Professional Documents
Culture Documents
September 2006
Features
ABOUT THE COVER
The clarinet section of the Orchestra THE CLARINET TEACHING OF KEITH STEIN PART 16: TONE QUALITY, CONTINUED
dellAccademia Nazionale di Santa Ce- by David Pino ..........................................................................................................................................................32
cilia (l to r): Simone Sirugo, Alessandro THE JEANJEANS AND THE CLARINET by Jean-Marie Paul .......................................................................38
Carbonare, Stefano Novelli and Davide
Lattuada (photo: Riccardo Musacchio) THE MOVIES OF BENNY GOODMAN A PICTORIAL RETROSPECTIVE, TAKE 4
by James Gillespie ....................................................................................................................................................44
Alea Publishing & Recording....................................34 THE BASS CLARINETISTS WORKBOOK, PT. II by David Bourque .........................................................54
Alexanders Wind Instrument Center........................93
Ben Armato .................................................................7
Backun Musical Services ................................50 & 51, EARLY CLARINET PEDAGOGY FOR MODERN PERFORMERS PART IV:
Inside Back Cover INSTRUMENT AND REED SELECTION by Luc Jackman .............................................................................56
Charles Bay ...............................................................39
Behn Mouthpieces International................................13
Kristin Bertrand Woodwind Repair...........................65 THE CLARINETISTS OF THE ORCHESTRA DELLACCADEMIA NAZIONALE
Brannen Woodwinds .................................................80 DI SANTA CECILIA by James Gillespie ...............................................................................................................60
Buffet Crampon USA, Inc.........Inside Front Cover, 97
CalArts School of Music ...........................................93
ChopSaver .................................................................52 FROM TOKYO TO OSAKA VIA CHICAGO: AN INTERVIEW WITH NOBUYUKI KANAI,
Cleveland Institute of Music......................................37 PRINCIPAL CLARINETIST OF THE OSAKA PHILHARMONIC by Richard W. Fletcher ........................66
The Crane School of Music .......................................65
Crystal Records .........................................................68
J. DAddario Rico Reeds ....................................100 THE BRAHMS SONATAS AN EXAMINATION OF THE MANUSCRIPTS by Mitchell Estrin ............70
The Davie Cane Company.........................................24
DePaul University School of Music ..........................29 KUSTI AERILA, KAJANUSS CLARINETIST by Paavo Helist ...................................................................74
Expert Woodwind Service, Inc..................................26
Gold Branch Music, Inc.............................................63
Ithaca College School of Music.................................83 PAST MEMORY: JOSEP TALENS SEBASTIA by Enrique Prez Piquer .......................................................78
Last Resort Music......................................................55
Leblanc (Conn-Selmer).................Outside Back Cover PETE FOUNTAIN RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE..............................................................................82
Lisas Clarinet Shop ..................................................69
Departments
Luyben Music Co. .....................................................23
Midwest Musical Imports..........................................80
Muncy Winds ............................................................64
Naylors Custom Wind Repair ..................................12
New York University.................................................27
Richard Nunemaker.....................................................9 TEACHING CLARINET by Michael Webster .......................................................................................................6
Olivieri Reeds ............................................................94
Ongaku Records, Inc. ..................................................5 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING .........................................................................................................................11
Orsi & Weir ...............................................................49
Patricola Fratelli SNS ................................................83
Pomarico....................................................................18 CLARINOTES....................................................................................................................................................12
Bernard Portnoy.........................................................88
Quodlibet. Inc. ...........................................................43 AUDIO NOTES by William Nichols ......................................................................................................................14
Rast Music .................................................................55
RedwineJazz ........................................................53, 64
Reeds Australia..........................................................35 CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS.................................................................................................................18
Rice University ..........................................................21
L. Rossi......................................................................17 HISTORICALLY SPEAKING by Deborah Check Reeves...............................................................................20
San Francisco Conservatory of Music.......................62
Sayre Woodwinds......................................................59
LETTER FROM THE U.K. by Paul Harris .......................................................................................................22
Selmer Paris (Conn-Selmer)........................................4
Tap Music Sales ........................................................47
U.S. Army....................................................................2 QUINTESSENCE THE WIND QUINTET INFORMANT NO. 29
UMBC Department of Music ....................................39 by Bruce M. Creditor, Wind Quintet Editor ..................................................................................................................24
University of Delaware................................................7
University of Denver Lamont School of Music ........16
University of Georgia School of Music.....................57 INDUSTRY PROFILES A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN: LEBLANC AND BACKUN
University of South Carolina IS A RECIPE FOR INNOVATION by Paul Globus ..........................................................................................28
School of Music.....................................................58
Van Cott Information Services ..................................96 REVIEWS ...........................................................................................................................................................84
Vandoren ...................................................................98
Wehrs Music House .................................................65
Wichita Band Instrument Co. ....................................64 RECITALS AND CONCERTS .........................................................................................................................94
The Woodwind and Brasswind..................................55
Woodwindiana, Inc....................................................43 MUSICAL CHAIRS...........................................................................................................................................95
Working the Single Reed: A Tutorial........................53
Yamaha Corporation of America ..............................99
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE by Lee Livengood ...........................................................................................96
MEMBERSHIP FEES
Great Britain: David Campbell, 83, Woodwarde Road, London SE22 8UL, England, 44 (0)20 8693 5696 (phone/fax),
E-mail: <david@dcampbell94.freeserve.co.uk>
Greece: Paula Smith Diamandis, S. Petroula 5, Thermi 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece, E-mail: <sdiamand@otenet.gr>
Hong Kong: Andrew Simon, 14B Ying Pont Building, 69-71A Peel Street, Hong Kong (011) 852 2987 9603 (phone), Student: $25 (U.S. dollars)/one year; $45 (U.S. dollars)/two years
E-mail <clarinetsolo@netvigator.com>, <www.AndrewSimon.net> Regular: $50 (U.S. dollars)/one year; $95 (U.S. dollars)/two years
Hungary: Jzsef Balogh, Bcsi u. 88/90.1/31, H-1034 Budapest, Hungary, 36 1 388 6689 (phone/fax), Institutional: $50 (U.S. dollars)/one year; $95 (U.S. dollars)/two years
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Ireland: Tim Hanafin, Orchestral Studies Dept., DIT, Conservatory of Music, Chatham Row, Dublin 2, Ireland, Please use International Money Order or check drawn on U.S. bank only. Send payment to:
353 1 4023577 (fax), 353 1 4023599 (home phone), E-mail: <Timothy.Hanafin@dit.ie> The International Clarinet Association, So Rhee, P.O. Box 1310, Lyons, CO 80540 USA.
Israel: Eva Wasserman-Margolis, Weizman 6, Apt. 3, Givatayim, Israel 53236, E-mail: <margoli@netvision.net.il> Copyright 2006, INTERNATIONAL CLARINET ASSOCIATION
Italy: Luigi Magistrelli, Via Buonarroti 6, 20010 S. Stefano Ticino (Mi), Italy, 39/(0) 2 97 27 01 45 (phone/fax), ISSN 0361-5553 All Rights Reserved
E-mail: <lumagist@tiscalinet.it> Published quarterly by the INTERNATIONAL CLARINET ASSOCIATION
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(fax), Web site: <http://www.jp-clarinet.org/contents/>, E-mail: <jcs.E0@jp-clarinet.org> Views expressed by the writers and reviewers in The Clarinet are not necessarily those of the staff of the journal or of the International Clarinet Association
T
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, VANCOUVER JULY 48, 2007
he International Clarinet Association will hold its ClarinetFest 2007, a symposium and festival devoted to the clarinet, at the
University of British Columbia, co-sponsored by the UBC School of Music, July 48, 2007. The program directors are Wes
Foster and Cris Inguanti. The program for the conference will include a series of scholarly papers and presentations. The
Association solicits proposals for presentations (such as papers or lecture-recitals) on any topic related to the clarinet. The use of live
or recorded performance is acceptable; however, presentations whose sole aim is performance are discouraged. Presentations should
be designed to be no more than 25 minutes in length. Those giving presentations must register for the conference.
Presenters on the program in 2006 are ineligible for 2007. Each person is limited to one proposal.
Prizes will be offered by the I.C.A. as follows: First place paper, $500 and guaranteed publication in The Clarinet journal (sub-
ject to editing); and second place paper, $300. To submit a proposal, send the following:
1. SIX copies of an abstract, one page only, fully describing the content of the proposed paper or lecture-recital. The name or
identification of the author must not appear on the proposal.
2. ONE copy of an author identification sheet containing the authors name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail address, if
applicable. Please list all equipment needs for the proposed presentation. This sheet should also contain a biographical sketch of
the author (limited to 150 words), as you would like it printed in the conference program.
The above materials must be received by January 15, 2007. Please send to Dr. John Cipolla, I.C.A. Research Presentation
Committee Chair, Department of Music, Western Kentucky University 1906 College Heights Blvd. #41029, Bowling Green, KY
42101-1029. For more information, write or call John Cipolla at (270) 745-7093 or by electronic mail: <john.cipolla@wku.edu>.
EXAMPLE 1
Michael Webster
C
quick, unmeasured type.
gress by the professor of clarinet at Rice Groups of more than one grace note may or may not have a slash, but are performed
Universitys Shepherd School of Music. quickly either way. A trill can be viewed as an extended repetition of grace notes, alternat-
ing quickly between the printed note and the note above, and notated with the abbreviation
oncerto gigs for most clarinetists tr above the printed note. The upper note can be either a half step or a whole step above
are few and far between, but the the printed note, dictated by the key signature. Deviations from the key signature are indi-
big moment has arrived, you and cated with an accidental sign in the form of a small sharp, flat, or natural above the note or
the orchestra are well prepared, and the to the right of the tr notation, sometimes in parentheses. Rapid alternation of any interval
triumphant coda of the third movement is wider than a major second is no longer called a trill, rather a tremolo and is notated differ-
catapulting toward an exultant conclusion. ently. Tremolos and trills requiring the motion of more than one finger will be the subject
Amidst a cascade of flashing notes, you of future articles.
anticipate the composers final virtuosic In order to achieve the three qualities listed above, the finger must stay close and light.
gesture, launch into a long, high trill, and The speed of the grace note guarantees closeness when the finger lifts because it is impos-
the audience erupts into a standing ova- sible to lift the finger high and keep the grace note short. Conversely, the speed of the grace
tion. You have just experienced the Trill note guarantees lightness when the finger drops because it is impossible to press hard and
of Victory! keep the grace note short. So, in the first case, concentrate on staying light and the close-
Trills can be fun and brilliant, awkward ness will take care of itself (as long as the grace note is really short!). In the second case
and unrewarding, very easy or very diffi- concentrate on staying close and the lightness will take care of itself. This exercise is not
EXAMPLE 3
A short piece of Baroque music, such as Ballo by Handel (Example 6) can offer trilling practice for most of the fingers.
In Examples 4 and 5, the grace notes morph into a trill. Example 4 adds a finger tap to
Example 2, creating four grace notes before the main note with continued emphasis on
speed, concise motion, and light action.
EXAMPLE 5
In Example 5 we stop counting taps to create true trills which end on the next scalar note.
Practice the thumb last, adding GF and F E as we did after Example 2. Limiting the length
of a trill allows one to gain speed and evenness without overly tiring the finger.
EXAMPLE 6
Measure 5 introduces the next chal- turn, but that can be confused with the
lenge: rounding out a trill with a Nachsch- four-note ornament it traditionally defines.
lag, which can be printed as grace notes, or Use Example 7 to practice the Nachschlag,
(as in this case) quick measured notes. In adapting it to every one-finger trill. It trains
German, Nachschlag means literally after the fingers to blend the trill directly into
the beat, and I have never heard a good the Nachschlag without stopping on the
English translation. Groves Dictionary uses main note of the trill.
EXAMPLE 7
classified advertising
be the solution. And once again you may
experience The Trill of Victory.
WEBSTERS WEB
Your feedback and input are valuable
to our readership. Please send comments
and questions to Websters Web at All ads submitted for The Clarinet should be: 1. Typewritten, double-spaced; 2. As
<mwebster@rice.edu> or Michael Web- concisely worded as possible; 3. Non-commercial in nature and limited to the sale and
ster, Shepherd School of Music, MS-532, trade of personally owned instruments, music, accessories, etc.; 4. Submitted to the
P.O. Box 1892, Houston TX 77251-1892;
Editor by the advertising deadlines listed on page 3. Placed by members of the I.C.A.
fax 713-348-5317; Web site: <www.ruf.
rice.edu/~mwebster>. only. Each ad will run only one issue unless the Editor is otherwise advised.
As I write, my wife, flutist Leone Buyse,
and I are flying home from an Australian FOR SALE: Selmer Paris basset horn. Little used and in perfect condition. Set up
tour that included concerts, master classes,
and maintained by Morrie Backun. Serial number D 3040. Includes a Viotto G2 mouth-
and workshops in Sydney, Newcastle,
Adelaide, and Brisbane. North of Brisbane piece that really makes the horn sing, and a very complete collection of basset horn
we visited Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwins chamber music, largely Mozart and Mendelssohn. Price $5,000 U.S. firm. Contact
Australia Zoo, where the slogan is Crocs Chuck Currie at <reedguy@telus.net> or 604/254-9625.
rule! Elsewhere in Australia hospitality
rules, and we were treated royally by
every single clerk, waiter, cabbie, or pas-
FOR SALE: Clarinet and Miscellaneous Materials. Being sold by retired profes-
serby, not to mention our hosts: flutist sional symphony clarinetist and college teacher. Items include: four antique 13-key
James Kortum in Sydney, flutist Julia Gren- clarinets (Grenadilla wood; 100 years old [+/-]) two have two rings and the other two
fell in Adelaide, and clarinetist Floyd Wil- have four rings); Korg Tuner; Reed making and adjusting tools and supplies, including
liams in Brisbane. Armato PerfectaReed and Bhysos Reed Knife; Clarinet stands (two Blayman and
Music education abounds in Australia. two folding), Vandoren and Olivieri reeds (100 in sealed boxes for $65.00!); Library
For example, The Australian Clarinet and
Saxophone magazine contains a roster of
including books and music: ensembles, orchestral excerpts and some 1st clarinet parts
169 teachers. Edited by Floyd Williams, included as well as etude and method books. Also flute, oboe and bassoon etude and
this excellent 32-page journal publishes method books, solos and ensembles. For full description and prices, please contact
articles of general interest, some of which Armand Abramson, <parmandpa@verizon.net> (or @aol.com) or phone 609/947-4379.
are reprinted from The Clarinet. Like James
with a photo of the gravestone. Shaw is The jury for the 2006/2007 Paris
buried in Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Conservatory clarinet prizes consisted of
Memorial Park in Westlake Village,
Philippe Cuper, Bruno Martinez, Jean-
California.
Marc Volta and Jerme Verhaeghe, and
Here is the text of the verse on the
the required works were the Molter Con-
gravestone:
certo in A (movements I and II), the De-
The Soul of the Song bussy Rhapsody and Mefanos Involutive,
He taught the clarinet to think for E clarinet solo. (There were also op-
Not just to sing. tional pieces chosen by the candidates.)
To explore the music it was making The winners were from the classes of Mi-
To let the fingers probe and find chel Arrignon (assistant Arnaud Leroy)
The hidden places. and Pascal Moragus (assistant Jean-
The crevices of meaning and emotion Franois Verdier).
A good song has For several years now, there have been
But must be found and captured Photo of Artie Shaws gravestone from
no Prizes awarded, but rather the desig-
By some divinity or other, Web site <www.findagrave.com>
nations Trs Bien (Very Good), which is
A melody that just cannnot be played, equivalent to a 1st Prize, and Bien
For nuances and grace notes niversary of the concerto on Saturday,
(Good) equivalnt to the former 2nd Prize.
Cant be chartered, October 28, 2006, in New Orleans. The
The results:
The secret tempos and their keys composer will be present for the perfor-
Can only be discovered mance. Consult the orchestras Web site, 1. Vincent Penot, 1st named
By a mind that is listening for the soul, <www.lpomusic.com/>, for more details. 2. Nicolas Ferr: Trs Bien with unani-
The manuscript does not display. mous decision of the jury
A. C. Greene News From France 3. Mathieu Betolaud du Colombier and
Fabien Bourrat: Bien (unanimous)
[With thanks to Mike Walls. Ed.] A Report by Jean-Marie Paul 4. Claire Nowak and Julien Herv: Bien
Stanley Drucker to Perform On June 20, 2006, final auditions were At the Lyons Conservatory (one of the
Coriglianos Concerto in held for the position of first solo clarinet two Conservatoire National Suprieur de
Musique in France in additon to Paris), in
New Orleans
in the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-
France, the chair formerly held by Robert the class of Jacques Di Donato (assistant
Stanley Drucker will perform John Fontaine. The winner was Jerme Voisin, Robert Bianciotti), the results were three
Coriglianos Clarinet Concerto with the the current second clarinet and solo bass Trs Bien (Very Good) to Florent Char-
Louisiana Philharmonic, conducted by clarinet in the same orchestra. The final- pentier (with special mention from the
Carlos Prieto, to celebrate the 30th an- ists were Nicolas Baldeyrou (Orchestre jury), Amandine Olexa and Michael Osch.
The Clarinet
PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
The magazine is usually
mailed during the last week
of February, May, August and
No vem ber. De livery time
within North America is nor-
mally 1014 days, while air-
mail de livery time outside
North America is 710 days.
M
A Report by Rachel Yoder
and Johanna Hyun
Clarinet Spectacular performers and participants
ichigan State University and
Professor Caroline Hartig re-
dent Christina Beaupre and other partici- participants joined John Martin, Director
cently hosted the second annual
pants played for Hartig as she demonstrat- of Admissions at MSU, in a question and
Clarinet Spectacular, an event which
ed the importance of sound and air speed to answer session about the School of Music.
brought together world-class performers
developing solid clarinet technique. Har- Selected MSU students and Clarinet Spec-
with clarinetists from around the Midwest
tigs master class was followed by A Day tacular participants then played in a two-
for a weekend of concerts and master
at the Clarinet Spa, a session with Morrie hour master class given by Eddie Daniels,
classes. This year, Michigan State was before all participants gathered for the
proud to present world-renowned clar- Backun, renowned clarinet barrel and bell
maker from Vancouver, focusing on care Festival Recital with special guest compos-
inetist Eddie Daniels, who contributed er/conductor James Niblock, The Festival
throughout the weekend as classical per- and maintenance of the clarinet. In addition
to giving tips on oiling the bore and clean- Clarinet Choir, Clarinet Connexions and
former, jazz clarinetist, and teacher. the By B-Flats.
The three-day celebration began with a ing the instrument, Backun demonstrated
his method for adjusting clarinets, using The Final Guest Artist Recital was given
concert featuring Hartig and Daniels in by Eddie Daniels, Caroline Hartig, Arthur
collaboration with faculty pianist Deborah Eddie Daniels and one of his new instru-
Campbell and Deborah Moriarty, MSU
Moriarty. The program consisted of duo ments as an entertaining example.
Director of Jazz Rodney Whitaker and
pieces such as the Leblanc Suite by Gor- Backun also had many bells and barrels
MSU Jazz Faculty Combo, concluding the
don Goodwin and Mendelssohns Concert- available throughout the day for partici-
festival day with a program that began
piece No. 2, Op. 114, some of which fea- pants to try; other equipment displays in-
classical and ended with Daniels rendition
tured jazz improvisation by Eddie Daniels. cluded Franois Kloc and Larry Green,
of familiar jazz tunes such as Im Old
The following day, the school was filled representatives of Buffet Crampon USA,
Fashioned and Autumn Leaves. The
with clarinetists from Michigan and be- Inc., Leblanc clarinet representatives Eric
evening portion of the festival was an MSU
yond who met for the Festival Choir re- Satterlee of Meridian Winds, and Chuck
Chamber Orchestra Concert, featuring
hearsal led by Associate Conductor of DeClarke of Marshall Music.
Professor of Clarinet Elsa Verdehr and Pro-
Bands Wesley Broadnax. Later in the day, MSU clarinet students fessor of Violin Walter Verdehr in a na-
Next was Caroline Hartigs master and private teachers Cathy Wood, Jackie tional premiere of Mills Double Concerto
class, A Sound Approach to Stellar Boyd and Rachel Yoder gave a class on for Violin, Clarinet, and Orchestra. The
Technique, in which MSU graduate stu- building a thriving clarinet studio. Then, following day, the clarinet festivities con-
tinued with the Verdehr Trios Sesquicen-
tennial Composers Concert, showcasing
some of the most outstanding works com-
missioned by the Verdehr Trio.
MSUs Second Annual Clarinet Spec-
tacular: Jazz meets the Classics provided
participants and visitors with a wonderful
opportunity to make music and celebrate
the clarinet in all of its versatility. Join us
for Michigan State Universitys Third An-
nual Clarinet Spectacular October 28,
2006. For more information please visit:
<http://www.music.msu.edu/academic/
clarinetday/php>.
THE CLARINET
cert consisting of Boulez, Domaines; De-
O
play. The final concert featured the win- bussy, Rhapsodie; Brahms, Sonata No. 2
IN JERUSALEM
ners of the competition: Ishai Lantner of and Franaix, Tema con variazioni.
Rehovot, Gidi Alon from Kfar Saba and Folk music specialists Pontus Estling
n Monday, April 3, a six-day ser- Limor Levy from Kfar Hittim (in the age and Hkan Frykmo held a very illustrious
ies of events entitled The Clari- 1826 group), and Udi Naveh of Givat- seminar on the interpretation of Swedish
net in Jerusalem drew to a close ayim, Hila Zamir from Rishon Letzion and folk music. They demonstrated different
with a concert at the Navon Auditorium in Din Biness also from Givatayim (in the techniques and played on a 19th-century
the Younes and Soraya Nazarian High age 1118 group). Sponsors included Sel- Swedish clarinet.
School and Conservatory Building of the mer Inc. and Vandoren Inc. of Paris, Ma- Because its the anniversary of Mozart
Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. rom Musical Instruments, the Interlaken this year, Stefan Harg held a seminar on the
The series was initiated by Eva Wasser- Academy of Arts Michigan, Michael Lo- interpretation of the Mozart Clarinet Con-
man Margolis, chairperson of the Israel max USA and the Jerusalem Music Center certo played on the bassett clarinet. He dis-
branch of the International Clarinet Asso- at Mishkenot Shaananim. cussed the importance of playing with or-
namentation and showed examples of this.
BOWLING GREEN
ciation, and by Prof. Ilan Schul, President
of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and The basset clarinet used featured a new
UNIVERSITY BASS
design made by Howarth Clarinets (U.K.)
B
Dance. Events included private lessons and
in collaboration with Stefan Harg. It has a
master classes held at the Academy and a
CLARINET CONFERENCE
lower joint that can be fitted to any clarinet
competition of young clarinetists. Two vis-
brand making it possible to use your own
iting artists of international renown, Robert
owling Green State University will A clarinet top joint. Stefan also held a reed
Spring and Nathan Williams, both from
be hosting a Bass Clarinet and mouthpiece clinic in which he helped
the U.S.A., were active participants in the
Conference on February 1617, the participants individually with selecting
events, serving as judges for the competi-
2007. Michael Lowenstern will be the fea- the right set-up. (This event was sponsored
tion and performing at a recital held at the
by Vandoren.) He also worked on reeds
Jerusalem Music Center. tured soloist. For more information, contact
based on the ideas of the master clarinetist
The competition was held to honor the Kevin Schempf at <schempf@
Ben Armato and gave two master classes
memory of David Weber, who died this bgnet.bgsu.edu>.
with the focus on the standard repertoire.
year. Weber was a Jewish American clar-
STOCKHOLM CLARINET
Eva Rosen-Lundquist worked with en-
inetist known for the beauty of his tone sembles and also with the clarinet choir.
T
zart to Batman.
monic and the CBS Symphony and as a Instrument craftsman Jonas Nslund,
teacher at The Juilliard School and Colum- A Report by Stefan Harg from the leading woodwind shop here
bia University. As a tribute to Webers ba- in Sweden, also did a seminar on how
sic sometimes abrasive honesty, the he 2006 Stockholm Clarinet Sum- to take care of clarinets and how to select
competition was held, for the first time in mit was held at the beautiful venues instruments.
Israel, behind a screen. of Nordiska Musikgymnasiet, a The event was sponsored by Vandoren,
This unique technique of performance leading school for pre-education for young Paris, Howarth Clarinets U.K., Jonas Ns-
guaranteed the objectivity of the judges by artists. The idea of this event is to popular- lund and Nordiska musikgymnasiet. The
maintaining anonymity of its participants. ize the clarinet in Sweden and to make this organizer was fpmusic, a company that
The judges only heard the music without a regular event. specializes in workshops, concerts and edu-
being able to identify the musicians. Even The status of the clarinet in Sweden is cational events.
the order of appearance was kept a secret not so good at the moment, and there is a The Clarinet Summit will be back in
by requiring participants to draw a number debate on how to increase the numbers of November with guest artists from France,
from a hat minutes before they began to Swedish clarinetists. The Clarinet Summit U.K. and Sweden.
T
million. Please send your e-mail inquiries Concerto models, off-set trill keys were
to Deborah Check Reeves at <dreeves@
usd.edu>. by reintroduced on a select few models of Le-
blanc clarinets. Although off-set trill keys
Deborah were offered on several artist level exam-
he same patent that was issued Check Reeves ples, including the Concerto 1189S, in
to Leon Leblanc in 1933 that des- 1998 the Concerto 1189SL had in-line
cribed the Patented B mecha- jump trill keys, as well as all other more
nism (see Historically Speaking in The modest clarinet models. Even today, ac-
Clarinet, Vol. 33, No. 3) also describes a cording to their Web site, Leblanc features
new placement of the right-hand side key (see Photo 1). When this tone hole place- the jump keys on their artist line Pete
tone holes. This placement and subsequent ment is observed, however, a new design Fountain model, as well as on their inter-
redesign of the right-hand trill side keys of lever is required, since using regular, mediate and student line instruments.
has been a feature of Leblanc clarinets mostly flat levers would obstruct the pad Although the Patent B mechanism,
ever since. openings. Leblanc describes his resulting as described in Leblancs 1933 patent, no
As stated in U.S. patent #1,926,489, design: As the trill levers are arranged longer is used, it is interesting to note that
The primary object of the present inven- side by side in close order, it is, of course, another invention patented in the same
tion is to arrange the trill key openings in apparent that the pads of any one lever document the in-line jump side keys
the body of the instrument substantially in will in effect underlie the adjacent lever still is offered today.
line, each with its respective key, and to and the particular trill levers of the pre- Special thanks go to the late Sir Nicho-
arrange these openings so nearly in line sent invention are recessed within the ad- las Shackleton who allowed me to freely
with the extreme upper plane of the in- jacent lever to thereby permit free move- photograph his instruments in the course
strument that the disadvantages incident ment of the pad in response to its lever of studying several of his clarinets. The
to the accumulation of saliva from the without interference from the adjacent photographs in this article are of one of
mouth of the musician or condensation of lever. Thus the in-line jump key was these clarinets.
the vapor blown into the instrument is, as born (see Photo 2).
experience has proven, entirely avoided
A 1948 advertising flyer describes the
jump keys as follows: Side keys that
actually jump over intervening tone holes
permit a straight-in-line action that elimi-
nates twisted mounting of pad cups and
the raising of the E/B and C /G holes to
eliminate bubbling a common fault of
all other clarinets. A 1956 flyer further
claims that the jump key alignment and
Direct 90 action preserves pad impres-
sion and provides positive stoppage of
each tone hole. This Leblanc invention
represents the first basic change in the
Boehm system clarinet in over 100 years!
Through the years, the jump key
design has been featured on many models
of Leblanc clarinets. This feature was
noted in a 1978 flyer describing the Jump
keys individually mounted straight in-
line side trill keys on the professional
line L200 clarinet as well as on the stu-
dent line Vito which is described further:
Vitos unique in-line construction of side
Photo 1: Leblanc right-hand side tone trill keys mean pads make direct vertical
hole placement contact with the tone holes, theres no Photo 2: Jump key close-up
T
OCTOGENARIANS!
o say I was astonished is an under-
statement! The audience of clari-
netists and other friends and admir-
ers at Gervase de Peyers 80th birthday con-
cert at the Wigmore Hall in London last
month enjoyed a staggering display of
clarinet playing. It was a big program to
say the least. Even the most energetic of
players would have thought twice about
taking on quite so much in one evening! ute by Professor Elderfield about his scien- (Geralds son) who still lives in the sprawl-
But Gervase gave us both Mendelssohn tific achievements and another appearance ing farm at Ashmansworth in the Newbury
Concert Pieces (which he played with Vin- by William Waterhouse who spoke of his Hills, built by Gerald in 1939. Charlotte
cenzo Perrone), the Schumann Trio, Bar- musicianship and his skills as a collector of gave a lovely performance to a small audi-
tks Contrasts, a movement from the beau- clarinets, perhaps his greatest achievement. ence in Geralds old study. Her accompa-
tiful Bliss Quintet, two movements of the Evidently Nicks wonderful collection will nist (a very able young pianist from Cam-
Schubert Octet, the Ponchielli duo and, go to the Reid Concert Hall Museum of In- bridge, Joe Fort) using the same piano that
perhaps the piece that Gervase is best struments in Edinburgh, although a few of the composer had tried out his original
known for, the Horovitz Sonatina, written his playing instruments may go elsewhere, ideas on some 57 years ago. At the end of
for him 25 years ago in 1981. Jo Horovitz possibly to the Royal College of Music. the performance we discussed Geralds
was there too also, coincidentally, cele- The Clare College Choir sang beautiful- own feelings about the work, and in partic-
brating his 80th birthday this year. And ly and Alan Hacker led a clarinet quartet ular how he disliked an overly sentimental
what a performance it was. Gervase still in some of Nicks favorite music. I last approach. My father never liked those
has all that verve, wit and imagination to met Nick at the clarinets 300th birthday rallentandos to be anything more than just
bring off a scintillating performance. I celebrations in Berlin last year; there he glanced at, Kiffer commented. We sat
dont think Ive ever heard the final move- impressed deeply with his extraordinary down together afterwards and drank some
ment so fast! Gervase had assembled quite knowledge of the instrument and its his- apple juice from the Finzi orchard. The
a cast of players. William Waterhouse, ano- tory. Happily he has left a rich cache of trees Gerald had lovingly planted all those
ther member of the original Melos Ensem- scholarly articles and chapters on his sub- years ago still yield vast quantities of fruit.
ble, was playing, as well as Robin Ireland, ject from which we all can benefit. In her research, Diana McVeagh uncov-
son of Patrick Ireland, another original As well as marking many an important ered an interesting letter from Gerald to his
Melos player. In between items Gervase octogenarian birthday this year, 2006 also friend (and fellow composer) Robin Mil-
spoke with his usual warm charm and wit. sees the 50th anniversary of the death of ford in which he writes how pleased he
It was a memorable evening. the great English composer Gerald Finzi. was with the Clarinet Concerto and that
Professor Sir Nicholas John Shackleton There is a very readable and warm-hearted hed like to write another clarinet concer-
very sadly died well short of his 80th year. new biography just published (Gerald Finzi to, but saying something completely differ-
He was only 69 when he died in January, his life and music, by Diana McVeagh) ent. Alas he never did. Charlotte gave
and his memorial service was at Great St. a must for all Finzi fans. I thought it another delightful performance, this time
Marys Church in Cambridge just two days would be nice to take my pupil, Charlotte of the Mozart Concerto, at the University
ago as I write (May 6). It was well at- Swift, to play the concerto to Kiffer Finzi Concert Hall in Cambridge last Friday and
tended and dem- will be playing again at the Malcolm Ar-
onstrated the nold Festival in October. I do hope to see
warmth and high some of you there.
regard he was Another performance of the Mozart
held in by both Concerto will be given at the Royal Albert
the scientific and Hall at a very special Prom this year at
clarinet worlds. yet another 80th birthday! This time its
There was a trib- the Queens. And how thrilled I am that it
will be played by Julian Bliss. The concert
Charlotte Swift will begin with a new royal commission
with Kiffer Finzi from the Master of the Queens Music, Sir
and his wife, Peter Maxwell Davies A Little Birthday
Hilary du Pr, Music and will conclude with the Dvork
standing in front New World Symphony, evidently one of
of Geralds the Queens favorites. I hope I may see
piano. some of you there too!
O
Request for info on Henry Brant music
for wind quintet
COMPLETE REICHA
works have all involved me as a performer begins with a cadenza for the flute, and
QUINTETS BEING
or coach. In this case of my Woodwind includes arching melodies for all the in-
Quintet No. 1 I was neither, and when I struments over exotic chords. An ostinato
RECORDED BY
heard the second (and final) rehearsal of figure combined with an angular melody
SEEKING INFORMATION:
Good luck to the talented and reconsti-
tuted Westwood Wind Quintet as they pro-
ceed through the remaining quintets! Anyone who has performed these works
(<www.crystalrecords.com>) for wind quintet by Henry Brant:
The Chinese-American composer Chen Prevailing Winds (1974)
ANTON REICHA
Yi has established a well-admired and Windjammer (1969)
Woodwind Quintets, Vol. 5
recognized reputation since coming to the A Requiem in Summer (1934, rev. 1955)
Crystal Records CD265 (2005)
U.S. in the 1980s. Through a Chamber please let me know about your experien-
Quintet in D Major, Op. 91, No. 3 (26) Music America Commissioning Award, ces with them or any other wind quin-
Quintet in G Minor, Op. 91, No. 4 (42) she was commissioned by San Francisco tet topics that you would like to see men-
City Winds for the wind quintet Feng. tioned here.
ANTON REICHA Chen Yi explains the Chinese character Thank you! (<brucecred@aol.com>)
www.clarinet.org
Westwood Wind Quintet wind instruments, she nonetheless aimed
(Eugene Zoro, clarinet) to evoke the feeling of Eastern music.
The work was premiered in Berkeley,
***** CA in January 1999. AND if you would
A MARRIAGE MADE Paul Globus: How did this association manufacturers could buy into that. But
IN CLARINET HEAVEN:
with Leblanc and Morrie Backun come as John and I talked and got to know
about? each other, I realized he was a very sin-
LEBLANC AND BACKUN IS John Stoner: I was talking with Eddie cere person who had an earnest desire to
B
just been up to Morries shop in Van-
couver. He said, John, you may want becoming a major focus of his compa-
by Paul Globus to contact this guy. Hes creative and ny. We talked through the issues, touch-
doing some pretty interesting things ing on personnel, plants, facilities and
y now virtually everyone who with the clarinet. I was intrigued be- many other things. We finally came to
plays the clarinet knows the name the conclusion that it might be best if I
cause, although as a company were
Morrie Backun. The Vancouver- came down and had a look at the Ken-
very strong on the brass side with the
based clarinetist, instrument technician and osha plant. I did and found it to be one
Bach, Conn and King brands, Conn-
owner of Backun Musical Services has of the most impressive operations Id
Selmer-Leblanc is not as strong on the
remade the clarinet world as we know it, ever seen. The plant has some really
professional woodwind side, especially
producing an array of barrels and bells wonderful features. John and I agreed
in the international market. One of the
fashioned from exotic woods that have be- that if we were going to do this, we
reasons we bought Leblanc was to ful-
come standard equipment for those who needed to build in not only a dramati-
fill our desire to have a high-end, strong
wish to take their playing to the next level. cally improved design with great crafts-
pro presence worldwide in all five of
Last year the big news was Morrie Bac- manship, but also absolutely stunning
the major instrument categories. With a
kuns teaming up with Ricardo Morales, precision and high technology to be
brand as respected as Leblanc, there are
principal clarinet with the Philadelphia Or- able to do things in a way that had
many options, including promoting on
chestra, to create a special line of acces- never been done before in the clarinet
price or attempting to customize a few
sories, including mouthpieces. The Mora-
instruments for very few players. Nei- world. That would require a major finan-
les/Backun brand is now one of the hottest
ther strategy works very well in the mu- cial commitment from Conn-Selmer,
on the market. This is not surprising given
sic industry. It was evident to us that the which John was prepared to make. In
the love and attention Morrie Backun puts
best avenue was to come up with a dra- fact we recently ordered the most so-
into each of his endeavors, to say nothing
matically new and improved instru- phisticated custom designed computer
of his endless quest to improve upon every
ment, something people really want to numerically controlled nine-access ma-
aspect of clarinet design and fabrication.
get their hands on and try. We knew chining center that Im aware of exist-
Add to that, Ricardos artistry and the pos-
that the clarinet market is very conserv- ing anywhere in the music industry.
sibilities seem endless.
ative. We also knew that Morrie Bac- This machine weighs approximately
In that vein, there has now been yet an-
other exciting development. Morrie Bac- kun, with his line of bells and barrels, 30,000 pounds so it may be only thing
kun has recently joined forces with the Le- has a large following and a good repu- in our Vancouver facility that weighs
blanc division of Conn-Selmer, Inc. to cre- tation among clarinet players world- more than me!
ate the next generation of clarinets in- wide. We figured if we could put the John Stoner: Let me ask you a question.
struments that promise to be so superior two together, if Morrie would accept the If you went to your local music store
that we now stand on the cusp of a real challenge of taking us from a lower and saw a Leblanc clarinet designed by
clarinet renaissance. market position to number one, it would Morrie Backun, would you pick it up
(Note: Morrie Backun is not leaving or be a great opportunity for him and a and try it?
closing Backun Musical Services; to the great opportunity for us. Paul Globus: Most definitely.
contrary, the now famous Vancouver-based Morrie Backun: I should add that when John Stoner: Precisely. Most players
business will continue to grow and thrive John called me, it wasnt the first time would say the same thing. Why? Be-
under Morries direction, his association Id been contacted by one of the major cause Morrie Backun is a recognized and
with Leblanc being more in the nature of manufacturers about working with respected name in the clarinet world.
joint venture.) But we werent interested in taking an
I recently had the pleasure of talking existing instrument, making a few mi-
with Morrie Backun and John Stoner, pres- nor changes, and putting Morries name
ident of Conn-Selmer, about the new un- First prototype on it. We really wanted to design and
dertaking. Here is part of our conversation: of the new clarinet produce the best clarinet and we needed
CONTEST RULES
I. Application fee: $50 U.S. All applicants must be members of the I.C.A. and must provide proof of membership. Non-members wishing
to apply may join the I.C.A. by including the appropriate membership fee with their contest application fee. Make amount payable to
the I.C.A. in U.S. currency by bank check, money order, or credit card only. Other forms of payment may be made only with prior arrange-
ment and consent of the Executive Director. Please direct questions about payment to the Executive Director prior to sending your materials.
The application fee is non-refundable.
II. Recording Instructions: Please provide a high quality recording on compact disk (CD-R) containing the following repertoire in the exact
order listed. Repertoire must be recorded with accompaniment when appropriate. Any published edition is acceptable. Each selec-
tion/movement should be ID coded as tracks. Audiocassettes will not be accepted. Please be aware that the quality of the recording will influ-
ence the judges. Recordings should not be edited and only continuous performances of entire works or movements are allowed.
III. A photocopy of the contestants drivers license, passport or birth certificate as proof of age.
IV. Both the private teacher, if any, and the contestant attest in a separate written and signed statement that the recording is the playing of the
contestant and has not been edited.
V. A summer address, telephone number and e-mail address (all if possible) should be provided. E-mail is the preferred means of communi-
cation.
JUDGING
Judging of recordings will be conducted with no knowledge of the contestant. Do not include any identification on the CD-R or box. There
should be no speaking on the recording such as announcing of compositions.
Preliminary judging will be by taped audition. Finalists will be chosen by committee. Notification will be sent by Monday, May 7, 2007. Final
round will be held at the ClarinetFest 2007, to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 48, 2007. Finalist will receive registration
waiver for ClarinetFest 2007. Repertoire will consist of the works listed above. Memorization for the final round of competition is not required.
Past first-prize winners are not eligible to compete. All contestants will accept the decision of the judges as final. The ICA will provide a
pianist for all finalists. All finalists will receive free registration at ClarinetFest 2007. Travel and other expenses will be the responsibility of the
contestant.
All recordings will become the property of the I.C.A. and will not be returned.
PRIZES
First prize $1,000 U.S. Second prize $750 U.S. Third prize $500 U.S.
The I.C.A. assumes no tax liability that competition winners may incur through receiving prize money. Individuals are responsible for investi-
gating applicable tax laws and reporting prize winnings to requisite government agencies.
MATCHING TONES
up during long tones by consciously relax-
ing the lipping and the hands, wrists, and
fingers while playing them. Avoid a build- It is quite a feat to maintain constancy
up of breath-overload by bringing up air of quality for the duration of a single tone.
only as it can be used. Never use the long Crossing nearby intervals presents further
tone to test endurance but rather to give the problems in keeping the tone constant, but
body exhilaration through correct breath the ultimate difficulty lies in holding tonal
use and bodily relaxation. uniformity while crossing intervals be-
tween different registers, particularly those
CRESCENDO AND widely spaced. The acoustical properties of
DECRESCENDO THROUGH
the clarinet cause each area to speak dif-
ferently. Tones emitting at the long tube
THE SHORT TONE end have more resistance and speak more
slowly than those at the upper end (includ-
Intensifying tone causes most beginners ing throat tones) which have less resistance
to tighten up and overblow. Ordinarily the and consequently speak faster.
delicate controls required in adding slight The player senses those differences and
breath increases together with minute lip often erroneously tries to equalize them
fluctuations to achieve crescendo and de- by altering the breath speed and pressure
crescendo are too much to ask of the aver- through throat change. Compensation of
age player. However, when approached this nature must be made, however, at
througth short tone segments, each graded the extreme mouth-front where the mid-
in intensity, the player can make a point of tongue can alter the air stream without
letting off accumulated tension at the close harm, then re-route it in direction and
of each segment and continue at ease be- speed to cross the interval evenly and with
fore a tight, unmanageable build-up devel- constancy as though there were one and
ops. The technique again involves playing not two tones involved.
each graded intensity of tonal segment Fifth-line F is an excellent master tone
closer together with each repetition until for the clarion register. It has a bell-like
they connect. Reverse the procedure, of timbre, a natural concentration and center
course, for decrescendo. of sound and is easy to project. Listen to
RANDOM, ISOLATED
Turn your attention to interval cross- low by playing it in the same tone of
ings between different registers after ex- voice, in order to warm the sound.
hausting intervals within registers. Here THOUGHTS ABOUT 9.) Tone color should be an integral part
TONE QUALITY
the temptation is to narrow or momentar- of a players tone quality, or perhaps
ily to close the throat between intervals we should say, tone qualities. For
during crossings. Make a special effort to example, imagine the beautiful differ-
1.) To focus the sound, it may help
maintain an open, relaxed throat, a for- ences in sound if, on the one hand, an
some players momentarily to think orchestra clarinetist plays the solo
ward breath placement, and of course, of forming a pig-snout in the front of
similar tone quality. Whether slurred or from Debussys Afternoon of a Faun
the mouth. while trying to match the tone quality
articulated, oversee that very little or no
2.) Analyze oneself to make certain the and color of the flute, which is also
lag or time lapse occurs between tones
focal point of blowing has not cen- playing a similar solo in that piece;
during crossings.
tered in the throat, as it might in gar- and on the other hand, imagine the
PRACTICE MATERIAL
gling. This is very easy to do since the beauty involved when the clarinetist
throat often becomes the breaths tar- tries to match his sound to that of the
FOR TONE QUALITY get. It also might happen because the
throat has unintentionally narrowed
oboist who is playing in unison with
him at the beginning of Schuberts
Nearly any lyrical, melodic piece of and tensed up, catching the breath at Unfinished Symphony. Still another
music is excellent for practicing improve- this station. However it happens, this beautiful example is to think of the
ment in tone quality, but perhaps the ulti- circumstance is to be avoided. many places in the music of Brahms
mate material for such practice lies in the 3.) If the student is already aware that a where the clarinet is in unison or in
realm of orchestral excerpts. Take the fa- fine tone is concentrated sound mani- octaves with the bassoon.
mous excerpts found in most published festing a good core or center, he is very 10.) Beautiful tone quality, whatever the
books of such things, and pay particular apt to tighten up his jaws, lips, and players conception of that is, can best
attention to the following: facial muscles to achieve it, thus nega- be achieved sometimes if the player
ting his chance to operate with a free- will only try to taste the sound in
Beethoven, Symphony No. 2, Larghetto
the same way that he might taste a
(first line) blowing and flexible embouchure.
morsel of delicious food.
Beethoven, Symphony No. 4, Adagio 4.) Equalizing cover in the sound in the
(first two lines) upper register with that of the lower *****
Beethoven, Symphony No. 7, Allegretto register can be achieved by thinking This ends the materials Keith Stein col-
(all three lines) of these steps: a) locate the clothed lected that relate to clarinet tone quality. In
Brahms, Symphony No. 1, Allegretto cover of sound in the low range; b) the next installment, we will begin looking
grazioso (first two lines) match the upper register to that by at his materials relating to good methods of
practicing the clarinet.
Back Issues
relaxing the jaw further downward,
of The Clarinet
with additional drawing of the upper
lip down and around the sides of the
David Pino is professor of clarinet in
mouthpiece. the School of Music at Texas State Uni-
Back-issue order forms for The Clarinet
may now be downloaded from the I.C.A. 5.) A good experiment to gain further versity in San Marcos. He studied clarinet
Web site: <www.clarinet.org>. Copies may darkness, cover and tonal dimension with Keith Stein for 15 years, and is the
also be requested by contacting: is to focus the breath very far forward author of the book The Clarinet and Clar-
James Gillespie in the oral cavity, as though shaping inet Playing (Scribners, 1980, and Do-
College of Music the inside of the mouth-front into a ver, 1998). He has performed and toured
University of North Texas cucumber or potato shape. with the David Pino Chamber Ensemble
P.O. Box 311367 6.) Think dark tone for the upper range, (clarinet, strings, and piano), and is a for-
Denton, TX 76203-1367 anticipating each tone prior to play- mer Secretary of the International Clari-
E-mail: <jgillesp@music.unt.edu>
ing it. net Society.
Other Pieces
2 Pieces: Andantino, Scherzo brillante
cl & pno Evette, 1912
3 Etudes pour 4 clarinettes 4 clars.
Unpublished
Andantino (rev. H. Bonade) cl & pno
Southern SS82
Andantino Nr. 2, morceau de concert (ded-
icated to his colleague J. Terrier, who is
probably John-Antony Terrier, born in
1865 in Geneva, Switzerland, and got a
1st Prize at the Paris Conservatory in
Photo 4. Le Carnaval de Venise, Leduc edition 1886) cl & pno Andrieu, 1926 LA24
Arabesques, Fantaisie cl & pno Andrieu,
The Clarinet, Vol. 27, No. 4, September 20 tudes progressives et mlodiques. 1926 LA23
2000, pp. 5457. Vol. 3: assez difficiles Leduc AL 17490 Au clair de la lune, variations acrobatiques
20 Studi progressivi melodici di facile et symphoniques sur un air populaire
Here are the reference numbers of the
esecuzione (reissued in Italy, copyright cl & pno Andrieu AF0016
publishers:
2002) Curci EC10832 Au clair de la lune, variations acrobatiques
Studies 20 Studi progresivi e melodici di media
difficolta (reissued in Italy, copyright
et symphoniques sur un air populaire
cl & orch. Mte-Carlo: Jeanjean, 1910
16 tudes modernes (1st ed. Evette & 2002) Curci EC1086 Carnaval de Venise (Brillantes variations
Schaeffer, 1926) Leduc AL 20899 25 tudes techniques et mlodiques: sur) out of print cl & pno E. Gaudet,
16 Studi moderni (reissued in Italy, 1989) I: 16 Etudes (cl. alone), 8 Etudes with 1900
Curci EC10770 acc. ad lib. of three cls. (Buffet-Cram-
Carnaval de Venise (Brillantes variations
16 Studies (rev. Hite in the USA) Southern pon/Leduc, 1929) Leduc AL 24740
B555 sur), transcr. Fournier: (Salabert EG
II: parties 2e et 3e cl. des 8 Etudes
18 tudes de perfectionnement (dedicated 3222/D1: distributed by G. Besson
(Buffet-Crampon/Leduc) Leduc AL
to his teacher N. Caisso, copyright 21941 publishers) cl & band E. Gaudet 1904
1928) Andrieu AF 5003 The new presentation of the Leduc 25 Carnaval de Venise, fantaisie lgante:
18 Etudes of perfection (in preparation in Etudes is now: H. Klos et A. Leduc, nouvelle dition
2006) Southern B556 Vol. I: seven studies for cl. alone, five entirement rvise par P. Jeanjean)
20 tudes progressives et mlodiques. studies with accomp. ad lib. of three cl & pno Leduc AL2850
Vol. 1: assez faciles (copyright 1928) cls., one study for two cls.; plus parts 2 Carnival of Venice (with four variations &
Leduc AL 17348 & 3 of the studies with accomp. finale) cl & pno C. Fischer W1817
20 tudes progressives et mlodiques. Vol. II: nine studies for cl. alone, three Clair matin, Idylle cl & pno Andrieu, 1926
Vol. 2: moyenne force Leduc AL 17446 studies with accomp. ad lib. of three cls.) LA25
MAURICE JEANJEAN
(OPG-641-1), and two other pieces where
Jeanjeans on the staff of many jazz record- the musicians accompany a singer (Eliane
ings (78 r.p.m.). de Creus in Yen a pas deux comme moi,
Jeanjean, Faustin, Paul, OPG-639-1) and Jean Sablon, in: Ah! La
Irne (19001979) Beguine (OPG-641-1).
The score of F. Jeanjeans Sky-Sym-
The cornetist, trumpeter, conductor and
phonie for four flutes is still distributed by
composer was born on September 5, 1900,
Billaudot (GB4756).
in Pouzols, a small village of the Herault
Dpartement, in the vineyards of Miner-
Jeanjean, Maurice
(18751946)?
vois. Jeanjean is a common name there,
and one of the best known wine-makers is
Jeanjean (Web sites: <www.jeanjean.com> The Paris National Library gives the
and <www.jeanjean.fr>, a brand founded dates of 18971968, but as we can see on
by another Maurice Jeanjean in 1870). a commemorative plate in the village of
Faustin Jeanjean studied at the Paris Pouzols, it appears not to be true (see
Conservatoire where he got a Premier Prix Photo 8). This plate is in the salle du foyer
for cornet in 1920. Just after, he began to municipal of the village. The famous
play jazz at the Club Daunou, which is French conductor Georges Pretre, now 81,
still a famous theatre in Paris. In the 20s, was a friend of Maurice and Faustin Jean-
he belonged to a band that played at the jean, who returned after the end of World
Chateau cabaret and Caveau caucasien War II to give concerts in Pouzols.
jazz club. In 1925 he is in the Melody Six The I.C.A. Research Center has a very
group, and at the Chateau de Madrid rare edition of Maurice Jeanjeans 20
club, in the Sazy orchestra. In 1926, he Grandes Etudes et 6 duos for clarinet, pub-
worked at the Luna Park in the Paul lished by Masspacher. Billaudot released
Gason orchestra. This same year he played in 1977 an edition of the 20 Grandes
in the Casino de Paris with the Lud Glus- Photo 7. Lud Gluskin (l) and Faustin Etudes (plate GB2011), a collection often
kin Orchestra. The Lud Gluskin Orchestra Jeanjean (r) attributed to Paul Jeanjean.
Visit the
I N T E R N AT I O N
CLARINET
A S S O C I AT I O N
on the World Wide Web:
www.clarinet.org
September 2006 Page 43
The fourth installment in this overview
of Benny Goodmans movies is devoted
entirely to the only film in which the plot
revolves around BG and his band through-
out. Because of this and the fact that a con-
siderable amount of image material was
acquired in researching this title, more
space has been allotted to it. The title
should not be confused with a 1999 movie
Sweet and Lowdown starring Sean Pean
directed by Woody Allen (with some fine
clarinet playing by Ken Peplowski on the
soundtrack). The series will conclude in
the December issue with his final two films
produced in the late 1940s, Make Mine
Music and A Song Is Born.
The Movies of
*****
SWEET AND LOW-DOWN Benny Goodman
(MOMENT FOR MUSIC, U.K.),
1944, 20TH CENTURY-FOX,
DIRECTED BY ARCHIE MAYO
A Pictorial Retrospective
Originally titled Moment for Music, the
script was based on a story by Richard by James
English in collaboration with Benny Good-
man and was partially biographical.1 Ac-
Take 4 Gillespie
cording to Goodman biographer Ross Fire-
stone, BG was paid a whopping $150,000
for his work on the film.2
The story is of a slum-bred trombone
player (see Photo 6) who falls for a so-
cialite and features almost non-stop ap- (bass), and Morey Feld (drums). Also star- from the Mozart Quintet at a swank party
pearances of Benny Goodman and his ring are actors Linda Darnell, Jack Oakie at the home of the trombone players girl-
orchestra, spotlighting the quartet of Benny and Lynn Bari.3 At one point in the film, friend when the performance is shortened
Goodman, Jess Stacy (piano), Sid Weiss Goodman is playing the Minuet movement by a brawl that breaks out started by the
trombone player (see Photo 3)!
Some of the members of the orchestra
were replaced on screen by actors, but the
soundtrack recording personnel were:
Johnny Dee, Frank Berardi, Mickey Man-
gano (trumpets); Bill Harris, Al Mastren
(trombones); Heinie Beau, Eddie Rosa
(alto saxophones); Al Klink, Zoot Sims
(tenor saxophones); Eddie Beau (baritone
saxophone); Jess Stacy (piano); Allan
Reuss (guitar); Sid Weiss (bass); Morey
Feld (drums). Bill Harris plays the trom-
bone solos for actor James Cardwell, and
Lorraine Elliott sings the vocals for actress
Lynn Bari (see Photo 4). Among the nu-
merous numbers are Ive Found a New
Baby (see Photo 8), Im Making Be-
lieve (see Photos 9, 10 and 11), Jersey
Bounce, Hey, Bub, Lets Have a Ball
(see Photo 12), No Love, No Nothing,
Photo 1. Trade journal advertisement Ten Days with Baby (see Photo 13),
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Benny Goodman, The Centennial Col-
lection, Bluebird 82876-60088-2;
Includes a CD with 21 standards and a
DVD with excerpts from the following
movies: The Powers Girl, The Gangs
All Here and Stage Door Canteen
Connor, D. Russell and Warren W. Hicks.
BG On the Record, A Bio-disco-
graphy of Benny Goodman, Arlington
Photo 2. Original title lobby card House, 1973
Photo 3. Benny breaking up the fight! (original lobby card) Photo 4. Actors James Cardwell and Lynn Bari (original lobby card)
Photo 5.
James
Cardwell,
Lynn Bari,
BG, Linda
Darnell and
Jack Oakie
(original
publicity
still)
Photo 6. An early scene in the film with BG auditioning the
young trombonist in his apartment; Pianist Jess Stacy plays him-
self. (original studio still)
Firestone, Ross.
Photo 8. Sheet music, Clarence Williams Photo 9. Sheet music, BVC, Inc., New Photo 10. Sheet music, Bradbury Wood
Music Publishing Co. , New, NY, 1944 York, NY, 1944 Ltd, London, England, 1944
Photo 11. Sheet music, Chappell & Co. Photo 12. Sheet music, Chappell & Co. No 13. Sheet music, BVC, Inc., New York,
Ltd, Sydney, Australia, 1944 Ltd, Sydney, Australia, 1944 NY, 1944
Photo 18. Film handbill (with plot summary and more photos on the back)
ENDNOTES
The Clarinet 1
Connor, D. Russell and Warren W. Hicks. BG On
the Record, A Bio-discography of Benny Goodman,
Arlington House, 1973 p. 356
Photo 20. Cover and page 1 from the
PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
Firestone, Ross. Swing, Swing, Swing, The Life and
films Campaign Book (U.K. version).
2
CONSIDER ORTHODONTIA They wanted to remove teeth and do jaw about repeating orthodontia. However, I
I
surgery but my mother wouldnt allow it, didnt want to have my playing compro-
mised for the duration of treatment, so I
by R. J. Pliskow, M.D. thankfully. Clarinet playing, they felt,
put it off indefinitely. Then one day
would simply undo whatever they could
about 30 years later my dental hygienist
s your sound a little fuzzy and unfo- accomplish anyway, so they finally gave up.
pointed out that professional cleaning was
cused? Is your articulation unclear Over the years my teeth shifted back
now difficult at best and perhaps I should
because your tongue doesnt have a into positions even more outrageous than
reconsider orthodontia. It was time.
proper resting place? Maybe a bit of tooth before the first course of treatment. Ulti-
A visit to a nearby well-known actu-
straightening can help you. mately, a lower incisor (one of the central
ally world-renowned orthodontist who
This is not intended to be an advertise- four slicing teeth) decided that it was going has treated many of my medical colleagues
ment for orthodontists. I merely would like to make its own row completely in front of as well as several family members was in
to share my personal experience with a the others while the two teeth formerly on order. He said he could help.
year and a half of appliances and uncom- either side of it approached to within a mil- So at age 64, I joined the gaggle of
fortable clarinet playing. I would also ex- limeter of each other. teenagers in Dr. Ts (not his real initial)
citedly tell you that the above problems, These two rows of teeth would, if you waiting room periodically for treatments.
ongoing for many years, have disappeared think about it, seem to make a fulcrum Interestingly, I occasionally met there a
in the outcome. twice as long as normal upon which the local cardiothoracic surgeon of my vin-
When I was in my early teens, a popu- reed vibrates. Since this focus was to one tage. And Dr. T even admitted to having
lar orthodontist in my Midwestern home side of the midline, the layout was now an octogenarian patient or two.
town metalicized my mouth for a couple of very asymmetrical. Intuitively, one might Of course I wont go into great detail
years in an attempt to straighten unusually conclude that this couldnt work very well: about numerous radiological studies,
large teeth that were trying to occupy rel- The extruded tooth might dampen vibra- molds and appliances over nearly a year
atively small jaws. He succeeded only par- tions along a plane separate from that and a half. I will say that while it seemed
tially, given the comparatively limited tech- along which the reed is normally support- as if it would never end, it really wasnt
nology of the time. He and two consultants ed and oscillates. all that bad. It was a bit uncomfortable at
werent happy with the result, my anatomy These problems, along with the fact that times, but tolerable. Clarinet playing was
and even the fact that I played clarinet. the extruded tooth was just plain unattrac- affected only when a new set of brackets
and/or wires was assembled and irritated
or cut buccal (cheek and lip) mucosa when
I tried to practice too long, or a flock of
aphthous ulcers developed (stress related,
some say, but this could be viral). Wax
supplied by the orthodontist and judicious-
ly applied to the brackets attached to the
lower incisors prevented serious lip dam-
age during clarinet playing.
New techniques compared with my
teenage experience include brackets that
are glued to the outer tooth surface instead
of wrapping around the entire tooth, and
memory wires made of nitinol, a pecu-
liar alloy that has very interesting tempera-
ture related properties and is employed in
some of the strange devices I use in my
own practice of Interventional Radiology.
The best new thing is that visits are only
once a month instead of weekly.
Another new method of orthodontia
(InvisalignR) uses clear plastic removable
retainer-like external devices that are ex-
changed periodically in ever-mutating
configurations to move teeth about. This
method is not usable if one has severe
alignment problems and/or requires major
jaw reshaping.
The final result in my case is, I must
say, astounding and outstanding. Instead
T
see what it might be like onstage, try hav-
ing the tuner sing an A a few cents flat and clear and bell like, but still in ppp.
by David Bourque play against it. Confer with your wind col- Rehearsal No. 1: This passage has similar
leagues and make sure you have octaves intonation issues to measure 5. Be pre-
his is the second in a series of within yourselves. In order to give a pitch pared to pull out again for this excerpt, and
annotated bass clarinet excerpts. base for your colleagues to lock on, it is if you need to, add the lowest trill key(s)
With the exception of some bar helpful if the bass clarinet plays mp with for the f and g if they are flat. In lieu of
numbers, the printed excerpt that accompa- the English horn and the flutes playing pp pulling out, I play the long B without the
nies the commentary is unaltered from the or less. register key and I vent the front hole nor-
orchestral part. The player may find it a mally used for altissimo. This makes for a
useful exercise to read the commentary The next excerpt is common on audi-
tions. This is a distant fanfare in the two B that is lower in pitch, softer and more
and then add markings to the clean part. covered. This fingering has more resis-
clarinets and bass clarinet. It needs to be
GUSTAV MAHLER,
very soft, but very clear in articulation. Be tance, so be aware that it may tend to
sure to quickly push in if you have pulled speak a bit late.
SYMPHONY NO 1, D MAJOR out to deal with intonation issues in the Measures 2627: This rhythmic diminu-
Back Issues
of The Clarinet
Back-issue order forms for The Clarinet
may now be downloaded from the I.C.A.
Web site: <www.clarinet.org>. Copies may
also be requested by contacting:
James Gillespie
College of Music, University of North Texas
P.O. Box 311367
Denton, TX 76203-1367
E-mail: <jgillesp@music.unt.edu>
W
with reference to performance practice the very best instruments were played to (maker located in Berlin, 18011835),
of the early 19th century. death, and therefore no longer represent a Frederik Gabriel August Kirst (Potsdam,
historically accurate performance medium. 17721804), Theodor Lotz (Pressburg
ith the expansion of the early Clarinets surviving in pristine condition 1748Vienna 1792), Kaspar Tauber (Vi-
music scene, the term authen- probably werent very good to begin with, enna, 17981829), and Jacques Franois
ticity has been the subject of and therefore not representative either. Simiot (sold instruments in Lyons, c. 1808
heated debates amongst scholars and per- Pitch standards were far from standardized 1844). The dimensions of the model in-
formers. The inscription performed on in the early 19th-century, making it diffi- strument can be recalculated to accommo-
authentic instruments can be found in cult let alone finding an original in good date pitch standards, and performers have
program notes of sound recordings from playing condition to find an original the option of having their replica custom-
the 19801990s. In some cases, the term is instrument at a playable pitch. In order to ized (adding keys, changing tone hole sizes
used without supporting scholarship, and preserve their precious historical value, to improve intonation, )
specialists question the extent of its mean- originals should probably only be played Here are a few current instrument ma-
ing (ex., a performance of Mozart on a 10- sparingly, and should NEVER be modified kers who specialize in early clarinet rep-
key clarinet). Since the term authentic in any way. Original instruments are found licas. (I am sure there are many more,
has many folds, and literally implies that in private collections, auctions, and in sel- and pardon me for not including them in
anything else would be inauthentic (or ect antique stores. According to my disser- this article.)
fake), many have adopted the more positive tation survey, the most widely used origi-
Daniel Deitch Historical Woodwinds
denomination of historically informed. nals by modern specialists are by George
(<http://www.danieldeitch.com/eindex.
The process includes careful examination Astor (London, ca. 17781831), Joseph
html>)
of manuscripts, performance practice, icon- Baumann (Paris, ca. 17901830), Bhner
Stephen Fox Clarinets
ography, early instrumental techniques, and & Keller (Strasbourg, ca. 18021844), Ch.
(<http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/>)
the use of historically accurate instruments. Collin (Paris), Christian Gotthelf Finke
Agns Guroult (Phone +33 1 48 06 12 15)
Is my clarinet historically accurate? (Dresden, 18131874), Carl August Gren-
Peter van der Poel
When acquiring an early clarinet, the first ser (worked in Dresden, 17801814), J.
(<p.v.vander.poel@freeler.nl>)
dilemma encountered is whether one wish- Heinrich Grenser (worked in Dresden,
Andreas Schni Historische
es to play an original instrument, or a mod- 17961813), Mollenhauer (located in Ful-
Holzblasinstrumene
ern replica. Surviving instruments repre- da, 18221830) and Roberty (Bordeaux).3
(<http://www.schoenibern.ch/>)
sent the only tangible source of aural infor- Original instruments offer obvious his-
Schwenk & Seggelke
mation we have to recreate performances. torical and antique qualities that replicas do
(<http://www.schwenk-und-seggelke.
They were crafted with the materials and not have. However, clarinetists have
de/>)
technology available to makers, and were always played instruments that were new,
Rudolf Tutz Musikhaus
most likely customized to the specifica- and it seems odd to now play an instrument
(<http://www.tutz.at/>)
tions of performers. Trees lived in a cleaner that is 200 years old. Accurate replicas
Guntram Wolf
environment, and lumber was sometimes offer the possibility of using instruments
(<http://www.guntramwolf.de/>).
buried for up to 20 years in a mixture of that would not be available at a playable
soil and manure before entering the ma- pitch, and may be customized to the per- Period clarinet mouthpieces differ
kers shop. Boxwood so matured is a ma- formers specifications. The situation is greatly from their modern counterparts
terial unlikely to be ever again available.2 analogous to the reality that modern clar- with respect to size, facing, and tip open-
CLARINET
not justify their being manufactured. with other early clarinetists can be very
Commercial B clarinet reeds are usually helpful in finding makers, sharing hints, or
A S S O C I AT I O N
too wide for narrow classical mouthpie- locating a specific fingering chart. Ques-
ces, and the vamp of E clarinet reeds is tions and comments are welcomed through
www.clarinet.org
inet have the option of making their own, Yahoo! Early Clarinet Group (<Early
modifying commercially manufactured Clarinet-subscribe@yahoogroups.com>).
reeds (using them as blanks), or finding a The latter has 215 members, including some
commercial reed that will fit the dimen- of the most widely known scholars and
sions of their mouthpiece. performers, and is absolutely free!
Early clarinet methods emphasize the
importance of obtaining a good reed, but
the suggestions on making and adjusting
ABOUT THE WRITER
reeds are usually of very general nature: Luc Jackman holds a masters degree
The most important thing for the clar- in chamber music performance from
inetist is a good reed, for only this enables McGill University in Montreal and a Doc-
him to produce a good tone on his instru- torate of Musical Arts from the University
ment and to play certain passages with of North Carolina at Greensboro. He per-
ease which could otherwise not be played forms regularly as a soloist, chamber musi-
at all, or only with the greatest difficulty. cian, and with the Winston-Salem Sym-
[] One must carefully examine the phony. Main teachers include Robert Crow-
mouthpiece upon which the reed is to be ley, Charles Neidich and Kelly Burke.
placed, since the reed must fit it exactly.6 Luc has recently completed post-doctoral
From the methods Ive examined, Backo- studies in orchestral literature at the Uni-
fen is the most detailed with regards to versity of Montreal under Andr Moisan.
reed making. Cultivating this skill is highly Luc can be reached at: <lucjackman@
recommended if the performer is willing to hotmail.com>.
invest the required time and patience.
END NOTES
Modifying commercial reeds is proba-
bly the most practical option. The proce-
dure usually involves narrowing a German Jackmans document is available online at: <libres.
1.
uncg.edu/edocs/etd/1010/umi-uncg-1010.pdf>.
or Viennese cut reed, and scraping the tip. Michael G. Zadro, Woods used for woodwind
Being somewhat lazy, this was the course I
2.
T
to as the Augusteo Orchestra during much the Italy in Japan festival.
OF THE ORCHESTRA
of this period. The Pius XII Auditorium In recent years, the Orchestra has made
became the official concert hall after 1958 numerous recordings for major record com-
and remained so until the final move in panies, including: a series of CDs of sacred
he Orchestra dellAccademia Na-
February 2003 to the Auditorium Parco music, conducted by Chung, for Deutsche
zionale di Santa Cecilia was the
della Musica, designed by architect Renzo Grammophon on the occasion of Jubilee
first orchestra in Italy to devote it-
Piano. During traditional concert seasons, Year; a CD of the Faur and Durufl re-
self exclusively to the symphonic reper-
the Orchestra (often together with the quiems, which was awarded the Diapason
toire, presenting the premieres of many
Chorus) performs important symphonic dOr; a CD dedicated to the Te Deums of
20th-century masterpieces. Since the be- Charpentier, Mozart and Prt; and a CD
choral works in a repertoire which ranges
ginning of the last century, the Orchestra featuring the sacred music of Giuseppe
from the 18th century to the present. In
has played approximately 14,000 concerts, addition, the Santa Cecilia Orchestra and Verdi (with Carmela Remigio) along with
collaborating with the eras leading musi- Chorus are regularly invited abroad by the Bacalovs Misa Tango, which was nomi-
cians under the direction of conductors major musical institutions of other coun- nated for a Grammy Award. The Orches-
such as Mahler, Debussy, Strauss, Stra- tries. The Orchestra has appeared at The tras most recent recording is a collection
vinsky, Hindemith, Toscanini, De Sabata White Nights Festival of St. Petersburg and of Sinfonie from Italian operas, again with
and von Karajan. at the celebrations for the centenary of The Chung, for Deutsche Grammophon.
The Orchestras permanent conductors Proms (Henry Wood Promenade Concerts In addition to the orchestra, the Acca-
have been Bernardino Molinari, Franco in London) the first Italian orchestra to demia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia is one of
Ferrara, Fernando Previtali, Igor Marke- be invited to this festival. With Myung- the oldest musical institutions in the world.
vitch, Thomas Schippers, Giuseppe Sino- Whun Chung, the Orchestra has given con- Officially founded in 1585, it has evolved
poli, Daniele Gatti and, at present, Myung- certs in Spain, Portugal and Belgium and it over the centuries from an organization of
Whun Chung. Leonard Bernstein was its made a particularly successful appearance largely local musicians to a modern
Honorary President from 1983 to 1990. at the Royal Festival Hall of London in academy and symphonic concert organ-
From 1908 to 1936, the concert seasons November 1999. The Orchestra has also ization of international repute. Uniting an
of the Accademia were held at the Au- toured the Far East on several occasions academic body of 100 of the most illustri-
gusteo, the theatre built on the ruins of the (1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001). ous exponents of culture and music with a
The Orchestra dellAccademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in the Auditorium Parco della Musica Sala Santa Cecilia (photo: Riccardo Musacchio)
Simone Sirugo,
Second Clarinet
Simone Sirugo was born in Avola (Si-
cily) in 1976 and began musical studies at
the age of 11 under the direction of Maes-
tro Vincenzo Mariozzi at the Saint Cecilia
Conservatory in Rome. He earned the di-
ploma at the age of 17 and continued with
courses with Anthony Pay and Richard
Stoltzman. He also played with Pavel Ver-
nikov and Vladimir Mendelstan.
At the age of 19 he held the position of
Simone Sirugo Davide Lattuada
first clarinet in the Regional Orchestra of (photo: Riccardo Musacchio) (photo: Riccardo Musacchio)
Lazio for three years; afterwards he began
to collaborate as first clarinet with St. Ce- Davide Lattuada, and completing his studies with Lorenzo
Bass Clarinet
cilia Academy Orchestra under the direc- Guzzoni (first solo clarinet of Solisti Ven-
tion of Savallisch, Chung, Sinopoli and eti) and bass clarinet with Rocco Parisi.
Daniel Oren. Presently he holds the posi- Davide Lattuada was born in 1975 in He also took part in master classes with
tion of second clarinet. Milan and joined the orchestra as the prin- J. Peitz and M. Bekavac.
He plays a Selmer 10 S2 B clarinet and cipal bass clarinet in 2005. He studied at In 1993, M. Delman chose Lattuada as
a Selmer Recital in A with a Vandoren lig- the Conservatory G. Verdi in Milan with bass clarinet for the G. Verdi Symphony
ature and Mazzocchitti barrel. M. P. Borali, earning his diploma in 1993 Orchestra of Milan, a position he held until
CONTEST RULES
III. Application fee: $50.00 U.S. All applicants must be members of the I.C.A., and must provide proof of membership. Non-
members wishing to compete may join the I.C.A. by including the appropriate membership fee with their contest application
fee. Make amount payable to the I.C.A. in U.S. currency. This fee is non-refundable.
III. Please provide a good quality recording (CD-R format required, cassette NOT acceptable) containing the following excerpts
in this exact order with appropriate track ID numbers:
1. Mozart: Concerto, Movement I, exposition only
First clarinet excerpts:
2. Debussy: Fetes #2 to #4
3. Bartk: Miraculous Mandarin #22 to #25 second bar
4. Brahms: Symphony No. 4, Mvt. II beginning to A; and F to 5 before end
5. Stravinsky: Petrouchka #58 bar 2 to #59; 4 before #79 to #82; and #100 to 7 after #100
6. Strauss: Don Juan 16 after M to 1 after N; 1 after P to S
7. Weber: Der Freischtz 16 after B to D
III. A separate written and signed statement, attesting that the recording is the playing of the contestant and has not been edited.
IV. A permanent address, telephone number, and E-mail address should be provided. Please note that no application form is
required.
JUDGING
Judging of recordings will be conducted with no knowledge of the contestants. Do not include any identification on the CD-R
or box. There should be no speaking on the recording, such as announcing of compositions. Preliminary judging will be by
recorded audition. Semifinalists will be chosen be committee. E-mail or letters of notification will be sent by Monday, May 21,
2007. Semifinal and final rounds will be held at ClarinetFest 2007 in Vancouver, BC in July 2007. Repertoire will consist of the
excerpts listed above. Past first-prize winners are not eligible to compete. All contestants will accept the decision of the judges as
final. All semifinalists will receive free registration at ClarinetFest 2007. Travel expenses will be the responsibility of the contes-
tant. All recordings will become the property of the I.C.A. and will not be returned.
PRIZES
First Place: $1,000 U.S.; Gregory Smith Custom Mouthpiece; The Reed Wizard by Ben Armato
Second Place: Gregory Smith Custom Mouthpiece; The PerfectaReed by Ben Armato
The I.C.A. is grateful to Gregory Smith and Ben Armato for their sponsorship of the Orchestral Audition Competition.
*****
FORMER CLARINETISTS
OF THE SANTA CECILIA
ORCHESTRA
The first clarinet player we have infor-
mation on is Aurelio Magnani (1856
1921) who taught at the St. Cecilia Aca-
demy from 1883 until his death in 1921.
He was famous for his Mthod Complte
for the Boehm clarinet (published by Ev- Aurelio Magnani
ette & Schaeffer, ca. 1900) which was
translated into English, French and Span- Orchestra from 1905 until 1912 and later
ish. He also wrote studies and solo and played in the La Scala Orchestra under
chamber works for clarinet. Among Mag- Toscanini (19141924) and taught at the
nanis most prominent pupils who suc- Milan Conservatory from 1915 until 1934.
ceeded him upon his retirement in the Magnani dedicated his 2nd Divertissement
orchestra, then known as the Augusteo (1904) to him. Carlo Luberti (1885?)
Orchestra, were Antonio Micozzi (1886?) was another prominent former Magnani
who played in the orchestra from 1917 student who played in the Augusteo Or-
until 1930, and Umberto Blonk-Steiner chestra (19131919) and succeeded Mag-
(18841934), who played in the Augusteo nani as the principal clarinet professor at
BIBLIOGRAPHY
within North America is nor-
Buonomo, and E clarinetists in the or-
mally 1014 days, while air-
chestra were Augusto Nardacci, Mr. Tad- mail delivery time outside
dei (19561988) and Gino Mazzocchitti Meloni, Fabrizio. il clarinetto, Zechini North America is 710 days.
(until 2002). Edition, Varese, Italy, 2000
R.: Do you have any special approaches to R.: Do you mind my asking your age?
teaching, reed work, or is there any- N.: Im 44.
thing else you would like to mention?
N.: Well, more than 90% of my teaching R.: Any final comments?
methods are not from me but from oth- N.: I would like to mention that now I am
ers. I just tell my students to do things very interested in band music. I orga-
this way because Larry says so! nized a Japanese professional band a
few years ago, the NANIWA Orches-
R.: You mentioned the importance of tral Winds. Its composed of principal
sound production in your teaching. players from various symphony orches-
What mouthpieces do you recommend tras. We meet once a year in Osaka in
for your students? early May and invite guest conductors
N.: I use a Richard Hawkins mouthpiece for the event. Im principal clarinet.
and a Greg Smith mouthpiece. Gregs is
more brilliant. Its a 1+ facing. My fa- R.: Thank you for taking time this morn-
vorite Hawkins mouthpiece is a (typed) ing for this interview. It has been a
B. I also have one with a (handwritten) real pleasure to see you again after all
B. He makes both types. I use the Haw- these years.
kins most of the time, but use Gregs
when I want a more brilliant sound. I
like Gregs for studio recording. I rec-
ABOUT THE WRITER
ommend these same mouthpieces for Richard W. Fletcher is professor of
my students. Since they are expensive, I clarinet and saxophone at University of
recommend a Vandoren 5RV Lyre for WisconsinEau Claire. In 2005 he per-
younger players. formed at the Conference of the Interna-
tional Clarinet Association in Tokyo, at the
R.: Do you have any special techniques for Hawaii International Conference on Arts
adjusting or making reeds? and Humanities, and at the Iowa Band-
N.: No, except I soak my reeds in water for masters Association. As a Visiting Fellow
a long time before playingabout 35 at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts
minutes for new reeds. Then I wait for and Music in 1988 he had the privilege of
eight hours until the reeds are dry and studying the shakuhachi with virtuoso
in good condition. Next, I soak them Goro Yamaguchi. At present he is co-
again for a little bit. Then they are ready authoring a guide to chamber music for
to be played. Its my own special tech- clarinet, bassoon and piano and recently has
nique [chuckle]. I play Vandoren #3 completed a CD of some of these works:
1/2, V12 reeds. Sometimes they need Clearly Three performs Trios from the
adjusting, but most of the time I play Twentieth Century.
them right out of the box. On the aver-
age I can find at least one very good
reed in a box, and two or three others
for rehearsals or practice. The Clarinet
R.: What are your interests outside music? PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
N.: I enjoy watching soccer games and The magazine is usually mailed
major league baseball. I like Hideki during the last week of February,
Matsui of the New York Yankees and May, August and November. De-
Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners. I livery time within North America
also like Tadahito Iguchi of the Chi- is normally 1014 days, while air-
cago White Sox. Im amazed that a Ja- mail delivery time outside North
panese player can play major league America is 710 days.
D
est masterpieces ever written for the clar- stomach. As I opened the black leather
it became obvious from the edits in the clarinet line of the piano
part that Brahms and Mhlfeld had tried the passage in both the
lower and higher octaves and decided they preferred the higher tes-
situra. Measures 116 and 118 were changed to match the published
editions. In the coda section, Brahms pasted over the original mate-
rial that had been scratched out in blue pencil, with the material
which matches the published editions.
Anomalies in Movement II
The main ambiguity I noted in the second movement was in
regard to the articulations of four separate two-measure passages
consisting of similar melodic material. Specifically, I am referring
to the articulation markings of the last three 32nd notes in mea-
sures 56, 1718, 5354 and 6566.
Here is what I noted:
Measures 56: In the clarinet part, the last three 32nd notes were
not slurred (See Example 3.), yet in the piano part they were
slurred.
Measures 1718: In the clarinet part there were slurs on the last
three 32nd notes, but these had been removed. In the piano part
the slurs on the last three 32nd notes had been scratched out.
Measures 5354: In the clarinet part there were no slurs on the last Anomalies in Movement III
three 32nd notes and the piano part concurred.
I noted a few interesting differences in movement III. What
Measures 6566: There were no slurs originally in either part,
appeared in my edition to be accents on the downbeats of measures
but slurs had been added in pencil to the clarinet line of the
1516, should actually be diminuendi. (See Example 5, line 3, mm.
piano part!
34.) In both the clarinet and piano parts, the movement was marked
In view of these inconsistencies and after careful consideration, I Da Capo at measure 90 and returned to the beginning with a Fine
have concluded that these phrases should be performed in a legato indicated at measure 46. The clarinet part indicated performance of
manner whether or not they are slurred or articulated. There are no the Da Capo exactly as printed, mirroring the first time through. All
short notes in this movement and the seamless espressivo quality of the published editions I have seen have the Da Capo material
must be maintained regardless of the articulation method utilized. written out and include rests from measure 99 through the third
The question then arises, should the articulation of these phrases be beat of 106, eliminating the clarinet line for eight measures. In the
consistent throughout the entire movement? This can only be piano part, Brahms removed the clarinet line from measures 916
answered by each interpreter. In any case, when aiming for the cli- on the Da Capo, which authenticates the published versions.
mactic high C on the downbeat of measure 67, a powerful dramatic
effect can be achieved through the use of a subtle articulation of
Anomalies in Movement IV
these three notes in measures 65 and 66. (See Example 4, line 7, Most of this movement seemed to flow effortlessly off of Brahms
mm. 23.) pen. It appeared that he wrote this movement with great ease until
Another interesting difference from the published editions was reaching measure 183. From there until the end of the movement,
noted at measures 4548. I am used to seeing (and quite happily I he appeared to struggle for a time with writing exactly what he
might add!) four measures of rest here. In the clarinet part, there wanted. There were entire passages scratched out in blue pencil and
were accompagnando notes written in each measure. (See Example several revisions.
Here are the differences noted:
4, line 4, mm. 36.) These notes were subsequently scratched out
in the piano part. Perhaps Herr Mhlfeld asked the Meister for a In measures 6061 the clarinet line was marked with a diminuendo.
quick respite before retaking the melodic line at measure 49? This was changed in the piano part to reflect the fp of the
published editions. There was no dot on the low B quarter note One last thought is regarding the interpretation of measure 215.
at measure 112 in either part. The clarinet line was tacet in mea- Although not indicated, I include grace notes (EF ) after the trill,
sures 135136 in the clarinet part. as they are stylistically appropriate and add a spirited melodic flour-
Originally, from measures 184198, Brahms had restated the ish to the triumphant close of the movement.
main theme, exactly the same as from the last beat of measures
I
ing most of the clarinet solos in the pre- Symphony No. 4 in C minor Beethoven nown, was born. Aerila also attended school
mieres of the Sibelius symphonies. was to be Kajanuss idol throughout a ca- in the town for a year.
reer lasting half a century. In 1893 Kusti and his teacher decided
n 1882 the young Finnish composer Kajanus quickly became aware of the that his future lay in music. If he were to
and violinist Robert Kajanus, then acute shortage of Finnish orchestral musi- study it, he would have to move to Hel-
only 25 years of age, made an ambi- cians. Three years later he therefore set up sinki, where there were two possible seats
tious dream come true: he founded a sym- a school primarily committed to training of learning: the Helsinki Music Institute
phony orchestra in Helsinki, at that time a professional Finnish players for his orches- and the orchestra school of the Philhar-
town of some 45,000 inhabitants. He was tra. Fifteen years later, one of the students monic Society founded by Robert Kajanus.
forced to start almost from scratch. Having in this school, a clarinetist by the name of The choice was a difficult one, but Aerila
spent five years studying in Leipzig and Kusti Aerila, was to be the first wind-play- finally came down in favor of the orchestra
Paris, he was in need of a job on his return ing Finn qualified to join the rank-and-file school. As regards his future, this was a
to Helsinki. The newly opened Music In- and later the post of section leader in this wise decision, since the orchestra school
stitute had no need of his services, so he orchestra. Kajanus had been keeping such was the only one providing instruction in
decided to keep himself employed as a a close watch on his development that instruments other than the violin, piano
conductor. To do this, he needed an or- Aerila could quite justifiably consider him- and cello.
chestra. With the support of a couple of self Kajanuss clarinetist. Initially, Aerila had thought to take the
FOR HELSINKI
society as backing for his orchestra. By the there were too many violinists, and not
end of a few hectic months he had engaged enough students of other orchestral instru-
the services of 36 musicians, most of them Kusti Aerila was born at Laitila, in ments, he suggested or rather chose
foreigners and from Germany. There were Southwest Finland, about 60 km north of the clarinet as the instrument for Aerila.
For the first year Kusti also received tui-
tion in the violin alongside the clarinet.
His teacher was none other than Jean Si-
belius who, being a good friend of Robert
Kajanus, taught theory and the violin at
the orchestra school. The clarinet was
taught by the German Anton Modl, princi-
pal clarinettist in the Philharmonic Soci-
etys orchestra.
UNION ACTIVIST
was the seventh symphony: Aerila wrote already knew Schnevoigt well, having
out the orchestral parts immediately after played in many of the Baltic summer or-
its premiere in 1924. During that same chestras conducted by him in the early
Aerila was kept so fully occupied as an
year he also wrote out orchestral parts for years of the century. Schnevoigt was a
orchestral musician that chamber music
The Ostrobothnians by Leevi Madetoja, virtuoso and made a great international
entered his repertoire only at a very late
since hailed as Finlands national opera. career, even though the members of his
date. One reason for this was the Finnish
Aerila was also needed to found the orchestras were not always able to admire
practice of limiting concerts mainly to
Finnish Musicians Union. The players in him for his personal qualities.
chamber music for strings and piano until
the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, The closing years of Schnevoigts
well into the 20th century. Beethovens
among them Kusti Aerila, founded a union term were cut short by the Second World
Septet and E major Quintet, for example,
in 1917. He, if anyone, was familiar with War, which frequently interrupted the
were not heard at Helsinki Music Institute workings of the orchestra. Schnevoigt
concerts until 1907, Franz Schuberts Oc- the problems encountered by the orchestral
musician, not least of which were the mis- went abroad and there continued his inter-
tet not for another two years. Kusti Aerila national career. Kusti Aerilas long ser-
was the clarinetist at these performances. erable remuneration and the vast amount
of work. The large number of foreign mu- vice to the orchestra ended with his retire-
In 1929 he and two of his orchestra col- ment in 1943. He had first joined the or-
leagues gave the Finnish premiere of the sicians working in Finland was also a mat-
ter for concern, though the ravages of the chestra as an extra in 1893 and had thus
Trio for flute, clarinet and bassoon by spent nearly half a century in its ranks.
Erkki Melartin. First World War decimated the ranks of
those from Central Europe at least for a His rich life ended in 1954.
The Melartin Trio was to become fa-
Back Issues
of The Clarinet
Back-issue order forms for The Clarinet
may now be downloaded from the I.C.A.
Web site: <www.clarinet.org>. Copies
may also be requested by contacting:
James Gillespie
College of Music
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P.O. Box 311367
Denton, TX 76203-1367
E-mail: <jgillesp@music.unt.edu>
Aerila sent a postcard from the Paris World Expo in 1900.
I
An excellent person, a great clarinet- not born in Villanova, he made an excep- options in becoming a professional musi-
ist, a magnificent teacher. tion for me. I often played with the wind cian. Most of his pupils were in the army
band of that village and he realized then bands there were many years ago. Be-
still remember that night. My teacher how interested I was in learning the clarinet. sides teaching clarinet, he also served as an
at the very beginning, whose name Not only did I learn to play clarinet advisor to other musicians, such as flutis-
was Francisco Vidal, picked me up as from him, but also to love music, to be po- tists, oboists or trumpet players who sought
he did many times when we were going to lite, to be patient and how to teach and his counsel.
play with one of the numerous wind bands enjoy pedagogy. Many of his former students hold im-
there are in Valencia. I was a son for him. I remember him practicing the clarinet portant positions, such as mine in the Na-
That time we had a rehearsal in Villanova when the students arrived at his home for cional Orchestra of Spain and a friend of
de Castell with the Lira Castellonense our lesson sometimes twice a week. mine in the Barcelona Symphony Orches-
Band. Meanwhile we were waiting at the However, although we were children, he tra and Nacional of Catalunya. Others are
casino musical1 before starting the re- quickly stood up to shake our hands as if teaching in different conservatories or play
hearsal. Francisco Vidal told my father, we were adults. When a new person came in municipal bands.
Look at that short man, bald and with into his room, we would stand up and do Mr. Talens was a very human person,
glasses sitting down there. I would like the same. He always explained to us why humble and extremely honest. When he
your son to study with him. Yes, he is a we should do that. was teaching, you could not stop loving
great clarinetist and will be a very good His methodology for teaching was rea- him. He enjoyed teaching and you could
teacher for him! So then they spoke with sonable and effective: at the beginning of see it. I always thought despite his age
him and I met him. I was only 12. the lesson we did the chromatic scale with he died in his 80s he would be a young
Mr. Jos Talens as I called him, or different articulations, and then played other man forever. He was a lively and enthusi-
Mr. Pepe or Mr. Talens as he was nick- scales or arpeggios and mechanical stud- astic person.
named in his village, had just retired from ies. We had to play these exercises with He told us about his many experiences
his position as a clarinet soloist in the Mu- good sound, intonation, articulation, rhy- during his musical career, stories about the
nicipal Wind Band of Madrid. Despite be- thm and equal movement of fingers. What- musical life in Madrid and his colleagues
ing far from his village, his heart was still ever difficulty you had, he explained it to and the great Julin Menndez, with whom
close to his place of birth all his life. In or- you and provided a solution. Often he dem- he studied until he was 40. Mr. Talns was
der to continue this, after his retirement onstrated to us the right way of playing the an expert on playing the music of Menn-
he gave lessons in Villanova to those who music. If you were tired, we would stop dez, and asked him to perform every new
piece he composed.
There is a street dedicated to him in his have a beer or play table games. This is very popu-
Larghetto from Mozarts Clarinet Quintet. home town to recognize all his personal lar in any wind band in Valencia.
He was honored by his colleagues on June merits as a musician and as a man. He
2
A person who steers a small ship.
7 with a delicious meal. A popular monument in Valencia made from paper,
passed away on November 2, 1988, at the
3
CONTEST RULES
1. Application fee: $50 U.S. All applicants must be members of the I.C.A., and must provide proof of membership. Non-
members wishing to apply may join the I.C.A. by including the appropriate membership fee with their contest appli-
cation fee. Make amount payable to the I.C.A. in U.S. currency by bank check, money order, or credit card only. Other forms
of payment may be made only with prior arrangement and consent of the Executive Director. Please direct questions about
payment to the Executive Director prior to sending your materials. The application fee is non-refundable.
2. Recording instructions: Please provide a high quality recording on compact disk (CD-R) containing the following repertoire
in the exact order listed. Repertoire must be recorded with accompaniment when appropriate. Any published edition is
acceptable. Each selection/movement should be ID coded as tracks. Audiocassettes will not be accepted. Please be aware that
the quality of the recording will influence the judges. Recordings should not be edited and only continuous performances of
entire works or movements are allowed.
Gioacchino Rossini, Introduction, Theme, and Variations (do not play repeats)
Vincent Persichetti, Parable XIII for solo clarinet, Op. 126
Charles Marie Widor, Introduction & Rondo, Op. 72
3. A photocopy of the contestants drivers license, passport or birth certificate as proof of age.
4. Both the private teacher, if any, and the contestant attest in a separate written and signed statement that the recording is the
playing of the contestant and has not been edited.
5. A summer address, telephone number and e-mail address (all if possible) should be provided. Email is the preferred
means of communication.
Please note that no application form is required.
JUDGING
Judging of recordings will be conducted with no knowledge of the contestant. Do not include any identification on the CD-R
or box. There should be no speaking on the recording such as announcing of compositions.
Preliminary judging will be by taped audition. Semi-finalists will be chosen by committee. Notification will be sent by
Monday, May 14, 2007. Semi-final and final rounds will be held at the ClarinetFest 2007, to be held in Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada, July 4-8, 2007. Semi-finalist will receive registration waiver for ClarinetFest 2007. Repertoire will consist
of the works listed above. Memorization for the semi-final and final rounds of competition is not required.
Past first-prize winners are not eligible to compete. All contestants will accept the decision of the judges as final. The I.C.A.
will provide a pianist for all finalists. All finalists will receive free registration at ClarinetFest 2007. Travel and other expenses
will be the responsibility of the contestant.
All recordings will become the property of the I.C.A. and will not be returned.
PRIZES
First Prize $2,000 U.S. Second Prize $1,500 U.S. Third Prize $1,000 U.S.
The I.C.A. assumes no tax liability that competition winners may incur through receiving prize money. Individuals are
responsible for investigating applicable tax laws and reporting prize winnings to requisite government agencies.
*****
Programs intended for publication in
The Clarinet should be sent to James
Gillespie, P.O. Box 311367, College of
Music, University of North Texas, Denton,
TX 76203-1367. To ensure accurate pro-
gram information, please send a printed
program and a summary of pertinent date
(names of performers and composers, site,
date and titles of the works, etc.) in the for-
mat above. For student recitals, only solo
degree recital programs (junior, senior,
masters and doctoral) will be listed.
A
ed. My local dealer said they couldnt get
one until January!
Numerous phone calls followed to ev-
round the time of my publication ally hearing a bass clarinet hit a hard wood eryone I could think of who might be able
deadline for this The Presidents floor at high velocity! It is very unpleasant. to help me find a bass. I wasnt sure what I
Message, I had a rather unfortu- In shock, I picked the bass up off the was going to do until I got a call from Pam
nate incident occur in my musical life. But floor and took it off stage to assess the Muncy. I had called them earlier and they,
my story has a happy ending, in part due to damage. On first look, it didnt seem too like everyone else at the time, were out of
my experience with the I.C.A. bad. But when I tried to play it, the right- stock. Pam had gotten the message about
In May I was playing a pops concert hand notes didnt respond. Closer inspec- my old bass and had coincidentally been
with the Utah Symphony. I was doubling tion revealed a crack at the top of the bot- having dinner with Franois Kloc the night
on B and bass clarinet, and there was just tom joint. The next day I took it to my before. They had also just received three
enough bass clarinet in the book that I repair technician. When his first utterance basses from the manufacturers. Pam sent
was a groan, I knew it wasnt going to be the three instruments out immediately, and
needed to have it out on a stand. The first
good. He kept groaning for a while, and I now own another bass that I think and
half of the program was uneventful. When
hope will rival the one I lost.
I got up from my chair to go off stage for finally told me that he could see a least
All of the people mentioned above I
intermission, I bumped the side of my bass five different cracks in the bottom joint.
met at a ClarinetFest and have been
just enough to knock it free from the top His diagnosis was that the joint was be-
pleased to know for many years. We are
bracket on the stand that normally holds it yond repair and that I should start looking
very fortunate to have people like Lisa,
in place. Time then seemed to go in very for a new bass.
Pam and Phil, Franois, and many others
slow motion as the bass fell to the floor of Lisa Argiris had helped me find this
from the vending and manufacturing fields
the stage. I hope that none of you ever bass three years ago and I was very happy
so closely and meaningfully involved in
have the experience of seeing and especi- with it. But now I was in need of a replace-
the I.C.A. I hope to never go through any-
thing like this again, but if I or any of you
do, it will be a great comfort to know that
we have a wonderful community of clar-
inetists, makers, manufacturers, vendors,
and friends to look after each other and
make our lives more beautiful.
Very special thanks go out to Joe Eller
and D. Ray McCellan for their tireless and
marvelous efforts as co-artistic directors
for ClarinetFest 2006. They have spent
hours over the last year dealing with the