 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: RLarm
Date: 2014-04-03 02:59
On other bulletin boards I have seen the question asking readers for their favorite clarinetist. I thought I would take a different angle and ask if you have a clarinetist in mind that you feel should be getting more recognition than he/she is getting.
My nomination is Pascal Moragues. He is one of two principal clarinets with the Orchestre de Paris and one of two instructors at the Paris Conservatory. I recently watched a DVD in which he is playing principal for "The Firebird" and "The Rite of Spring." Pascal sounds "Divine" to say the least. (Is he playing on a Divine?) I asked a colleague in Paris why doesn't he get more recognition, especially in the US. He agreed and said that Pascal in his estimation is one of the finest players in the entire world. He added that Pascal keeps a rather low profile. You do not see him playing at various clarinet conventions and he doesn't record very often. Pascal just makes music and he does so at the very highest level possible.
P.S.: I think even the "clarinet curmudgeon" of the American Record Guide would like his playing.
RLarm (Woodwind Supervisor, Royal Hawaiian Band)
rlarm@hotmail.com
Post Edited (2014-04-03 03:24)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: seabreeze
Date: 2014-04-03 00:11
There are many great clarinetists who have not become household words to the concert-going public. Robert Listokin and Donald Montanaro come to mind. They both have or had very long playing careers and a wonderful insider's reputation as excellent teachers but are far from having become big names. Listokin's' students were fond of repeating that most of the big names did not play as well as he did. (If you know anything about students, you will know how rare this is!) Paul Cigan, second cl. in the National Orchestra, is a really fine soloist as well as orchestral player, yet his name is nearly obscure. Youtube features deeply musical and sonorous performances by him of the Mozart and Finzi concertos. He is, by the way, scheduled to perform this summer at the 2014 Clarinet Fest in Baton Rouge.
One of my all-time favorite clarinets was the French player Maurice Cliquenois, featured on the Angel LP 35079 with the Radiodiffusion Woodwind Quintet in ebullient performances of Hindemith's Klien Kammermusik and Ibert's Trios Pieces Breves. I often compared his performance in the Hindemith, especially those rapidly articulated descending solo passages on the lowest tones of the clarinet, with performances by the likes
of Gino Cioffi and Anthony Gigliotti. The latter two were good, even excellent--he was sublime.
Post Edited (2014-04-09 23:29)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-04-03 01:31
It seems Robert from your opening statements that the degree of "Unsungness," if you will, may be calculated as some ratio of ability to notoriety. Or to rephrase, so so recognized clarinetists with stratospheric ability can serve as candidates, as could really really really good ones (if not virtuosic ones) who are unknown.
This said I think Mate Bekavic http://matebekavac.com deserves mention. He does some Martin Frost like miracles with the clarinet, but is not out there for many to know, particularly in the States.
Post Edited (2014-04-03 19:45)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Exiawolf
Date: 2014-04-03 04:52
I nominate this man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8HkOR8yMSo . He has three beautiful videos, you should watch all of them . He even sent me a 20 minute long audio recording on tips to play in his style and a few tips for my playing. Quite an inspiration!
Mad World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8HkOR8yMSo
Rolling in the Deep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cERepdlchMw
It will Rain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcPlpFpWK6s
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ruben
Date: 2014-04-03 07:23
With Pascal Moraguès, you never get virtuosity for the sake of virtuosity. He has technique to spare, but technical passages always sound natural and effortless with him. If I had to express his "genius" (in the Latin sense of the word) in a word, that word would be "phrasing". Every phrase he plays in the orchestra is to stunning effect. He has played with the Orchestre de Paris since the ripe old age of 17 and teaches at the Paris Conservatory. As Robert said, he is never to be seen at any clarinet convention or as an adjudicator at competitions. He has recorded quite a bit of the standard great repertoire. He also has a wind quintet with two of his brothers.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: cigleris
Date: 2014-04-03 11:47
I second you Ruben. A fine musician. There are too many players that deserve some spotlight that don't always get it.
Peter Cigleris
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sax panther
Date: 2014-04-03 16:19
ThatPerfectReed - completely agree. Mate Bekavac is incredible. His performances of the Carmen Fantasy are mind blowing. Try watching a youtube video of it without your mouth hanging open all the way through.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2014-04-04 02:44
Gabriele Mirabassi
Go to Patricola clarinet's website (www.patricola.it) and listen to those sound bytes.....
I remember going by the Patricola booth at the 2010 Clarinetfest and he was playing there with a guitar player. Sounded FANTASTIC. Check out those sound bytes.
I know he was playing a rosewood patricola at the booth, but man I could listen to this guy for a LOOOONG time without getting tired.
Alexi
[EDIT] Video of said clarinetist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a4UGfuOvag
US Army Japan Band
Post Edited (2014-04-05 06:16)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-04-04 19:25
Posted before, but deserving repetition, a link to Mate Bekavac:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrS-CanzAtU
My only problem with this piece was that I was sight reading it the other day for the first time I found myself bored with the degree of ease of the music put before me. (Yeah--then I woke up.)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2014-04-04 15:55
Maybe it is the stream but all of his lower notes sound very nasal to me which if in fact that is true it is the instrument and not the player.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Pastor Rob
Date: 2014-04-05 15:27
I am not sure what unsung really means. Is Andy Miles unsung? I can't find any recordings of him, but he blow me away when I heard him play with the KBS Symphany here in Seoul.
Pastor Rob Oetman
Leblanc LL (today)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
