 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Neckstrap
Date: 2022-02-06 00:04
Hi all,
Have we all heard the stipulation that boehm clarinet players aren't welcome in Germany/austria/vienna where the national clarinet tradition is different? Has anyone actually experienced this? Does anyone have any stories of a boehm or US player winning a blind audition where one would typically expect, say, an oehler clarinetist to play?
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Author: EricBlack
Date: 2022-02-06 00:41
In many of the German audition notices I’ve seen them specify that you must be playing a “German system” instrument. I doubt they are actively checking instruments at the door, (maybe they are, I have no idea), but I also doubt there are very many players who have decided to risk spending the time, money, and energy to prepare and travel for one of these auditions with that clause stated in the job posting.
Here’s an example of a german audition post: https://www.musicalchairs.info/jobs/35587?ref=4
You can see that they mention right away the audition is for “german system.”
There are people who have decided to make the switch from Boehm of course. Blaz Sparovec won the Nielsen competition in 2019 playing on some version of a German System instrument. He can be seen in earlier videos from his career playing on French system instruments. He is principal clarinetist of the Gürzenich-Orchestra Cologne in Germany. Whether he switched systems to be able to take German auditions, or he switched because he won an audition and wanted to better fit into the orchestra, I do not know, but if anyone does know, I would be very curious to hear!
Edit: Or he might have switched just because he liked the system better (or any other similar reason.)
Post Edited (2022-02-06 03:21)
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2022-02-06 02:43
Dirk Altman has played principal clarinet in the SWR Symphonie Orchestra in Stuttgart, Germany since 1985. He plays a French style Boehm clarinet made by the oboe maker Josef in Japan. I believe Altman began clarinet study with Karl Leister on a German system but later switched to Boehm because he preferred it. It's hard to think of anybody else who has done something similar in the German clarinet world. Chen Halevi has been accepted in Germany as a teacher (he plays Selmer Boehms) but I'm not sure if he has a regular orchestral position there. Sharon Kam is a famous clarinet soloist residing in Germany, and she performs on Buffet R13 clarinets but is not a regular member of any German orchestra that I am aware of.
Post Edited (2022-02-06 03:36)
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Author: brycon
Date: 2022-02-06 03:18
Quote:
Chen Halevi has been accepted in Germany as a teacher...
"Accepted." Sure, after many German and Austrian clarinetists as well as a German clarinet society sent letters to his conservatory's administrators pressuring them to reconsider his employment.
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Author: donald
Date: 2022-02-06 03:46
About 15 years ago my wife won an audition for a German orchestra playing Boehm system clarinet. After they found out who she was they decided she needed to play another round on her own to convince everyone, and they basically kept asking for excerpt after excerpt until she made a mistake. Finally, they had a reason not to hire her.
Another player I know (now a college teacher in USA but formerly Principal clarinet of an international level orchestra) played for a year in Germany as "Acting Principal" of a fairly major symphony (back in 1990s) and was told not to bother auditioning for the job (after doing it successfully for a year!!!!)
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Author: prigault
Date: 2022-02-06 06:19
Although not in a orchestral position, Philipp Dreisbach (1891-1980), one of the great german clarinetists of the 1920s, who taught clarinet in Stuttgart's Hochschule and was considered the heir of Richard Mühlfeld, premiered Reger's clarinet quintet in 1916, Krenek's serenade Op.4 in 1921, and who was the dedicatee of Hindemith's clarinet quintet (1923), played a Boehm clarinet all his life.
The reason: he was an alsatian, born in Strasbourg when Alsace was part of Germany (between the wars of 1870 and 1918). The Strasbourg conservatory had kept its french heritage throughout that period and taught him the Boehm system, then he moved to Stuttgart to become a teacher there.
In this article (in german), he even said that he actually got to know Oehler, who once said to him: "I cannot understand why the german clarinettists are standing so much against this excellent Boehm system."
https://www.moeck.com/uploads/tx_moecktables/1978-3.pdf_S._169-173.pdf
This article contains many interesting things, including a letter from Hindemith to Dreisbach and a fascinating drawing by Hindemith of an imaginary clarinet destined to him.
Post Edited (2022-02-06 06:27)
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Author: RefacerMan
Date: 2022-02-06 08:52
Marina Sturm was principal clarinet of the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra for a couple of years playing Boehm system clarinets.
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Author: JTJC
Date: 2022-02-06 13:37
Matthew Hunt, an English boehm player, has been in the The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen since 2007. He’s also played with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, who usually use reform boehm players.
I believe some years ago the Berlin Phil we’re trying boehm players, including Alessandro Carbonare. They seem to have given up on that one.
I’ve always wondered how the Vienna Phil, who insist on Viennese instruments, can find players of the necessary quality when the available pool of those instruments must be quite small, compared to that for boehm players. Mind you, while I’m sure they were wonderful players, I’ve not been impressed by a few of their previous players.
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2022-02-06 18:17
Ricardo Morales played principal clarinet of the Berlin Philharmonic as a guest. I wish I knew more details. Several years ago, I read somewhere online that he was offered a more permanent position there, but since I'm not finding that statement now it seems dubious.
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2022-02-06 18:40
In the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra today, 3 of the 5 clarinetists play French Boehms (Buffets) and 2 play Reform Boehms.
https://www.facebook.com/RCOclarinet/
Co-principals: Calogero Palermo plays Buffet Legend and Buffet RC Prestige; Olivier Patey plays Buffet Tosca. Bass clarinet and clarinet: Davide Lattuada plays Buffet Tosca. 2nd cl: Hein Wiedijk plays Schwenke and Segelte Reform Boehm. Eb cl. and cl: Arne Piters plays Leitner and Kraus Reform Boehm.
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Author: JTJC
Date: 2022-02-07 00:10
Thanks seabreeze. I’d understood that Patey had changed to reform bohem in order to get the job in Concertgebouw. Do you know when the orchestra dropped the requirement to play reform?
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2022-02-07 00:54
Very short answer: Since around 2010 (or easlier) Reform Boehm clarinets have not been required in the Concertgebow.
Details:
The Reform-Boehm clarinet was a staple in the Concertgebouw orchestra at least since George Pieterson's time. Before Pieterson, starting around 1930, Bram DeWilde began his stint as principal clarinet under Mengelberg. DeWilde played a Schmidt-Kolbe modified German system. He remained in the orchestra under Van Beinum at least until the early 60s(?) and George Pieterson followed him, playing a Wurlitzer Reform Boehm. Jacques Meertens came in later as principal, also on a Reform Boehm. Around 2010 Andraes Sunden from Sweden joined the section (as co-principal) and played Buffet French Boehms for his approximately 4-years' stay. Merteens left in April 2015, and a few months later Olivier Patey joined the orchestra, Buffet French Boehm clarinet firmly in hand along with a pair of S & S boxwood regular Boehm clarinets as a gift from the Concertgebouw!
So, short answer, at least since Andraes Sunden in 2010 (or earlier?) Reform Boehms have not been required in the Concertgebouw.
Post Edited (2022-02-08 02:33)
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2022-02-07 13:56
Philip, if I remember correctly from an on-line interview with Wenzel Fuchs, while he for some time was the only principal and before Andreas O joined him as co-principal, he could invite whomever he wished as a guest - filling up the then vacant co-principal position. That was how Ricardo was invited (along with others), but I don't think a permanent position was ever offered to him.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2022-02-07 23:39
Andreas Sunden won the audition for principal clarinet in the Concertgebouw in 2009. In the season before that various guests had been invited to play principal because of the vacancy, many of them playing on Boehm clarinets. Davide Lattuada was already playing Boehm in the orchestra before then (I believe he joined in 2006).
Post Edited (2022-02-07 23:41)
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