 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: HautboisJJ
Date: 2006-03-26 16:45
I have never heard Harold Wright play and i was astonished when i heard him play the Schubert Unfinished solo on an internet interview. (It didnt even have CD quality but still it was amazing!) It strucked me because it was so simple yet so beau-ti-ful, i am an oboist so i am quite familiar with that particular excerpt for oboe and clarinet and have gone through countless recordings of that particular section. One thing that left such a big impression on me was how he applied vibrato. It was like 'WHY OF COURSE, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE DONE SO!'. I know it has been widely discussed on this board but what made the culture so 'vibratoless' for orchestral clarinetists? It seems that the American school of playing grants more 'freedom' in some sense. I would like to learn about vibrato in terms of classical music and especially orchestral playing for clarinetists for the past 10, 20 years or so and how it has changed now. Thank you!!!
Howard
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2006-03-26 18:19
I think vibrato is fine, when tastefully applied. Problem is that, on clarinet, bad vibrato sounds REALLY bad, and even mediocre vibrato sounds pretty nasty, so we seem to have collectively decided that, for the greater good, it shouldn't be used. More than other instruments, clarinet vibrato heavily wavers the pitch of the note.
I use it probably more often than most people (almost never in a clarinet-in-a-clarinet-section setting), but am very subtle about it, so many listeners just notice a bit of shimmer if anything.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Ed
Date: 2006-03-27 01:22
As I read the previous posts, I was thinking about how Wright did not overuse vibrato- it merely added a life, a buoyancy, color and shimmer to his sound. Sometimes you hear a player with vibrato and it overwhelms the sound. In Wright's case, you almost notice as an after thought that it is there.
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Author: Wind Player
Date: 2006-03-27 02:46
"No vibrato"
A tradition started not-so-much by Bonade himself, but through him and his students, such as A. Gigliotti.
I am the product of this tradition, but I have to admit, an appropriately placed vibrato is a wonderful thing.
How do we know how much vibratro is "appropriate?" I think it is subjective to personal taste.
That said- because of respect for my teacher and his, A. Gigliotti, I probably won't use much in the future.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-03-27 11:24
On flute, oboe and sax I use vibrato freely, but on the flute and oboe I use a diaphragm vibrato which is the norm and on sax a jaw vibrato. Only on clarinet do I rarely use vibrato - only when doing 'Begin the Beguine' or any clarinet playing with big bands where I use a jaw vibrato, but definitely not a wide vibrato that interferes with the tone.
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2006-03-27 12:39
Wright was a student of McLane.
Wright's vibrato is unique, and my own present teacher describes it as "spinning" the tone.
IMO no one does it better.
More importantly, does anyone know if he achieved it with his embrouchure or from the throat or diaphragm?
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2006-03-27 16:37
I studied with Harold Wright for four years and in that time we had some pretty long discussions on vibrato and so called "straight" tone. His feelings were there is no totally perfect ideal in approaching this subject because in his word "sound is manufacutured by a human...not some sine wave generator as some players are."
Mr. Wright felt that a straight tone does not mean a better sound in a more "even" sound.
IN many regards the clarinet is the odd one out because most wind instrruments including brass use some time of vibrato at one time or another ....
While some feel vibrato is "wrong" I employ vibrato at times in unisons with flutes and oboes just because they are...not because I am trying to create an effect but rather to blend with section mates and to caibrate my tone with their tone........
there are some pieces where vibrato in my opinion diminishes the music and of course there is a arguement in many ways for and against any idea. However, I do feel the sound of the clarinet must be made to be interesting musically and a straight dull tone with no dynamics is not making music...thats why I still have all of Kell, Brymer, and of course David Glazer's records...I also feel the subject is a bit of a conundrum....
David Dow
Post Edited (2006-03-27 16:39)
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Author: rgames
Date: 2006-03-27 17:01
I always thought the clarinet sounded better without vibrato because it lacks the octave overtone (which is very prevalent in the other winds). So it comes a lot closer to a "pure" sound than the other wind instruments; avoiding vibrato focuses the listener on the tone, itself, and emphasizes that unique characteristic.
Historically, the "Viennese" style of Oboe playing uses no vibrato - anybody with comments on that?
rgames
____________________________
Richard G. Ames
Composer - Arranger - Producer
www.rgamesmusic.com
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Author: HautboisJJ
Date: 2006-03-27 18:26
Historically would be terribly long ago. Players nowadays (even before the days of Sir. George Solti conducting the VPO in the 70s) apply vibrato and i have heard many records of the Vienna Philharmonic oboes playing with subtle vibrato, much like how Mr. Harold would do so on the clarinet. Beautiful. By the way Pierre Boulez's recording of the Mahler 3rd symphony with the VPO is astounding, perfect woodwind and brass playing.
Tone is one thing, but i always sought Arnold Jacob's teachings (was it him?) as a guideline, it is not how the tone should be, it's how the tone is used to play music, how it is shaped and 'told in a story'. That is why i admire Mr. Harold's playing so much, it was not his tone that attracted me, it was how he used his tone to performed that particular solo.
Howard
*p.s: David, was it diaphragm or throat or lip vibrato?
Post Edited (2006-03-27 19:18)
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2006-03-29 12:06
Harold Wright employed a very slight light vibrato and used the diaphram for this...as far as his personal preference for reed and mouthpieces no matter what he played on he always sounded great...however it is useless for players to go out and emulate a great by playing on the exact same set up as our mentor's did. In fact our body shape and approach to embouchure and music give us our individual 'sound'.
At Sunnybrook summer music school I had the great fortune to also study under David Glazer who also performed with a distinct tone and a very interesting approach to vibrato. He again was very different in terms of tone from Wright especially up close.
David Dow
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Author: graham
Date: 2006-03-29 14:20
DD. Can you expand a bit on the differences between Glazer and Wright, especially in how they sounded when close up?
Thanks
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Author: MSK
Date: 2006-03-30 01:13
I am no expert on vibrato. I just had to say that the woodwind solos in that piece are among my absolute favorites. They are technically so simple, but so beautiful when played with beautiful tone as Wright does! I had to remain in my parked car day before yesterday, just to hear the end of the 2nd movement on public radio.
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Author: Vic
Date: 2006-03-30 15:39
Disclaimer: I personally enjoy the sound of the oboe and have the greatest respect for oboe players.
I have a copy of an interview with Robert Marcellus wherein he said that oboe players had to use vibrato, "....... because no one can stand the sound of the instrument without it."
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