I thought she was alright when her trio played concerts at my conservatorium but I could hear a lot of air coming from the sides of her mouth when she played which was INCREDIBLY distracting. It was consistent too (even after their breaks in between works) so she obviously didn`t know it was noticeable (or didn`t care). I wasn`t even sitting that close and I could hear it quite clearly. But as an educator, she was great. Went to a masterclass that she took which was one of the best ones I`ve been to in a long time. Her husband`s an awesome violinist though!!

Hey, my fav clarinetist sits right next to me. He`s a good friend of mine!!!! he`s a senior in college.

I didn`t notice that at my concert.
Just as a point of interest, whenever I`ve been to concerts of Paul Dean`s he has had air escaping from the sides of his embouchure. I don`t know how audible it would have been from the back of the hall; I usually sit pretty close to the front.

Rachel, I can`t say that I`ve heard air coming from Paul Dean`s mouth, but I was sitting a fair way back most of the times I`ve heard him. I did, however, notice how much he moves which is also particularly distracting. It was acceptable to watch when he was standing but it detracted from the music when he looked like he was dancing in his seat when he was playing the Brahms Quintet with the ASQ. Is it a QLD music thing cause I noticed Richard moving excessively at the Young Performers last year too? Or is it just Paul`s influence? Still interesting players nonetheless.

Al

It wasn`t noticeable from the back, then.
The moving around... I`m not sure where that comes from, more than one person at the Conservatorium does it, but the person I`m thinking of wasn`t taught by Paul (he was taught by Floyd Williams, who stays quite still), and he moves around so much that I can`t watch him when he plays.
I didn`t see Richard when he played last year, the last time I heard him was in workshop at uni a couple of years ago, and I don`t think he was moving excessively then. He might have picked up the habit, though, which isn`t good. I think people should just let the music speak for itself. If people want to see a visual spectacle they should go to the circus.

He he... right on, sista!

Hi, everyone. I played the clarinet for six years in school, but that was a long time ago. I`m thinking about taking it up again, and my search for information led me here. I`d like to compliment you on your dedication to the clarinet. When I was in school, we knew almost nothing about different nation`s approaches to the clarinet, grading systems, or even the major clarinetists. We just never got that kind of guidance. I`m glad to see you have it better than I did.

My one brush with clarinet greatness was when I saw Pete Fountain play at his club in the New Orleans Hilton about twenty years ago. Who have you seen play?

Well I believe that you should let the msuic be expressed throughyou1 If you feel inclined to move about feel free to do it (as long as it isn`t too distracting) but musics about enjoying, and when some peoplem play they naturally express the music through themselves.

Secondly, two more names to add to my favourite clarinettist`s are Jack Brymer and Ernst Ottensamer

Goodman is my god

-Jen

Have you HEARD Ernst Ottensamer playing the opening of Rhapsody in Blue?? He breaks the gliss into two sections...I don`t know how you can get away with that for a piece like that...

I haven`t heard him play the Rapsodie in Blue, but I have heard him play other music and he makes it sound lovely - amazing- but maybe more jazz type music isn`t his style?

Just an old clarinet palyer giving his opinion. Quite stupid to name just one, but a few great ones is possible. Artie Shaw, Reginald Kell(greatest classical artist), Goodman, Louis Cahuzac (marvelous sound, unique),Leister. Daniels.

I have to admit my prejudice, since Benny was my uncle, but you have to hear the new Pearle record that includes a ravishing performance of the Debussy Rhapsody, the Bartok Contrasts(much better sound than the CBS CD), the E flat Brahms sonata with Nadia Reisenberg and the early recording of the Mozart Quintet with the Budapest. The Mozart is a bit perfunctory in my opinion, but Benny told me he was pleased with it when it was first reissued on LP.
I once heard Benny play an absolutely gorgeous Mozart Concerto with the McGill chamber orchestra (1978?) and the applause was so prolonged that he had to play an encore. I thought to myself, what the hell is he going to play for an encore without an orchestra or piano? Well , he launched into 5 minutes of unaccompanied Sweet Georgia Brown that brought the house down.
As for grear clarinetists, there is no shortage. I would add to the list John Bruce Yeh who is the assistant pricipal of the Chicago Symphony. Benny admired and studied with Reginald Kell, and also was a fan of Richard Stoltzman. He also had a Sweedish player he promoted, Stan Haselblad( if I remember the spelling) who died at a young age in an accident. As far as orchestral players, Stanley Drucker is incredible. You can hear his pianissimo over the entire NYPhilharmonic.

Sorry, I meant Stan Hasselgard. Hasselblad is, of course, a camera.

artie shaw, benny goodman.. actually,im in the middle of transcribing a solo of goodman`s on aint misbehavin for jazz band.. which is why i gotta run. laterRz