Author: William
Date: 2002-07-15 14:57
Count my vote, also, for Greg Smith's mpcs. I have a Ched Model #1 and a Cicero Kaspar model that both play well. However, it is important to remember that your own tonal concept is the most important factor in your own pesonal sound and you should not rely on the mouthpiece alone for a "quality" sound. Bernard Portnoy (a master mouthpiece maker and supurb clarinetist) and Larry Combs (Pricipal clarinet, Chicago Symphony Orch) have both stated that no matter whose mouthpiece you play, you will eventually wind up sounding like yourself. The sound that you "have in your head" will always surface, eventually. Wouldn't it be nice if, we wanted to sound like Harold Wright, to simply play the same mouthpiece he did?? A new mouthpiece will make a difference in tonal quality for a short time, but eventually the "inner sound" will emerge. What is more important in mpc selection, should be articulative response, flexability from soft to loud, and "reed friendliness." And, of course, it shouldnn't make you sound like an out of tune duck. But then, if all you listen to are high altitude mallards and teal.......
Personally, I think that good intonation, flawless technique and tasteful musicial expression are far more important than "good" sound. Our local college wind ensemble conductor and youth symphony conductor, often offeres to his students that, "an in-tune sound is a pretty sound." Translation--play in tune and sound good.
Bottom line: Pick the mouthpiece that lets you play in tune, maintains its tonal focus throughout your clarinets playing range and lets you be most musically expressive.
(Perhaps that mallard could make principal chair if it would just tune up and qwack right)
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