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Re: Russianoff clarinet method

Author: Buster
Date: 2011-11-18 04:39

Tony M,

As I wrote, I feel most importantly:

"How can someone apply his books in their own development without the context that only he could provide? Was this written only to be used by his former/current students?"

-and-

"It could be misconstrued as saying "keep an 'open mind' as long as you open your mind in the Russianoff way" to those of us that did not have the fortune to know the man."

You are supporting what I say, though inadvertently.

(-It needs be said I wish not to devalue Russianoff, nor his contributions. That is in no way the intent of what I said as you have misinterpreted, incorrectly, what I wrote. I made sure to keep any concrete terms or descriptors out of it.)

As you wrote:

>"If a person reads a book by someone that don't know or is dead then all that they can do is apply his books to their own development. They read and take note or they read and ignore. The third possibility is that they read and misunderstand, but there aren't a lot of options really. That is what reading is.

We can never know the intention behind the writing of a book unless we are explicitly told (and we believe what we are told). If it is for former/current students only and it leaks into the wider world then tough **** on the author. They should have realised that they were writing a book and not a billet-doux.">

Quite so. I understand what reading is, thus why I perhaps attempted to construct a posting that would push a less-educated clarinetist to seek the context in which the work lies. This is not James Joyce; and we are not seeking "true authorial-intent" as if it even exists. Yet, we Do have the fortune of being able to speak to former students of Russianoff to place a context for the books to reside in.

Yet, the description of him as the "open" minded teacher by his students, and being told by some of his blind devotees to have an "open mind" are two quite differing things. (I do not recall reading anything from Russianoff's pen telling me to have an open mind.)

Far too often I see it told that We need maintain an "open mind" as he did by his devotees, and then guided to rush out and hoard his books. The "open-mindedness" with which he approached his students is a wholly differing matter than that, and comes from a diametrically opposed direction to getting at the heart of things. That was what made him as gifted a teacher as he was purported to be. That is where the "open mind" truly lies. The blind devotion to his written methodology in some way devalues the true spirit of the man himself. HE does not truly lie in those cold and lifeless pages.

With the questions I wrote, actually having the books, I was perhaps trying to spur questioning in others as to why They worship Russianoff's literature as such. Again this is not an attack on him- but a push for others to perhaps question themselves; and maybe grow even more.

That you assert I hold the view one should not read the works of any "Master" is a bit insulting, or speaks to a misunderstanding of what I said at the very least. Encouraging others to read and glean is important- but the context is helpful if anything of true value will arise in the realm of "clarineting".

This goes for the writings of any Golden-Calf, not just Leon Russianoff, may he rest in peace.

-Jason

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Russianoff clarinet method new

donald

2005-07-19 01:56