The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2009-08-07 15:29
Two pictures down from there he is holding a Leblanc clarinet... not sure he ever played Leblanc. Anybody know for sure?
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-08-07 15:53
Several well known clarinetists did a little whoring for Leblanc. Bonade, for example, did a pamphlet and a full-page ad praising Leblanc to the skies, even though he probably never touched anything but a Buffet in concert. See http://www.morsax.com/bonade-ad.jpg and http://www.sophia2.somerville.ma.us/Bonadeweb.JPG..
Remember that in the 50s, when these shots were taken, even top orchestral players earned barely earn enough to live on. To buy a house and support a family, you had to set up a studio and run a continuous stream of students through. Any extra money was welcome, and if it involved posing with an instrument you didn't play, well, that's what you did.
At least Leblanc made good instruments. Those of us old enough to remember the early issues of The Clarinet (particularly the first series) will remember a long running ad for Vibrator reeds, with a photo of the jazz player Tony Scott, saying "I only use Vibrator reeds. They're the best." In fact, Vibrators were by far the worst reeds ever made.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Dileep Gangolli
Date: 2009-08-07 22:53
David,
I had heard something to that effect.
Someone who is close to the source should ask him now that he has no horses in the race.
And I bet that from behind a screen, with a good mouthpiece and good reed, if the metal clarinet sealed well and had good action, not many of us would hear the difference in a sample size of 100 players.
Wooden flutes were the norm for a long time till about 1930. Now wood playing flute players are outcasts and metal rules that world.
Perhaps Backun should come out with a metal clarinet to go with the cocobula wood barrels that they sell. Get Riccardo to play on them.
And then all of us would be playing on metal clarinets by 2015.
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-08-07 23:46
There's something wrong with the caption to that photo. Drucker wasn't a teenager in 1954. Maybe they meant 1945.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2009-08-08 00:21
Drucker did that ad for the Leblancs in the early 80's. I recall that in the ad with the cigar he was quoted as saying what a good instrument it was and that people will be playing it. However, he never said that he played it. I always got a laugh out of that.
Post Edited (2009-08-08 11:53)
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-08-08 12:49
At a recent master class, Stanley didn't get his clarinet out, probably because his intensity and speed would blow away any student he played for. I assume that it was the same way in the 70s class, and someone just handed him an instrument because the photographer wanted that pose.
A sure sign that it's not his Series 9 is that the ligature is set slightly high. He has always set the ligature as far down as it will go.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Avie
Date: 2009-08-09 20:21
It will be interesting to see who Drucker's successor will be. Metal clarinets were played in grammer school bands in the 40's.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2009-08-09 20:54
Avie wrote:
> Metal clarinets were played in grammer school bands in the
> 40's.
...and in the Swiss Army till the 70's. Then again, they were having bicycle regiments till 2001...
--
Ben
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