Clarinet" Vol. 25 No. 2 (Feb/Mar 1998) p. 40
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 1999-08-06 19:27
Mark Charette wrote:
-------------------------------
Koussevitzky definately had an opinion! (I forget who, but a very famous clarinetist lost his job with the BSO for playing a metal clarinet when Koussevitzky saw him).
Mark -
The player was Gaston Hamelin. See the Klarinet posting from a few years ago at http://www.sneezy.org/Databases/Logs/1994/07/000026.txt. However, that story, attributed to Mazzeo, was at least third-hand. Maybe Sherman Friedland can give the lowdown. Somehow it seems unlikely.
I have a copy of the Grenadilla LP containing the Debussy, which has a picture of Hamelin holding a metal clarinet, so, unless he was just paid to hold it for a Selmer publicity photo, it does seem that he played one.
On another subject, I know that the public correction of spelling errors is bad netiquette, but could I, as an old Engligh major, request that you set an example and spell "definitely" correctly, with an "i" instead of an "a". It's like misplaying a scale.
Pedantically,
Ken Shaw
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 1999-08-06 19:55
As far as I have known, nearly all metal clarinets are [were] regarded as "poor" with the possible exception of the Cundy-Bettoney Silva-Bet, maybe in that they were never made in a polycylindrical or reversed-cone [modern] fashion. Ken, I agree [with reservations] re: good spelling and grammer, having an Eng Major wife, but Mark asked me to play it ppp. Don
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-08-06 20:43
Ken Shaw wrote:
<br>-------------------------------
<br>Mark Charette wrote:
<br>definately
<br>-------------------------------
<br>On another subject, I know that the public correction of spelling errors is bad netiquette, but could I, as an old Engligh major, request that you set an example and spell "definitely" correctly, with an "i" instead of an "a". It's like misplaying a scale.
<br>------
<br>Only if you can spell English correctly 10 times in a row.
<br>
<br>Definitely is one of my "catchwords" - I get caught on it every time. It doesn't look right either way, and in many cases I'm not near a spelling checker.
<br>
<br>And Ken - it really <i>is</i> bad manners, especially in public.
<br>
<br>:^)
<br>
<br>
<br>
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-08-06 20:45
Don Berger wrote:
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grammer
--------
See how easy it is :^)
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Author: Willie
Date: 1999-08-06 22:11
I woundn't show up at a concert band or or orchestra with a metal "lightning rod" 'cuz the conducter will probably impale you with his baton. They want a horn that has a definate clarinet sound as that is the voice you are expected to make when you sit in that section. However I have heard jazz played on a "good" metal clarinet that sounde pretty darned good. It was different but not bad. I have three. The Holton is gold laquered like a sax (looks great but sounds crappy, an Olds that looks like silver (sounds like metal} and an Elkhart that is silver and it sounds pretty good. However it just doesn't have that beautiful mellow tone of a good wooden horn.
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Author: jim lande@erols.com
Date: 1999-08-07 05:36
Korrect Spelling: invention of the 1800s and, IMHO, not yet perfected. What is correct about "ough" having nine possible vowel sounds. I think we are currently using a beta test dictionary. Definately is like a split infinitive -- something that will be declared to be perfectly good english sooner or later.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
vis metal clarinets, there are a million back postings that can be searched. While most metal clarinets were produced by the ton as student instruments, several were sold as top quality instruments. I have and like Silver Bets. Silver Kings have a fine reputation (more of a big band sound.) I adore my metal buffet, which has a very soft and mellow sound. Some of the Conns (not the pan americans) were OK. I would love to get a Selmar or one in the key of A. My son used a Noblet (which was a student model) last year in 7th grade band. It was at least as good as the Bundy I have kicking around.
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Author: Andrea Bergamin
Date: 1999-08-10 09:17
Some time ago I've seen a metal clarinet in a city-band in Valdagno in Italy where I'm from. It was called "clarina": in Italy sometime the clarinet is called "clarino" and "clarina" is the female!
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Author: Fred McKenzie
Date: 1999-08-10 19:16
Jim Coburn wrote:
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That's it! Anyone use them, compare them, love them or hate them?
Jim-
Just as with a wooden instrument, you need to find a good combination of reed and mouthpiece. The one I have appears to be cheaply made, but the sound quality is about as good as my wooden Selmers (Signet Special and Series 10G). Unfortunately it is pitched at A=445 Hz, and can't be adjusted to play all notes in tune at A=440 Hz.
Incidentally, I saw a metal Bass Clarinet on E-Bay, but it was called a "Saxophone"!
Fred
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Author: Fred McKenzie
Date: 1999-08-10 21:07
Fred McKenzie wrote:
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Incidentally, I saw a metal Bass Clarinet on E-Bay, but it was called a "Saxophone"!
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Thinking someone might be interested, I went back and found it again: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=144347498.
There may be one or more pieces missing.
Fred
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