 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: david dow
Date: 2002-10-11 19:43
I just though I would recount a story to fellow BB members a story told to me by ny former teacher Horld Wright:
Prior to Mr. Wright-- a very fine clarinetist was Principal in Boston named Gino Cioffi. Cioffi had flawless technique and could play violin passages with ease and was noted as a real star in the 50s. After Munch died the Boston Symphony hired Leinsdorf to replace him. From the word go the relationship between Cioffi and the new maestro was pretty sour. In fact cioffi would actually take Leinsdorf to task on being unable to follow him. No matter, cioffi though I sound brilliant and so eventually a battle royal was fought in rehearsal and on stage constantly.
Eventually, Leinsdorf fired Cioffi and the Boston Symphony then held auditions. Of course, the auditions were held behind a curtain and Cioffi won the auditions. In the hall way the panel annonced clarinet player 34 won or whatever, and apparently Cioffi said to Leinsdorf you can't keep a good man down in spite of your ineptitude!!!!
Sincerely
David Dow
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Author: david dow
Date: 2002-10-11 19:46
Excuse me: should read after Munch left....
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Author: Bill
Date: 2002-10-11 20:17
If G. Cioffi is the clarinet player with the Boston Symphony who made records using a Selmer, then I have one Cioffi recording of the Brahms sonatas that is... just awful! Believe me, I am extremely hesitant to criticize an established professional, and I have a broad taste in clarinet "tone," but the Cioffi record is butchery. It just seemed like the completely wrong approach to the sonatas, with these full-on attacks and this cornet-like, unvaried sound. Very "athletic," but not too successful for the Brahms.
I'll listen again tonight after work. --Bill.
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2002-10-11 21:14
Gino Cioffi was an artist of the highest caliber.
His playing was totally unique and musically inspired.
I took 6 private lessons with Gino in the mid-60s, in Boston at his home.
He was both amusing and awesome as a teacher. He always demonstrated whatever he asked me to do, and always flawlessly.
He played a Selmer clarinet with an old crystal mouthpiece. Gino's tone, technique, and style were all his own. He knew what he wanted to do musically, and was always able to do it.
He was not brilliant, but very smart musically. He once demonstrated how to play the clarinet with the mouthpiece inverted (that is reed up). And he sounded beautiful!
He knew all the orchestral solos from memory, and most of the important clarinet studies. Gino could play every clarinet solo on his favorite Bb clarinet, hardly ever using his A clarinet. He played with great spirit and joy.
Gino Cioffi was an inspiring teacher and great player.
Thanks for all your good advice, Gino.
JJM
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Author: William
Date: 2002-10-11 21:45
"Gino could play every clarinet solo on his favorite Bb clarinet, hardly ever using his A clarinet."
John,is this a common practice among NYC pros??? I know that Ben Armato (the Reed Wizard guy) recommends transposing many A and C clarinet opera solos to the Bb clarinet in his book, "The Opera Clarinetist" to avoid intonation problems associated with instrument switching. Just wondering in Dairyland.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-10-11 21:56
Cioffi's Brahms Op. 120 # 2 is indeed badly out of tune. To hear him playing perfectly in tune, find the Monteux/Boston recording of the Tchaikovsky 5th from the late 1950s. The opening is the only version I've heard where you can't tell it's two people playing in unison -- a superb recording, with Cioffi in his prime. The LP cover has a photo of Monteux with his unmistakable walrus moustache.
Another gem is the Boston Wind Ensemble recording of several Strauss serenades for winds, conducted by Eric Simon. It's in a league by itself, and Cioffi is amazing.
There are some fine Cioffi war stories in Sherman Friedland's section. I'm not surprised he fought with conductors. He had a bubbling -- no, hot boiling -- operatic Italian personality.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: david dow
Date: 2002-10-12 00:35
Dear Ken:
Interesting to hear he did the Strauss serenades, that would be a real treat!
I would like to add that one of my favorite recordings of all time is his work on the Barok Concerto for Orchestra with Leinsdorf! His phrases are just inspired..
I concur with you about him in his prime,his playing is absolutely fantastic.
You are lucky to have had lessons with him, he is one of my all time favorite orchestral players!
Sincerely yours, David Dow
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Author: E. Thomas
Date: 2002-10-12 01:52
Cioffi was one of the finest players the BSO ever employed. One of my teachers, A. Duques, helped him with his plight of playing the clarinet with the mouthpiece inverted (upside down to us). Mr. Duques said he was one of the finest gentlemen he had known. His first engagement in the US was at the Metropolitan Opera House in the late 1940s, that was when he decided to turn the mouthpiece "right-side-up" as that was what he was seeing all around him in those, his early days in the USA. His son, Anthony studied at Juilliard with Mr. Duques around the same time that I was there, and he too was the perfect gentleman.
Re the statements above about the BSO auditions, I was one of the many, many who tried out for his job back in the spring of 1952. We played, one at a time, on the empty stage of Orchestra Hall. There was no curtain. Perhaps those who made the finals did play behind a curtain, but the preliminaries were right out front. I don't remember how many were auditioning, but it was a very high number, and Mr. Mazeo (sp.?) was there ushering us on and off the stage, one-by-one.
I had the good fortune to attend a reception later when the BSO was on the road and Mr. Ciofi and I talked about his son. He was so kind and curteous, and he was a great artist, no question about it - no matter what people may irresponsibly "opine" of that Brahms 2nd recording. I have no doubt that he could transpose anything put in front of him. He was educated in solfeggio from the beginning and possesed an imaculate technique. Being able to transpose is no big deal, but it does require lots of practice and it is often the only way one can get through some opera or symphonic literature without having to pick-up a cold clarinet, etc.
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Author: E. Thomas
Date: 2002-10-12 01:57
CORRECTION, PLEASE: courteous - rather that curteous. Sorry about that!! E.T.
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Author: david dow
Date: 2002-10-12 03:00
Dear E. Thomas:
Thanks for post. May Mr. Cioffi's playing live long in our memory. I am glad too his recordings in boston are available to the younger generation as well.
Sincerely
An avid Cioffi fan
David Dow
Saint John NB Canada
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Author: Bill F.
Date: 2002-10-17 00:51
Who lamented about this bulletin board going south? This exchange about Cioffi is characteristic of the best that I love about this bulletin board. It still lives!
--Bill (the guy, above, who didn't like the Cioffi Brahms)
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Author: jason.traiger@gmail.com
Date: 2025-10-18 18:11
I play a Selmer Series 9 Bb clarinet and GG crystal mouthpiece given to me in 1964 by Gino Cioffi while visiting him with my teacher (his graduate student from the New England Conservatory) in his Gainsborough Street apartment , Boston, MA. He played it for a while and asked me to use it for my upcoming recital at Brown Hall. (His playing was from an indescribable dimention of supurb.) He never asked that I return it even when I revisited him weeks later, but insisted I continue to play it as long as I need. Now, 61 years later, I'm still playing it, even with the GG mouthpiece! I played it in orchestras, jazz bands, ensembles, and venues of all sorts and in retirement on Florida's southwest Gulf coast. Also, I still play clarinet using the double-lip embrouchure, taught to me by his graduate student (my teacher). Once in a while, I'll tune up playing the mouthpiece upside down (the Labanchi method) and prompting other clarinetists to amusingly ask, "what are you doing"?
I remember the Cioffi vs. Leinsdorf incidents, particularly during andd after rehearsals at Tanglewood in the mid-1960's; very memorable times for young clarinetists in Boston.
Jason Traiger
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Author: jason.traiger@gmail.com
Date: 2025-10-18 18:15
I play a Selmer Series 9 Bb clarinet and GG crystal mouthpiece given to me in 1964 by Gino Cioffi while visiting him with my teacher (his graduate student from the New England Conservatory) in his Gainsborough Street apartment , Boston, MA. He played it for a while and asked me to use it for my upcoming recital at Brown Hall. (His playing was from an indescribable dimention of supurb.) He never asked that I return it even when I revisited him weeks later, but insisted I continue to play it as long as I need. Now, 61 years later, I'm still playing it, even with the GG mouthpiece! I played it in orchestras, jazz bands, ensembles, and venues of all sorts and in retirement on Florida's southwest Gulf coast. Also, I still play clarinet using the double-lip embrouchure, taught to me by his graduate student (my teacher). Once in a while, I'll tune up playing the mouthpiece upside down (the Labanchi method) and prompting other clarinetists to amusingly ask, "what are you doing"?
I remember the Cioffi vs. Leinsdorf incidents, particularly during andd after rehearsals at Tanglewood in the mid-1960's; very memorable times for young clarinetists in Boston.
Jason Traiger
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Author: ruben
Date: 2025-10-19 13:18
I listened, on youtube, to Cioffi playing Brahms and was disappointed. His tone sounds harsh and his phrasing is pedestrian. But the again, this might be due to the mediocre acoustic quality of the recording. That said, there have been great orchestral players that weren't extraordinary chamber players.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Erez Katz
Date: 2025-10-20 22:59
I listened to the Brahms, I think there were technical issues with the recording, like poor microphone placement and the clarinet overwhelming the equipment.
There are spectacular Boston Symphony recordings with Charles Munch, like Saint Saens Organ Symphony, that I think offer better testament to Gino Cioffi's musicianship and perhaps it would be better to focus on that.
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Author: brycon
Date: 2025-10-21 01:11
Chris,
Thanks for posting that recording! I love discovering older recordings: always so fascinating! The metronomic vibrato in the oboe, sticking out like crazy when it should be a secondary line, I found very charming. The clarinet, of course, sounds beautiful. So much character in the playing that the sharp throat-tone A at the end of the phrase doesn't even really bother me.
Even though current musicians have more polish in terms of intonation, blending, etc., the personality in older recordings is really something, and, at least from my perspective, I'd happily trade some polish for a bit more character!
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2025-10-21 03:22
The Dvorak passage is gorgeous. That whole ensemble under Munch was capable of exalted playing. I've treasured some of their recordings over the years.
Sonically, Cioffi's Brahms sonata recording (on YT) is, as Erez wrote, strange. It almost sounds like the original levels were bad, and then a less than 100% fix was applied.
The Brahms trio is also on YT, and that's better recorded and a very nice performance. Both Brahms performances are within my listener's enjoyment spectrum interpretively. The sonata - both Brahms's clarinet sonatas - greatly benefit from a strong pianist and a shared, well-rehearsed understanding between players, and maybe that context could have been improved.
Kind of often in the trio, and occasionally in the Sonata, Cioffi plays notes out of tune. Usually, it's at the end of a diminuendo phrase. Example, the last note of the sonata's first movement, yikes. Could that be by expressive intent? I'd like to know the dates of those recordings.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-10-21 13:23
There's plenty of solos and duets going around in the Dvorak which makes it by far one of my favourite concertos, but the 3rd movement has this duet between the clarinet and cello that's another significant moment:
https://youtu.be/RAsNvOpvIa8?si=2HvqgE0knAzyywT-&t=1917
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2025-10-21 15:53
Cioffi had a great ringing tone across the instrument that you rarely hear any more. It is lovely to listen to some of the great players from 40+ years ago and beyond. There were many whose great tone and resonance could sing above an orchestra with ease and great clarity. I miss hearing that kind of ring in the sound.
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Author: jim sclater
Date: 2025-10-21 17:03
Thanks to Chris for posting the Dvorak recording with Cioffi. Simply gorgeous playing. My teacher in college studied with Cioffi "back in the day." Wish he had taught me to sound like that!
jsclater@comcast.net
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