Buffet Crampon's - International Clarinet Association

Volume 33 Number 2 

March 2006 

Buffet 

Crampon’s 

180th 

Anniversary 

Concert

Volume 33, Number 2 March 2006 

ABOUT THE COVER… 

Buffet Crampon’s 180th Anniversary 

Concert, Paris, France, November 10, 

2005. See related article on page 36. 

(photo: Buffet Crampon) 

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS 

Alea Publishing & Recording....................................26 

Alexander’s Wind Instrument Center........................28 

Ben Armato .................................................................7 

Backun Musical Services.................Inside Back Cover 

Charles Bay ...............................................................22 

Behn Mouthpieces International................................17 

Belgian Clarinet Academy.........................................32 

Kristin Bertrand Woodwind Repair...........................10 

Brannen Woodwinds .................................................96 

Buffet Crampon USA, Inc...............Inside Front Cover 

Carmine Campione....................................................68 

CASS .........................................................................19 

Classified Advertising .................................................6 

Cleveland Institute of Music......................................21 

Crystal Records .........................................................94 

The Davie Cane Company.........................................29 

Domaine Forget Academy.........................................48 

Expert Woodwind Service, Inc..................................34 

J. D’Addario — Rico Reeds......................................99 

Last Resort Music......................................................19 

Leblanc (Conn-Selmer) ...............................................4 

Lisa’s Clarinet Shop ....................................................7 

Luyben Music Co. .....................................................33 

Muncy Winds ............................................................13 

Naylor’s Custom Wind Repair ..................................48 

New York University.................................................27 

Olivieri Reeds............................................................61 

Ongaku Records, Inc. ..................................................5 

Orsi & Weir ...............................................................97 

Patricola Fratelli SNS ................................................39 

Pomarico....................................................................64 

Bernard Portnoy.........................................................61 

Quodlibet. Inc. .............................................................5 

Rast Music ...............................................................100 

RedwineJazz ......................................................41, 100 

Reeds Australia..........................................................11 

Roosevelt University .................................................93 

L. Rossi......................................................................49 

Sayre Woodwinds......................................................42 

Selmer Paris (Conn-Selmer) .........Outside Back Cover 

SHALL-u-mo Publications........................................15 

Tap Music Sales ........................................................81 

U.S. Army....................................................................2 

University of Denver Lamont School of Music ..........6 

University of Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium ..........23 

University of Redlands ..............................................39 

Van Cott Information Services..................................64 

Vandoren ...................................................................52 

Wichita Band Instrument Co. ......................................9 

Woodwindiana, Inc....................................................10 

Working the Single Reed: A Tutorial........................50 

Yamaha Corporation of America ..............................51 

Features 

BIOGRAPHIES OF CANDIDATES FOR I.C.A. OFFICERS ........................................................................28 

THE CLARINET TEACHING OF KEITH STEIN — PART 14: 

LEGATO PLAYING STYLE by David Pino......................................................................................................30 

A TRIBUTE TO JOSEF HORÁK by Henri Bok................................................................................................34 

IN MEMORIAM: A TRIBUTE TO DAVID WEBER by David Goodman ......................................................35 

BUFFET CRAMPON’S 180TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT A Report by James Gillespie ...........................36 

VANDOREN/BUFFET CLARINET CHOIR FESTIVAL IN ATLANTA CELEBRATES 

MILESTONES AND MUSICIANSHIP by Christine A. Zimmerman...................................................................38 

THE INTERNATIONAL CLARINET ASSOCIATION CLARINETFEST® 2005 

TAMA, TOKYO, JAPAN, JULY 17–24, 2005: IN REVIEW, PART II by Kelly Johnson and Alan E. Stanek...40 

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA HOSTS ITS 30TH ANNUAL CLARINET SYMPOSIUM 

A Report by Amanda McCandless ...............................................................................................................................50 

INTERNATIONAL CLARINET ASSOCIATION ATLANTA CLARINETFEST® 2006: 

AUGUST 9–13 .....................................................................................................................................................54 

GOING DUTCH — A REPORT ON THE FIRST WORLD BASS CLARINET CONVENTION 

by Daniel Harris.......................................................................................................................................................58 

GERVASE DE PEYER IN HIS 80TH YEAR, PART II by John Robert Brown ...............................................62 

AUTUMN FANCIES by Bonnie Glass .................................................................................................................65 

BERNSTEIN AND THE CLARINET: STANLEY REMEMBERS LENNY, PART II by Amy Shapiro.......66 

EARLY CLARINET PEDAGOGY FOR MODERN PERFORMERS, PART II: 

INTONATION AND FINGERING by Luc Jackman ..........................................................................................70 

TONY SCOTT, PART I: THE STATESIDE YEARS by Thomas W. Jacobsen.................................................72 

THE MOVIES OF BENNY GOODMAN — A PICTORIAL RETROSPECTIVE, TAKE 2 

by James Gillespie ....................................................................................................................................................74 

THE MOZART PARTITA PROJECT: FIRST EDITIONS OF PARTHIEN (HARMONIEMUSIK) 

ATTRIBUTED TO MOZART — THE OCTETS OF K. ANHANG C ........................................................78 

AN EARLY PERFORMANCE OF MESSIAEN’S QUARTET FOR THE END OF TIME 

by Albert R. Rice.......................................................................................................................................................82 

“HE’S GONE AWAY” by Nigel Hinson ..............................................................................................................83 

Departments 

LETTERS...............................................................................................................................................................5 

TEACHING CLARINET by Michael Webster.......................................................................................................8 

AUDIO NOTES by William Nichols ......................................................................................................................14 

CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS.................................................................................................................18 

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING… by Deborah Check Reeves...............................................................................20 

LETTER FROM THE U.K. by Paul Harris .......................................................................................................22 

INDUSTRY PROFILES — The New Word is “Claripatch” by Paul Globus .................................................24 

REVIEWS ...........................................................................................................................................................84 

RECITALS AND CONCERTS.........................................................................................................................96 

UPDATE FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ........................................................................................98 

INTERNATIONAL CLARINET ASSOCIATION STATEMENT OF CREDITS 

AND DEBITS Submitted by Diane Barger, I.C.A. Treasurer...................................................................................100 

March 2006 Page 1

INTERNATIONAL CLARINET ASSOCIATION 

Acting President: Lee Livengood, 490 Northmont Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84103, E-mail: 

Past President: Robert Walzel, School of Music, University of Utah, 204 David P. Gardner Hall, 1375 East Presidents 

Circle, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0030, 801/273-0805 (home), 801/581-6765 (office), 801/581-5683 (fax), E-mail: 

 

Secretary: Kristina Belisle, School of Music, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-1002, 330/972-8404 (office), 

330/972-6409 (fax), E-mail: 

Treasurer: Diane Barger, School of Music, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 120 Westbook Music Building, Lincoln, NE 

68588-0100, 402/472-0582 (office), 402/472-8962 (fax), E-mail: 

Executive Director: So Rhee, P.O. Box 510650, Salt Lake City, UT 84151, 801/867-4336 (phone), 212/457-6124 (fax), 

E-mail: 

Editor/Publisher: James Gillespie, College of Music, University of North Texas, P.O. Box 311367, Denton, TX 76203-1367, 

940/565-4096 (office), 940/565-2002 (fax), E-mail: 

Editorial Associates: Lee Gibson, 1226 Kendolph, Denton, TX 76205; Himie Voxman, 821 N. Linn, Iowa City, IA 52245 

Contributing Editor: Joan Porter, 400 West 43rd, Apt. 41L, New York, NY 10036 

Editorial Staff: Joseph Messenger (Editor of Reviews), Department of Music, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, 

515/294-3143, E-mail: ; William Nichols (Audio Review Editor), School of Music, 

University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0250, 318/342-1576 (office), 318/342-1599 (fax), 

E-mail: ; Tsuneya Hirai, 11-9 Oidecho, Nishinomiya, 662-0036 Japan; Kalmen Opperman, 

17 West 67th Street, #1 D/S, New York, NY 10023; Heston L. Wilson, M.D., 1155 Akron Street, San Diego, CA 92106, 

E-mail: ; Michael Webster, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, P.O. Box 1892, 

Houston, TX 77251-1892, 713/838-0420 (home), 713/838-0078 (fax), E-mail: ; Bruce Creditor, 

11 Fisher Road, Sharon, MA 02067, E-mail: ; Thomas W. Jacobsen, 3970 Laurel Street, 

New Orleans, LA 70115, E-mail: ; Ronald Odrich, D.D.S., 4710 Livingston Avenue, 

Bronx, NY 10471, 718/796-5080 (phone), E-mail: ; Deborah Check Reeves, 

Curator of Education, National Music Museum, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069; 

phone: 605/ 677-5306; fax: 605/677-6995; Museum Web site: ; Personal Web site: 

; Paul Harris, 15, Mallard Drive, Buckingham, Bucks. MK18 1GJ, U.K.; 

E-mail: ; Diana Cassar-Uhl, 26 Rose Hill Park, Cornwall, NY 12518 

I.C.A. Research Center: SCPA, Performing Arts Library, University of Maryland, 2511 Clarice Smith Performing 

Arts Center, College Park, MD 20742-1630 

Research Coordinator and Library Liaison: Keith Koons, Music Department, University of Central Florida, 

P.O. Box 161354, Orlando, FL 32816-1354, 407/823-5116 (phone), E-mail: 

Webmaster: Kevin Jocius, Headed North, Inc. Web Design, 847/742-4730 (phone), 

Historian: Alan Stanek, 1352 East Lewis Street, Pocatello, ID 83201-4865, 208/232-1338 (phone), 208/282-4884 (fax), 

E-mail: 

International Liaisons: 

Australasia: Floyd Williams, 27 Airlie Rd, Pullenvale, Qld, Australia, (61)7 3374 2392 (phone), E-mail 

Europe/Mediterranean: Guido Six, Artanstraat 3, BE-8670 Oostduinkerke, Belgium, (32) 58 52 33 94 (home), (32) 59 70 70 

08 (office), (32) 58 51 02 94 (home fax), (32) 59 51 82 19 (office fax), E-mail: 

North America: Luan Mueller, 275 Old Camp Church Road, Carrollton, GA 30117, 678/796-2414 (cell), E-mail: 

South America: Marino Calva, Ejido Xalpa # 30 Col. Culhuacan, Mexico D.F. 04420 Coyoacan, (55) 56 95 42 10 

(phone/fax), (55) 91 95 85 10 (cell), E-mail: 

National Chairpersons: 

Argentina: Mariano Frogioni, Bauness 2760 4to. B, CP: 1431, Capital Federal, Argentina 

Armenia: Alexandr G. Manukyan, Aigestan str. 6 h. 34,Yerevan 375070, Armenia, E-mail: 

Australia: Floyd Williams, Queensland Conservatorium, P. O. Box 3428, Brisbane 4001, Australia; 61/7 3875 6235 (office); 

61/7 3374 2392 (home); 61/733740347 (fax); E-mail: 

Austria: Alfred Prinz, 3712 Tamarron Dr., Bloomington, Indiana 47408, U.S.A. 812/334-2226 

Belgium: Guido Six, Artanstraat 3, B-8670 Oostduinkerke, Belgium, 32/58 52 33 94 (home), 32 59 70 70 08 (office), 

Fax 32 58 51 02 94 (home), 32 59 51 82 19 (office), E-mail: 

Brazil: Ricardo Dourado Freire, SHIS QI 17 conj. 11 casa 02, 71.645-110 Brasília-DF, Brazil, 5561/248-1436 (phone), 

5561/248-2869 (fax), E-mail: 

Canada: Peter Spriggs, The Clarinet Center, P.O. Box 159, Penticton, British Columbia V2A 6J9, Canada, Phone/Fax 

250/497-8200, E-mail: 

Eastern Canada: Stan Fisher, School of Music, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B0P 1XO, Canada 

Central Canada: Connie Gitlin, School of Music, University of Manitoba, 65 Dafoe Road, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Phone 

204/797-3220, E-mail: 

Western Canada: Gerald N. King, School of Music, University of Victoria, Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 

2Y2, Canada, Phone 250/721-7889, Fax 250/721-6597, E-mail: 

Caribbean: Kathleen Jones, Torrimar, Calle Toledo 14-1, Guaynabo, PR 00966-3105, Phone 787/782-4963, 

E-mail: 

Chile: Luis Rossi, Coquimbo 1033 #1, Santiago centro, Chile, (phone/fax) 562/222-0162, E-mail: 

Costa Rica: Alvaro D. Guevara-Duarte, 300 M. Este Fabrica de Hielo, Santa Cruz-Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Central America, 

E-mail: 

Czech Republic: Stepán Koutník, K haji 375/15 165 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic, E-mail: 

Denmark: Jørn Nielsen, Kirkevaenget 10, DK-2500 Valby, Denmark, 45-36 16 69 61 (phone), 

E-mail: 

Finland: Anna-Maija Joensuu, Finish Clarinet Society, Karipekka Eskelinen, Iso Roobertinkatu 42A 16, 00120 Finland, 

358-(0)500-446943 (phone), E-mail: 

France: Guy Deplus, 37 Square St. Charles, Paris, France 75012, phone 33 (0) 143406540 

Germany: Ulrich Mehlhart, Dornholzhauser Str. 20, D-61440 Oberursel, Germany, 

Great Britain: David Campbell, 83, Woodwarde Road, London SE22 8UL, England, 44 (0)20 8693 5696 (phone/fax), 

E-mail: 

Greece: Paula Smith Diamandis, S. Petroula 5, Thermi 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece, E-mail: 

Hong Kong: Andrew Simon, 14B Ying Pont Building, 69-71A Peel Street, Hong Kong (011) 852 2987 9603 (phone), 

E-mail , 

Hungary: József Balogh, Bécsi u. 88/90.1/31, H-1034 Budapest, Hungary, 36 1 388 6689 (phone/fax), 

E-mail:, 

Iceland: Kjartan ‘Oskarsson, Tungata 47, IS-101, Reykjavik, Iceland, 354 552 9612 (phone), E-mail: 

Ireland: Tim Hanafin, Orchestral Studies Dept., DIT, Conservatory of Music, Chatham Row, Dublin 2, Ireland, 

353 1 4023577 (fax), 353 1 4023599 (home phone), E-mail: 

Israel: Eva Wasserman-Margolis, Weizman 6, Apt. 3, Givatayim, Israel 53236, E-mail: 

Italy: Luigi Magistrelli, Via Buonarroti 6, 20010 S. Stefano Ticino (Mi), Italy, 39/(0) 2 97 27 01 45 (phone/fax), 

E-mail: 

Japan: Koichi Hamanaka, Room 403, 1-34-2 Komagome, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0003 Japan, 81-3-5976-6057 (phone/fax), E- 

mail: 

Korea: Im Soo Lee, Hanshin 2nd Apt., 108-302, Chamwondong Suhchoku, Seoul, Korea. (02) 533-6952 (phone), 

(02) 3476-6952 (fax), E-mail: 

Luxembourg: Marcel Lallemang, 11 Rue Michelshof, L-6251 Scheidgen, Luxembourg, E-mail: 

Mexico: Luis Humberto Ramos, Calz. Guadalupe I. Ramire No. 505-401 Col. San Bernadino, Xochimilco, Mexico D.F., 

16030. 6768709 (fax), E-mail: 

Netherlands: Nancy Wierdsma-Braithwaite, Arie van de Heuvelstraat 10, 3981 CV, Bunnik, Netherlands, E-mail: 

 

New Zealand: Andrew Uren, 26 Appleyard Crescent, Meadowbank, Auckland 5, New Zealand, 

64 9 521 2663 (phone and fax). 

Norway: Håkon Stødle, Fogd Dreyersgt. 21, 9008 Tromsø, Norway 47/77 68 63 76 (home phone), 47/77 66 05 51 (phone, 

Tromsø College), 47/77 61 88 99 (fax, Tromsø College), E-mail: 

People’s Republic of China: Guang Ri Jin, Music Department, Central National University, No. 27 Bai Shi Qiao Road, 

Haidian District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 86/10-6893-3290 (phone) 

Peru: Ruben Valenzuela Alejo, Av. Alejandro Bertello 1092, Lima, Peru 01, 564-0350 or 564-0360 (phone), 

(51-1) 564-4123 (fax), E-mail: 

Poland: Krzysztof Klima, os. Wysokie 10/28, 31-819 Krakow, Poland. 48 12 648 08 82 (phone), 48 12 648 08 82 (fax), 

E-mail: 

Portugal: António Saiote, Rua 66, N. 125, 2 Dto., 4500 Espinho, Portugal, 351-2-731 0389 (phone) 

Slovenia: Jurij Jenko, C. Na Svetje 56 A, 61215 Medvode, Slovenia. Phone 386 61 612 477 

South Africa: Edouard L. Miasnikov, P.O. Box 249, Auckland Park, 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa, 

(011) 476-6652 (phone/fax) 

Spain: vacant 

Sweden: Kjell-Inge Stevensson, Erikssund, S-193 00 Sigtuna, Sweden 

Switzerland: Andreas Ramseier, Alter Markt 6, CH-3400 Burgdorf, Switzerland 

Taiwan: Chien-Ming, 3F, 33, Lane 120, Hsin-Min Street, Tamsui, Taipei, Taiwan 25103 

Thailand: Peter Goldberg, 105/7 Soi Suparat, Paholyotin 14, Phyathai, Bangkok 10400 Thailand 

662/616-8332 (phone) or 662/271-4256 (fax), E-mail: 

Uruguay: Horst G. Prentki, José Martí 3292 / 701, Montevideo, Uruguay 11300, 00598-2-709 32 01 (phone) 

Venezuela: Victor Salamanques, Calle Bonpland, Res. Los Arboles, Torrec Apt. C-14D, Colinas de Bello Yonte Caracas 

1050, Venezuela, E-mail: 

H O N O R A R Y M E M B E R S 

Betty Brockett (1936–2003) 

Jack Brymer (1915–2003) 

Guy Deplus, Paris, France 

Stanley Drucker, New York, New York 

F. Gerard Errante, Norfolk, Virginia 

Lee Gibson, Denton, Texas 

James Gillespie, Denton, Texas 

Paul Harvey, Twickenham, Middlesex, U.K. 

Stanley Hasty, Rochester, New York 

Ramon Kireilis, Denver, Colorado 

Karl Leister, Berlin, Germany 

Mitchell Lurie, Los Angeles, California 

Alfred Prinz, Bloomington, Indiana 

Harry Rubin, York, Pennsylvania 

James Sauers (1921–1988) 

William O. Smith, Seattle, Washington 

Ralph Strouf (1926–2002) 

Himie Voxman, Iowa City, Iowa 

George Waln (1904–1999) 

David Weber (1914-2006) 

Pamela Weston, Hothfield, Kent, U.K. 

Commercial Advertising / General Advertising Rates 

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The Clarinet is published four times a year and contains at least 48 pages printed offset on 70 

lb. gloss stock. Trim size is approximately 8 1/4" x 11". All pages are printed with black ink, 

with 4,000 to 4,500 copies printed per issue. 

DEADLINES FOR ARTICLES, ANNOUNCEMENTS, RECITAL 

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Size Picas Inches Single Issue (B/W) Color** 

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NOTE: Line screen values for the magazine are 150 for black & white ads and 175 for color. If the poor quality of 

any ad submitted requires that it be re-typeset, additional charges may be incurred. 

All new ads must be submitted in an electronic format. For more information concerning this procedure, 

contact Executive Director So Rhee. 

THE INTERNATIONAL CLARINET ASSOCIATION 

MEMBERSHIP FEES 

$25 (U.S. dollars) Student 

$50 (U.S. dollars) Regular 

$50 (U.S. dollars) Institutional 

Payment must be made by check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or 

Discover. Make checks payable to the International Clarinet Association in U.S. dollars. 

Please use International Money Order or check drawn on U.S. bank only. Send payment to: 

The International Clarinet Association, So Rhee, P.O. Box 510650, Salt Lake City, UT 

84151 USA. 

© Copyright 2006, INTERNATIONAL CLARINET ASSOCIATION 

ISSN 0361-5553 All Rights Reserved 

Published quarterly by the INTERNATIONAL CLARINET ASSOCIATION 

Designed and printed by BUCHANAN VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS - Dallas, Texas U.S.A. 

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 

March 2006 Page 3

(Letters intended for publication in The 

Clarinet should be addressed to James 

Gillespie, Editor, “Letters,” The Clarinet, 

College of Music, University of North 

Texas, Denton, Texas 76203-1367 or via 

e-mail: . 

Letters may be edited for purposes of clarity 

and space.) 

* * * * * 

Dear Mr. Gillespie, 

It gives me a great pleasure to answer 

questions raised by Mr. Kavadlo in 

his review of my CD, Pearls & Yarn, 

Milan Milosevic Trio, Summit Records 

Inc. (The Clarinet, Vol. 32, No. 4, September 

2005). 

Mr. Kavadlo questioned the use of saxophone 

in the piece named “My Aching 

Heart,” stating that sound of instruments 

resemble more closely the use of two clarinets 

on that recording. “In fact, I heard no 

saxophone anywhere on the CD.” 

I am quite proud to confirm that alto 

saxophone was used to double clarinet 

throughout the entire piece (Pearls & 

Yarn, CD Summit Records Inc., title No. 

1: “My Aching Heart”). On the other hand, 

Mr. Kavadlo’s remarks are quite logical 

considering the use of extended playing 

technique that resembles more that of bass 

clarinet performance than traditional saxophone 

embouchure. This resulted in producing 

the warmer and significantly more 

mellow timbre on the saxophone, resembling 

quite closely clarinet-like warmness. 

Bozidar Boki Milosevic, the composer 

of most of the tunes on the CD recording, 

is, in fact, my father. Please note that this 

fact has been purposefully omitted in the 

program notes since, in my opinion, that 

fact is not crucial, and besides, the same 

last name can easily guide an audience to 

draw their own conclusion, without pointing 

out the obvious. 

Tonguing/trill technique is very unique 

and originally designed to extend and 

enhance the characteristics of performance 

throughout the Pearls & Yarn project. It is 

the combination of double/triple tonguing 

March 2006 Page 5

used in a classical way, combined with 

patched double trills and mordents used to 

positively reinforce that effect. Also, there 

is a third factor: super-charged trills used 

throughout the entire range of the clarinet 

that artificially enhances the “sensation” of 

super-fast triple tonguing. This playing 

technique is produced by “slapping” the 

second and third right-hand upper keys 

with a right-hand index finger in extremely 

fast, yet gentle fashion, at the same time 

avoiding faulty harmonics on any given 

note where this particular technique has 

been applied. When combined with the 

aforementioned two techniques, it blends 

into the whole “recipe” for the ethno-classical 

style of my performance. It is the 

product of my long-time research, used 

classified advertising 

All ads submitted for The Clarinet should be: 1. Typewritten, double-spaced; 2. As concisely 

worded as possible; 3. Non-commercial in nature and limited to the sale and trade of personally 

owned instruments, music, accessories, etc.; 4. Submitted to the Editor by the advertising deadlines 

listed on page 3. Placed by members of the I.C.A. only. Each ad will run only one issue 

unless the Editor is otherwise advised. 

INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE: Buffet R-13, A and B ♭ , 19 keys/7 rings. Outstanding tone, intonation 

and condition. Used by now-retired professional symphony clarinetist and college teacher. Accessories 

included: four extra barrels (two for each clarinet), customized double and triple cases with 

covers. Accessories also available: mouthpieces, reed tools, clarinet stands, etc.; and my library of 

several books, and much music, solos, ensembles, orchestral excerpts, some 1st clarinet parts, method 

and etude books, in addition to four antique clarinets (approximately 100 years old). Also sax mouthpieces: 

alto—Selmer metal C* (1960); and tenor—metal Otto Link (1950+/), and flute, oboe and bassoon 

music. For full description and prices, please contact Armand Abramson (verizon.net as of May?) or phone 609.947.4379. 

mostly in contemporary classical compositions, 

some of which are dedicated to and 

commissioned by me. This time, I’ve tried 

to diversify and expand this invention, thus 

producing the eclectic presentation on the 

edge of folk and boundary of classical aesthetical 

values. 

These particular risks taken in effort 

to create this ethno-classical genre would 

be perceived harshly in the countries 

from where these music counterparts originate 

(on both sides of the same artistic 

spectrum) considering the culture and 

age-old customs that define aesthetics 

and styles more rigidly, as opposed to 

North American openness, which openheartedly 

welcomed my interest in ethnic 

roots of the Balkans. 

Thank you very much for your interest 

and patience of the members of the International 

Clarinet Association in reading 

my response. I am deeply honored by 

Mr. Kavadlo’s remarks and would like to 

extend my deepest gratitude for his review. 

Best & warm regards, 

Milan Milosevic 

E-mail: ; 

Page 6 

THE CLARINET

March 2006 Page 7

y Michael Webster 

Michael Webster 

SEVENTH HEAVEN 

Thirty-second in a series of articles using 

excerpts from a clarinet method in progress 

by the Professor of Clarinet at Rice 

University’s Shepherd School of Music. 

from the immense repertoire of the Baroque, 

something I wasn’t really considering 

at the age of 10. But now I rue the lack 

of Baroque repertoire for clarinet, and in 

particular the music of J.S. Bach. 

It was around the time that the allure of 

the clarinet enticed me that the Bach Gesellschaft 

arrived at our home: 47 oversized, 

hardcover volumes taking up six feet 

of shelf space in the customized book case 

that came with it. The librarian in me took 

great delight arranging the heavy volumes 

in chronological order in their special case, 

but the budding musician had no concept 

of the astonishing legacy he held in his 

young hands. With a prolificacy rivaled 

only by Mozart and Schubert, Bach left us 

an oeuvre of such quality and quantity 

that it boggles the mind. 

That Bach didn’t write for clarinet has 

not dissuaded clarinetists from playing his 

music for recreation or as etudes. Bach 

was also a great teacher and his music is 

unsurpassed for pedagogical use. So it 

comes as no surprise that my search for 

musical examples of obvious and effective 

use of seventh chords led to Bach, Bach 

and Bach. For this article, I have selected 

only three of many possibilities, but first 

we need to investigate the sound and function 

of various seventh chords. 

In my article, “Living in Harmony” 

(The Clarinet, Vol. 30, No. 2, March 2003), 

triads were identified, defined, and practiced. 

If a triad is defined as three notes 

stacked in thirds, then a seventh chord is 

four notes stacked in thirds and so named 

because the fourth note is the interval of a 

seventh above the root. Seventh chords are 

further identified by the type of triad and 

the type of seventh. A major triad plus a 

major seventh (such as C-E-G-B) is called 

a major seventh chord; a major triad plus a 

minor seventh (such as C-E-G-B ♭ ) is called 

a major minor seventh chord; a minor triad 

plus a minor seventh (such as C-E ♭ -G-B ♭ ) 

is called a minor seventh chord; a diminished 

triad plus a minor seventh (such as 

C-E ♭ -G ♭ -B ♭ ) is called a diminished minor 

seventh chord; and a diminished triad plus 

a diminished seventh (such as C ♯ -E-G-B ♭ ) 

is called a diminished seventh chord. 

Each of the five varieties of seventh 

chord has a distinctive sound that can be 

identified by someone with a trained ear. 

Aural identification is an important part of 

teaching seventh chords to students. In so 

doing, it is important to distinguish between 

the sound of a chord and its function in a 

tonality. For example, the word “dominant” 

is defined as the fifth scale step of a 

major or minor scale and the seventh chord 

built on the fifth scale step is the “dominant 

seventh chord.” Because it happens to 

be a major minor seventh chord and is so 

pervasive in our tonal language, many people 

make the mistake of calling every major 

minor seventh chord a dominant seventh. 

Remember, major minor seventh is 

the sound of the chord; dominant seventh 

is the function of that chord on the fifth 

scale step of major and minor keys. 

In Example 1A, there are two major 

minor seventh chords. 

Ihave never regretted my decision to 

play the clarinet. It wasn’t a decision, 

actually; I think the clarinet chose me 

more than I chose it. Like Lorelei, the clarinet 

captivated me with intimate vibrations 

that excited my eardrums from inside as 

well as outside. At the age of 10 I was 

hooked, and not even the awesome, prodigious 

repertoire of the piano could lure me 

in the direction of my other piano-playing 

family members. 

But every rose has a thorn. Playing clarinet 

excluded me not only from the immense 

repertoire for the piano, but also 

Page 8 

The passage is in C major. The second chord is a II 7 with a raised fourth scale step (F ♯ ) 

resolving directly to a V 7 and back to the tonic. Many theory systems use the term “secondary 

dominant” and describe this chord as the dominant of the dominant. But it is not a 

true dominant because it is built on the second scale step, not the fifth. In order to be a dominant 

seventh, it would have to be built on fifth scale step in G major, as in Example 1B. 

I like one aspect of the Allen Irvine McHose theory system (taught when dinosaurs 

roamed the halls of the Eastman School!): the grouping of chords in classifications depending 

upon how they are likely to resolve in normal chord progression. Chords that tend to 

resolve directly to the tonic (e.g. V, V 7 , VII, VII 7 ) are called “first classification”; those that 

tend to resolve to first classification (e.g. II, II 7 , IV, IV 7 ) are called “second classification,” 

THE CLARINET

and so on. This allows an easy analysis of 

secondary dominants by naming the original 

scale step and its chromatic alteration 

(e.g. I 7♭7 or VI 7 1). But this manner of naming 

secondary dominants has fallen out of 

favor, and one is now likely to see the II 7♯ 4 

described as V 7 of V. 

An early indoctrination in tonal thinking 

that I haven’t actually mentioned in a 

previous article is contained in Example 2. 

The three versions show how V, VII and 

V 7 sound very similar and all function as 

first classification chords leading directly 

to I (the tonic). 

Example 3 reviews the transposition 

procedure for all of the examples that follow. 

Supply the following key signatures 

to line 3A to achieve the first four varieties 

of seventh chord: 4 sharps = EM 7 , 3 sharps 

= EMm 7 , 1 sharp = Em 7 , 1 flat = Edm 7 . 

Diminished seventh chords are addressed 

in Example 14. 

Do not neglect the VII chord! How often have you or your students mistakenly turned a 

VII chord into a V 7 because the fingers, with a mind of their own, automatically fell into the 

V 7 , which has been drilled to the detriment of the poor, neglected VII triad? The routine in 

Example 2 will help prevent that problem, and should, of course, be done in all major and 

minor keys. 

The advanced intermediate student is now ready to learn all of the seventh chords in a 

three-octave range. The following exercises use the same procedures described in “Beyond 

Baermann” (The Clarinet, Vol. 32, No. 2, March 2005), “Mining for Minors” (June 2005), 

“Promise Her Anything but Give Her Arpeggios” (Sept. 2005), and “Etuduets” (Dec. 2005). 

In order to cover a lot of ground in this article, I will keep explanations at a minimum and 

ask you to consult the previous articles for details. 

Transpose 3A up to achieve the same 

four seventh chords with roots on F, F ♯ , 

and G ♭ . Use 3B for G, G ♯ , and A ♭ : Use 3C 

for A, B ♭ and B: use 3D only for Adm7 

because it has E ♭ . This requires high G for 

the first time, and the best fingering to use 

is LH index finger with RH fork and E ♭ 

key. The fork is prepared the same as it 

was for F ♯ , by curving the finger close to 

the rod so that it doesn’t hit the rings when 

they rise upon leaving E ♭ . This is an 

overblown “B”, so voicing of the tongue 

and throat is required but it is surprisingly 

easy because the feel is so similar to F#, 

which the student has already mastered. 

Use Example 3E for CM 7 , CMm 7 , C ♯ , D ♭ , 

D, and E ♭ (another high G required). Example 

3F is for Cm 7 and Cdm 7 because 

they have E ♭ . 

March 2006 Page 9

Without exception, all of these arpeggio 

exercises are in multiples of 12 notes, so 

they can all be grouped in threes and fours, 

an important characteristic that adds variety 

and helps equalize finger action. As 

always, slur first and then add the varied 

rhythms and articulations given in “Beyond 

Baermann” (March 2005). The remaining 

examples give patterns only on E. Imagine 

the same transposition procedure as in 

Example 3 so that the four varieties of seventh 

chord are practiced in all tonalities. 

Page 10 

THE CLARINET

March 2006 Page 11

The diminished seventh chord gets special 

treatment because it doesn’t exist in 

any diatonic key and therefore requires at 

least one accidental. I have chosen to present 

it in Example 14 in its most common 

form, as a VII 7♯7 (with the 7th scale step 

raised) in minor keys. In each of the 12 

staves, the key signature is given and the 

diminished seventh chord is spelled as it 

would be for that minor key. Like the augmented 

triad, the diminished seventh chord 

is symmetrical: all of the intervals are the 

same when spelled enharmonically. 

Among the minor thirds there will always 

be one augmented second, which can appear 

in four different locations. So if you 

compare 14A, D, G and J the sound of the 

chord is the same, but the function is different. 

14A functions as a VII 7♯7 in F minor, 

14D in G ♯ minor, 14G in B minor and 

14J in D minor. It is important to become 

fluent reading all four spellings of each diminished 

seventh chord. 

Have the student sit at a piano keyboard 

and plunk out the first four notes of 14A, 

B, and C, noticing how they interlock to 

form a complete chromatic scale. In sound, 

there are only three diminished seventh 

chords, but in function each one has four 

possibilities, depending upon how it is 

spelled. Composers love the diminished 

seventh chord because its symmetry creates 

drama. Where will it take us? Like the 

summer hiatus of Desperate Housewives, 

there will be a three-month interval before 

Page 12 

this cliffhanger can be resolved! “Seventh 

Heaven” will return in June. 

WEBSTER’S WEB 

Daniel Bonade — 

The Source 

Houston being the fourth largest city in 

the U.S. gives the Shepherd School of 

Music many opportunities to have guest 

artists. In November and December, for 

example, we were treated to presentations 

by Todd Palmer, Laura Carmichael (a fine 

American clarinetist who lives in the Netherlands 

and specializes in contemporary 

music for bass clarinet), and Larry Guy, 

who is known for his excellent handbooks 

on reed adjustment, embouchure. intonation, 

and Daniel Bonade. 

Since enjoying Larry’s talk about Bonade, 

I’ve been perusing his Daniel Bonade 

Workbook. It reminds me that pedagogy is 

continuous, as concepts are digested, filtered, 

and refined through generation after 

generation. Many ideas that we think of as 

being original are not, really. We bring our 

own personalities to them, but the debt that 

we owe our forebears is immense. 

THE CLARINET 

In compiling The Legacy of Daniel 

Bonade, a wonderful compendium of excerpts 

of Bonade’s orchestral career (Boston 

Records #BR1048CD), Larry made the 

wise choice of beginning with an excerpt 

played by Bonade’s teacher, Henri Lefebvre. 

You’ll never hear smoother, more 

perfect finger work! Recorded history 

doesn’t go back much further than that, but 

I’ll bet that if we had recordings of Mühlfeld, 

Baermann and Stadler, we would 

realize that excellence knows no boundaries 

in time, and that each generation has 

benefited from, in fact required, the accomplishments 

of the previous generation. 

Bonade was called “The Source” by his 

students, and nobody deserved that accolade 

more than he, but he had his own 

sources, who had their sources reaching 

back to the first time that J.C. Denner put a 

register key on a chalumeau. The unique 

contribution of Bonade was to be in the 

United States at a time when local sources 

were skimpy and to share his astounding 

mastery of the clarinet and inventive pedagogical 

approaches with a thirsty but relatively 

young musical culture. 

Almost every clarinetist in the U.S. has 

some debt to pay Daniel Bonade, and I 

find in reading the workbook that some of 

the refinements I have added to concepts 

of my teachers are actually identical to 

Bonade’s concepts. Whether I absorbed 

them unconsciously from my teachers or 

came upon them independently is impossible 

to say. But when each of us has a truly 

original thought, meaning that we come to 

it on our own, the chances are that someone 

else has already had that thought. I 

once attended a lecture recital by a native 

American flutist, who said that music is 

everywhere, and that if you want to compose 

an original song you had better take it 

from the air around you before someone 

else does. I believe that two people separated 

in time and space can take the same 

thought from the air and both be truly original. 

And no one was better at it than 

Daniel Bonade. 

Postlude: Many of us attended a wonderful 

talk given by Wayne Rapier at the 

Maryland ClarinetFest® on the teaching of 

Marcel Tabuteau, Bonade’s Philadelphia 

Orchestra colleague and “The Source” of 

oboe teaching in the U.S. Wayne was 

“The Source” of Boston Records, which released 

Larry’s “Legacy of Daniel Bonade,” 

as well as a wonderful CD of Tabuteau’s 

teaching, and numerous performances by 

Harold Wright and many other distinguished 

clarinetists. Recently I received 

the unfortunate news of Wayne’s death to 

cancer on October 13, 2005. Larry Guy

told me how Wayne reacted to his Bonade 

project by saying, “Let’s do it!” without 

a thought about sales or profits. 

Wayne will be sorely missed by his Boston 

Symphony colleagues and the rest of 

us who knew him well. The wonderful catalog 

of Boston Records is Wayne’s legacy 

to the clarinet world. 

Your feedback and input are valuable to 

our readership. Please send comments and 

questions to: Webster’s Web at or Michael Webster, Rice University, 

Shepherd School of Music, MS 

532, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX, 77251- 

1892; fax 713-348-5317; Web site: 

March 2006 Page 13

Page 14 

by William Nichols 

One of the pleasures of serving as 

Audio Review Editor of The 

Clarinet is occasionally receiving 

independently produced discs by 

master players, offering performances not 

previously available on commercial labels. 

Such is the case with two CDs from the 

venerable Kalman Bloch. One very full 

disc of over 74 minutes of music presents 

standard recital and chamber music literature, 

with the exception of one selection. 

Another disc of 39-minute duration is 

entitled Kalman Bloch performs Hebraic 

Music for Clarinet with Piano & 

String Quartet. The discs are of unedited 

performances, mostly presented at Pomona 

College where Kalman Bloch served on 

the faculty for more than 40 years. He is 

most prominently known as the Los 

Angeles Philharmonic’s principal clarinetist 

from 1937–1981. However, his long 

career of music making has extended well 

over 60 years as a significant figure in the 

musical life of southern California and 

beyond, including the concert hall, the 

recording studio, the movie studio, and 

numerous chamber music and contemporary 

music venues. In addition to his tenure 

at Pomona College and private teaching, 

he has taught at Biola University, California 

State at Fullerton, and USC. His students 

are numerous and distinguished. For 

a profile of Kalman Bloch see Stephen 

Rochford’s tribute in the March 2004 issue 

of The Clarinet. 

Bloch’s recording career was active, 

eventful, and most often anonymous as 

an orchestral player and ensemble member 

in the recording studio. Of course he is the 

LA Phil’s principal clarinetist on countless 

recordings from the orchestra’s early recording 

history until 1981. In the late 1950s 

and the 1960s Columbia Records had a 

lock on three mammoth projects, recording 

the works of Stravinsky, Schönberg, and a 

large series of traditional orchestral repertoire 

conducted by Bruno Walter. All 

three of these musical luminaries resided 

THE CLARINET 

where else — Los Angeles. For most of the 

orchestral works in these projects, there 

were two ensembles contracted, one on the 

east coast and one on the west coast, and 

“they” were the Columbia Symphony. 

Kalman Bloch is heard as principal clarinetist 

in many recordings conducted by 

Stravinsky and Bruno Walter. Columbia 

accomplished some of its best recording 

results during this period in Los Angeles 

and many of these LPs are treasured audio 

classics. He is the clarinetist on the recording 

of the brief Epitaphium for flute, clarinet 

and harp of Stravinsky, in Columbia’s 

series supervised by the composer (and one 

of my favorite recordings from my youth). 

In addition to Stravinsky and Walter, he 

had an opportunity a few years after his arrival 

in Los Angeles to work with Arnold 

Schönberg. Another Columbia project was 

to produce the first recording of Schönberg’s 

1912 masterpiece Pierrot lunaire, 

with the composer conducting. In 1940 the 

recording was made (after about 20 rehearsals!) 

and released on four 12-inch 78 

rpm discs, and later transferred (c. 1950– 

51) to the long-playing format. Although 

the sound of my 1975 Columbia Odyssey 

copy is quite murky (with balance that does 

narrator/vocalist Erika Stiedry-Wagner a 

disservice), one can hear clearly, especially 

in the more transparent sections, the assured, 

committed playing of the talented 

Kalman Bloch. I suspect the sonics of 

the original 78s are superior to this later 

LP version. This remains a landmark recording 

in the history of 20th-century music. 

It is interesting to note that daughter 

Michele (Bloch) Zukovsky is one of the 

clarinetists featured on Columbia’s Music 

of Arnold Schönberg series, Vol. VI, in a 

recording of the Suite (Septet), Op. 29 for 

strings, clarinets and piano, another significant 

work which [at the time] had been recorded 

on commercial release only once, 

or perhaps twice. Many of our readers are 

certainly aware that Michele Zukovsky 

succeeded her father as principal clarinetist 

of the LA Philharmonic. Richard Gilbert’s 

Clarinetists’ Discography III lists a recording 

by Kalman Bloch on the Handel 

label of the Mozart Concerto. This release 

is regrettably unknown to this writer. 

There is also a notable commercially produced 

recording of a 20th-century chamber 

piece which will be addressed in the 

next paragraphs. 

These new discs were made publicly 

available in early 2004, but were not in my 

hands until March of 2005. With apologies 

to Mr. Bloch, they languished until late 

November on an office shelf. The contents 

of the recital disc of standard works are: 

Debussy: Première Rhapsodie; Berg: Four 

Pieces; Honegger: Sonatine; Ives: Largo 

for violin, clarinet and piano; Milhaud: 

Sonatine and the Suite for violin, clarinet 

and piano; Poulenc: Sonata; Stravinsky: 

Three Pieces; and Adolph Weiss: Trio for 

clarinet, viola, and cello. Bloch is joined by 

the stellar John Steele Ritter in all the 

works with piano except for the trios of 

Ives and Milhaud, where his collaborators 

are violinist Manuel Compinsky and pianist 

Sara Compinsky. 

The last work on the disc, the Weiss 

Trio, is performed by violist Abraham 

Weiss and cellist Kurt Reher. The Trio 

(dating from c. 1948) as presented here is 

actually only the first movement of the 

work. This performance of the complete 

work was released commercially on an 

early CRI vinyl disc (No. 116). Adolph 

Weiss studied composition with Schönberg 

in Berlin and the master’s influences 

are strongly felt. This movement is a wellcrafted 

set of variations utilizing serial 

technique and containing striking effects. 

The playing is first-rate from all. The 

sound is attractive and naturally somewhat 

dated. Balance is good. Bloch’s rich tone is 

warmer on my tape version of the LP than 

the digital release, as is also the case with 

the string sound. This CD version of the 

Weiss is a bit thin when compared to an 

analogue source. 

The performances presented here are all 

very good, and, in a couple instances, as 

good as I have heard. The clarinet sound is 

beautiful, with more warmth and weight of

tone than we hear in many modern recordings. 

In the clarinet and piano repertoire, 

the balance almost always favors the clarinet, 

too much so at times. The technical 

traps of Debussy and Stravinsky are negotiated 

cleanly, and throughout the disc, the 

music is stylistically on the money. Especially 

notable is the Berg. Bloch has (as 

does this writer) a strong personal connection 

to this piece, and it comes through. 

The highlights of the disc are the two Milhaud 

works. The Sonatine is a too infrequently 

programmed piece. Often the thick 

and difficult piano part overpowers the 

clarinet, but not here. Bloch and John Ritter 

deliver my new favorite recording of 

this exciting piece, and with a second 

movement which must be savored. Most 

of the music on this disc was recorded in a 

resonant venue at Pomona College. The 

few works that were not display varying 

sonic properties. The Milhaud Suite suffers 

a bit from a rather dead sound, but the 

performance could not be better. The 

sound is close up and is reminiscent of the 

most intimate of chamber music. Here 

again is a new favorite recording. These 

Milhaud performances are a delight, and 

completely satisfying. 

One caveat: There are moments, of what 

seems to be electronically produced extraneous 

sound, which pervade this recording 

in places, and which are certainly distracting, 

at least on an initial hearing. The 

noises are perhaps digital gremlins which 

are hopefully in my copy only. Nevertheless, 

the music comes through very effectively 

on this live recording, which is free 

of audience noise and applause. 

The other recent disc from Kalman 

Bloch of Hebraic Music for Clarinet 

consists of a group of short pieces from 

Fitelberg, Weinberg and Levenson (no 

other names indicated) and Srul Irving 

Glick’s Hebraic Suite, all for clarinet and 

piano. The second part is the two Hebraic 

Sketches by Alexander Krein, for clarinet 

and string quartet. The quartet is the Armadillo 

String Quartet of Los Angeles. 

All of this music is indeed either a song 

or a dance imbued with Hebrew color. 

Some of the pieces rise above the very 

simplest forms, and the Krein sketches 

achieve some larger formal design than 

the other pieces. The Glick and Krein 

works have previously found their way 

to recitals and commercial recordings. 

This is not Klezmer music at all, but well 

March 2006 Page 15

conceived heartfelt pieces with Hebraic 

spirit. Bloch draws an ethnic character 

from his instrument, but does not move too 

far from his classical roots and musical 

voice. The blend of clarinet and strings in 

this recording is indeed beautiful and seductive. 

The 16 tracks of this disc go by in 

a short enjoyable 39 minutes. 

Both of these discs are presented as 

plain and simple productions. There are 

very brief notes about the music (in the 

recital disc), and artist bios. The cover on 

the Hebraic disc is attractive, and the other 

disc displays a photo of a very young Kalman 

Bloch. This CD comes in a two-disc 

box and indicates a bonus disc inside, 

however there is none with my copy. An 

attached note indicates the bonus CD may 

have been the Mozart Quintet. These are 

indeed rather “homespun” productions, but 

don’t let that discourage you from enjoying 

these recordings. There is excellent 

music making here by major American 

artists. There is no label or catalogue 

number. We are indebted to Gary Van 

Cott and Van Cott Information Services 

for making these recordings available to 

any interested listeners. The Web site is: 

, e-mail: . 

* * * * * 

I have received a disc released in 2005 

by the trio, Clearly Three, containing 

pieces which will be of interest to many of 

our readers. This ensemble consists of clarinetist 

Richard Fletcher, bassoonist Kristine 

Klopfenstein Fletcher, and pianist 

Barbara Wimunc-Pearson. The trio is a 

faculty ensemble of the University of Wisconsin–Eau 

Claire and has performed 

together for more than 20 years, but acquired 

the Clearly Three moniker only in 

2002. Those who attended the 2005 ClarinetFest® 

in Japan may have been fortunate, 

as was I, to have heard this accomplished 

trio play two of the works programmed on 

this disc. 

This recording is one result of an extensive 

research project by the Fletchers to 

collect 20th-century trios for clarinet, bassoon 

and piano. The project had sabbatical 

and grant support from UW–Eau Claire, 

and has yielded an amazing c. 160 works, 

published and unpublished. Another result 

of this project will be the publication of an 

annotated bibliography of the 20th- (and 

21st-) century works collected. (If readers 

Page 16 

have knowledge of any new works of the 

last few years, contact with Clearly Three 

would be appreciated.) 

There were five works selected by the 

ensemble to be included on this 63-minute 

disc: Ivana Loudová: Italské Trio (Italian 

Trio) (1988); Benjamin Gutiérrez: Trio 

(1987); Christopher Weait: Ten By Three 

(1983); Gerhard Wuensch: Trio, Op. 1 

(1948); and Otto Ketting: Theme en Variaties 

(1958). Speculation is that few, if 

any, of these pieces are known to but a few 

of our readers — certainly not to this writer. 

The five works vary in style, utilizing 

both traditional tonality and more stylized 

contemporary tonal languages. The Italian 

Trio from Czech composer Ivana Loudová 

is an attractive set of seven colorful descriptive 

pieces. The programmatic movement 

titles, which denote locations, perhaps 

imply a light Italian travelogue, however 

the music is often dramatic, atmospheric, 

and the writing achieves some very 

nice colors. Also a suite (of 10 short movements) 

is Weait’s Ten By Three. This is a 

work of light character and is a setting of 

folk songs and dances of Québec. The 

scoring is mixed, with only three of the 

movements for full ensemble. There are 

solo pieces for each of the instruments as 

well as combinations of duets. With the 

character of the work, the varied scoring, 

and with movements bearing titles such as 

“Scrambled Eggs,” “Falling Down,” “The 

Duckling,” and “Forward March,” Ten By 

Three seems an obvious program choice 

for a children’s concert. 

The Gutiérrez Trio is a striking short 

(4:16) piece and one of this writer’s favorites 

heard here. It is a well structured and 

masterfully scored slow-fast piece which 

closes with a brief return of calm. It exhibits 

pronounced rhythmic drive and an 

exciting edge. Stylistically the newest 

piece on this program, it is yet easily accessible 

listening. A better performance 

cannot be imagined. Clearly Three is 

clearly simpático. 

The Trio of Austrian-Canadian composer 

Gerhard Wuensch is an interesting 

three-movement work in a curious wandering 

tonal style. Its harmonic shifts and 

appealing melodic writing in the first 

movement exudes a happy, almost humorous 

effect, even Viennese Gemütlichkeit. 

The lovely second movement’s tasty harmony 

is at times reminiscent of Poulenc, 

perhaps the French master’s own Piano 

THE CLARINET 

Trio. At age 23, this piece is an impressive 

Opus 1! 

The set of nine variations by Otto Ketting 

on a Dutch children’s song (which 

seems an unlikely theme) results in a 

showcase piece for this ensemble. It is 

clever and appealing music from first hearing. 

A lively variation for clarinet and 

piano demonstrates Richard Fletcher’s 

impressive finger technique and articulation. 

Entitled “Etude,” it is indeed that — 

perhaps a recital encore piece? A variation 

for bassoon and piano displays the absolutely 

beautiful woody tone of Kristine 

Fletcher’s instrument and her smooth controlled 

playing, which is ever present 

throughout this disc. For the sake of musical 

pacing and tension, each of these variations 

needs to flow more quickly into the 

next than heard here. Per normal recording 

practice, each variation is tracked, but 

post-production attention to this detail 

would have yielded a more effective result 

regarding the whole. Ketting is an accomplished 

composer and teacher in his native 

Netherlands. This piece, as with Wuensch, 

written in his early 20s, shows plenty of 

imagination. A youthful sense of humor is 

present, including a couple brief and unexpected 

quotations known to all. 

The performances delivered by Clearly 

Three are excellent and uniform throughout 

the disc. The ensemble precision, technical 

accuracy, and remarkably pure intonation 

is very impressive indeed. All of 

the players are accomplished performers. 

Kudos to pianist Barbara Wimunc-Pearson 

whose playing is constantly transparent 

and clean. This is a studio recording with a 

clear, close up presence, and the balance is 

always good. The bassoon and piano are 

well placed in the sound field and are presented 

with an attractive amount of warm 

reverberation. However, this sonic ambiance 

is not afforded the clarinet in the mix, 

which seems too bright and thin at times. 

(Having heard this ensemble live, I suspect 

this is a recording issue.) 

Trios from the Twentieth Century is 

an attractively produced CD with informative 

notes (English only) and handsome 

graphics. Thanks to the producers for 

including sources for each of these works. 

The disc is from TONHEIM RECORDS, 

TRCD 105 and is available at: .

March 2006 Page 17

MICHAEL NORSWORTHY 

AT CALIFORNIA STATE 

UNIVERSITY–SACRAMENTO, 

OCTOBER 10TH, 2005 

The clarinet community in Sacramento 

is alive and thriving and the 

Clarinet Hive is in the middle of it 

all! The Clarinet Hive is a student organization 

sponsored by California State University–Sacramento, 

working to support 

and encourage clarinet education throughout 

northern California. Their most recent 

project included the appearance of Michael 

Norsworthy and his pianist, Tyson Deaton. 

It has been said that Michael’s virtuosity, 

versatility and musicianship have earned 

him a unique place among rising young 

stars today. Those who saw him during his 

visit to Sacramento certainly agree with 

such a statement. The activities began at 4 

p.m. with a clarinet master class. The performers 

and their repertoire were as follows: 

Loraly Ocampo, Finzi’s Five Bagatelles, 

Op. 23; Sarah Crozier, Bernstein 

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano; Ricki 

Nelson, Nielsen Concerto, Op. 57; Jennifer 

Lewis, Rozsa Sonatina. Michael proved to 

be a very entertaining teacher. His instructional 

comments were appropriate and he 

offered several amusing anecdotes. He also 

demonstrated the need for clarinetists to be 

energetic and attentive soloists. 

After the dinner break, Michael presented 

a concert in the Capistrano Music 

Recital Hall. He opened the concert with a 

beautiful rendition of the Finzi Five Bagatelles, 

Op. 23. The Poulenc Sonata for 

Clarinet and Piano followed. After intermission, 

Michael broke the introspective 

mood with a hilarious interpretation of 

Bermel’s SchiZm. He continued by performing 

Bernstein’s Sonata for Clarinet 

and Piano, and concluded with the Horovitz 

Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano. The 

program was well received by the audience. 

After all, Michael exudes an energetic 

persona on stage accompanied by a 

Stoltzman-like flair. 

Michael responded warmly when asked 

to comment on his experience in Sacramento. 

“I was so pleased to be invited to 

CSUS by the Clarinet Hive and Professor 

Page 18 

Michael Norsworthy and Tyson Deaton with Professor Deborah Pittman and representatives 

of the CSUS Clarinet Studio. 

Deborah Pittman. I was warmly received 

and well taken care of. There were four 

master class performers who played excellently. 

All were prepared, attentive, 

eager to learn and quick to adapt and 

change. From the playing I heard, the students 

are in good hands with Deborah 

Pittman and bring credit to their city and 

university. It was such a pleasure to be 

there and I thank everyone for helping 

make the event a true success.” 

For more information about the 

Clarinet Hive, please contact President 

Sarah Crozier at 916-747-0479 or by e- 

mail at: . To 

learn more about Michael Norsworthy, 

please visit his Web site at: . 

OHIO UNIVERSITY 

HOSTS FOURTH ANNUAL 

CLARINET GALA 

On Sunday, April 17, 2005, Ohio 

University hosted its fourth annual 

clarinet gala, a full day of 

clarinet events for all ages and interests. 

More than 60 teachers, students, band 

directors, amateurs, and professionals attended. 

All events were free, and no prior 

registration was necessary. 

THE CLARINET 

The featured guest artist was Eli Eban, 

professor of clarinet at the Indiana University 

School of Music and former clarinetist 

with the Israel Philharmonic. Eban 

presented an outstanding master class and 

a stellar recital with Richard Syracuse, piano, 

featuring works by Mozart, Brahms, 

Milhaud and Ben-Haim. 

In addition to Eban’s recital and master 

class, the day included a potpourri recital 

featuring clarinetists from all over Ohio, 

Michigan and West Virginia in works by 

Harald Genzmer, Clara Schumann, Germaine 

Taillefere, Evan Chambers and 

Leon Stein: Ann Marie Bingham, assistant 

professor of clarinet at Marshall University 

in Huntington, WV, Kimberly Cole Luevano, 

associate professor of clarinet at 

Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, 

Anthony Costa, bass clarinetist with the 

Dayton Philharmonic (Ohio), and assistant 

professor of clarinet at Otterbein College, 

Barbara Specht, assistant professor of clarinet 

at Heidelberg College (Ohio), Anthony 

Taylor, second clarinet in the Spokane 

Symphony (WA), and current doctoral 

student at the University of Cincinnati 

College–Conservatory of Music. 

In addition, the day included a master 

class for high school students given by 

Rebecca Rischin, host of the Clarinet Gala 

and associate professor of clarinet at Ohio

(l to r) Kimberly Cole Luevano, Anthony Taylor, Rebecca Rischin, Eli Eban, Anthony 

Costa, Barbara Specht and Ann Marie Bingham 

University, and a fascinating clinic on 

extended techniques presented by Kimberly 

Cole Luevano, associate professor of 

clarinet at Eastern Michigan University. 

Participants also had the opportunity to 

play in a clarinet choir alongside Ohio 

University students. All in all, the day was 

a huge success. For information on future 

clarinet events at Ohio University, contact 

Rebecca Rischin at: 

or consult the clarinet Web site: . 

March 2006 Page 19

“Historically Speaking” is a feature of 

The Clarinet offered in response to numerous 

inquiries received by the editorial staff 

about clarinets. Most of the information 

will be based on sources available at the 

National Music Museum located on The 

University of South Dakota campus in Vermillion. 

Please send your e-mail inquiries 

to Deborah Check Reeves at . 

The early clarinet in the U.S. perhaps 

has developed a less than distinguished 

reputation. The December 

2005 installment of “Historically Speaking” 

pointed out a notable exception. It 

examined a sophisticated 13-keyed E ♭ clarinet 

made by Graves and Company of 

Winchester, New Hampshire. This installment 

will examine another interesting 

early American made clarinet and speculate 

for what it may have been used. 

Page 20 

Clarinet in D by Wm. Whiteley 

by 

Deborah 

Check Reeves 

William Whiteley made woodwind instruments 

in Utica, New York, from about 

1810 to about 1854. Among numerous surviving 

examples of fifes, flutes, clarinets, 

and bassoons is a 10-keyed clarinet pitched 

in D that can be found at the National 

Music Museum on the University of South 

Dakota campus in Vermillion (see photo). 

This clarinet is made from a dark stained 

boxwood with ivory ferrules. It is made in 

four sections: barrel, top joint, bottom joint 

and bell. From the top of the barrel to the 

bottom of the bell it is 451 mm long. It 

has 10 German silver keys with round, flat 

flaps that are mounted in blocks that have 

been carved out of the body of the instrument. 

There is an integral thumb rest, also 

carved from the body. 

Although it does not introduce any innovations, 

this clarinet shows a high degree 

of craftsmanship. The 10-keyed fingering 

scheme is contemporary with many 

European models. Even though it doesn’t 

possess the most advanced fingering system 

in use at the time, it is certainly more 

advanced than the many five- and six-key 

models that were common. There are different 

sizes of tone holes. The first tone 

hole for the right hand, for example, is 

larger than the neighboring tone holes. 

This shows how Whiteley adjusted the intonation. 

Most of Whiteley’s extant woodwinds 

use brass keys. There are just a few 

flutes that use German silver. The use of 

German silver on this clarinet is notable 

and perhaps indicates the intention of 

heavy-duty use. 

For what would an instrument of a 

more advanced fingering and enduring 

quality like this have been made? The 

majority of extant early American clarinets 

— Whiteley being no exception — appear 

to be fairly simple in design and pitched in 

THE CLARINET 

C. These would have been instruments 

used by the amateur player for use at home 

for personal entertainment. Here the clarinetist 

could easily read the melodies from 

piano and vocal scores. Very few clarinets 

pitched in A survive, most likely because 

few were made. There are no surviving 

Whiteley examples, so it is impossible to 

know if he made any. Orchestras, where A 

clarinets commonly would have been used, 

were slow to develop in the U.S. The New 

York Philharmonic is the oldest American 

professional orchestra, and it was established 

in 1842. Most probably this clarinet 

would have been used in a band. Bands, 

whether civilian or military, played a very 

important role in the everyday life of early 

Americans. They were very popular musical 

institutions, and certainly the most 

plentiful. Military bands appeared in the 

colonies as early as 1756. The U.S. Marine 

Corps band was founded in 1798. Moravian 

communities in Salem, North Carolina, 

and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania had wind 

bands that offered secular music performances 

in addition to the usual religious 

music by 1785. The community band in 

Allentown, Pennsylvania had its first documented 

performance in 1828. From their 

inception, bands were as much social as 

musical organizations. The roles of civilian 

bands and military bands were often 

blurred. Civilian bands played for military 

groups, and army bands played for the 

general public. Bands were versatile. They 

could play at church, for community functions, 

inside for public concerts, and outdoors 

in parades and at rallies. Clarinets 

like the Whiteley D clarinet would have 

been made with great care using modern 

techniques in keeping with the important 

status that bands had attained. 

The Mohawk River flows through the 

city of Utica. The first portion of the Erie 

canal, which runs through Utica, was 

opened in 1820. This location stimulated 

general industrial development of the city. 

Whiteley’s business, no doubt, was enhanced 

by the ease with which raw materials 

were obtained and the relative ease 

with which instruments could have been 

distributed. Whiteley’s reputation as a 

knowledgeable and competent maker 

probably was spread as The Instrumental 

Preceptor: Comprising Instructions for the 

Clarinet, Hautboy, Flute and Bassoon became 

available. One of the earliest American 

tutors, Whiteley published this method 

in 1816 in Utica.

March 2006 Page 21

y Paul Harris 

Irecently gave a performance of the 

Beethoven Trio for Clarinet, Cello 

and Piano. A charming work. It’s a 

successful combination and therefore surprising 

that so comparatively few composers 

have seen the potential for the dark 

brooding colors, passionate melodies and 

the kind of energy that the three instruments 

can conjure. There are one or two 

British works worthy of study. Benjamin 

Frankel’s Trio, (op. 10 and now sadly out 

of print but available from libraries) for 

example. His Quintet (written in 1956 for 

Thea King) is a haunting work. Thea’s recording 

of it in her collection of English 

Page 22 

Clarinet Quintets (on Hyperion) should be 

in everyone’s library. There is an interesting 

work (especially for American readers!) 

by the lesser known Kenneth Leighton: 

Fantasy on an American Hymn Tune, 

Opus 70 (written in 1974 for Gervase de 

Peyer). It’s a good work and published 

by Novello. 

But the reason I’m taking you down 

this particular avenue of the repertoire is 

because a fascinating manuscript has just 

come into my possession. It did receive a 

first performance, but has been lost, hidden 

away in a box in a cupboard for nearly 50 

years. It is a Trio for Clarinet, Cello and 

Piano by Malcolm Williamson. The late 

“Master of the Queen’s Music” who died 

in March 2003. Williamson’s life was as 

colorful as his near contemporary Malcolm 

Arnold. He wrote symphonies, operas, ballets 

and a considerable amount of other 

music in just about every genre (including 

the music for two Hammer Horror films!). 

But his name is now virtually forgotten. 

Clarinet players ought at least to know his 

“Pas de Deux” for clarinet and piano. A 

delicious movement taken from his Pas 

The Clarinet 

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE 

The magazine is usually 

mailed during the last week 

of Feb ruary, May, August 

and No vem ber. De livery 

time within North America 

is nor mally 10–14 days, 

while airmail delivery time 

outside North America is 

7–10 days. 

THE CLARINET 

de Quatre for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon 

and Piano and published as a “standalone” 

solo. The work was written in 1967 

for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and 

first performed at the Newport Festival, 

Rhode Island. 

The Trio was given (as far as I know) 

just one performance at the Aldeburgh 

Festival in 1958 before it disappeared. The 

performers were Harrison Birtwistle (clarinet), 

John Dow (cello) and Cornelius Cardew 

(piano). Quite a line-up! 

It is dedicated to Imogen Holst (Holst’s 

daughter) and is cast in one continuous 

movement marked Poco Lento. Birtwistle 

(who studied the clarinet at the Royal 

Academy of Music with my teacher — 

John Davies) must have had some technique! 

So much of the part is in the highest 

register (up to top B ♭ s), often short tongued 

notes marked down to ppp! Williamson 

was, at that time, experimenting with serial 

music; this piece however looks to be 

firmly rooted in F minor and explores the 

sonorities of all instruments in a colorful 

and imaginative way. It looks like a fascinating 

piece and I shall see what can be 

done to make it available. Certainly an important 

addition to the repertoire. 

A slightly later work is the Concerto for 

Wind Quintet and Two Pianos (1964 and 

published by Weinberger). It’s a sturdy 

work, demanding technically and musically 

but very much worthy of performance. 

It’s the 75th anniversary of Malcolm Williamson’s 

birth this year (he was born on 

November 21st 1931), and there are going 

to be quite a number of performances of 

his music in the U.K. It would be good to 

feel that clarinet players in the States are 

looking at his music too. 

On another note I received a very pleasant 

package the other day. It was a recording 

of a voice, clarinet and piano recital 

given in Kenmore, Washington, by American 

clarinetist David Frank. He had 

included Malcolm Arnold’s lovely song 

Beauty Haunts the Woods and my own 

Clerihew Songs as well as many other 

works for the combination. And talking of 

Malcolm Arnold — it’s his 85th birthday 

this year! He’s still going strong. (I spoke 

with him on the phone not 10 minutes 

ago!). I hope many of you will be featuring 

his music to celebrate his birthday. Do let 

me know if you are and I shall pass the 

news on to him. He’s always absolutely 

delighted to hear of performances.

March 2006 Page 23

y Paul Globus 

THE NEW WORD 

IS “CLARIPATCH” 

Earlier last year, I attended a chamber 

music concert in Montreal giv - 

en by one of my all-time favorite 

musicians, the great Swiss oboist Heinz 

Holliger. As expected he dazzled and I 

eagerly went backstage at intermission to 

offer congratulations. I was hoping he 

might remember me as I had been one of 

the people who had brought him to Mon - 

treal for the first time in the 1970s. 

Mr. Holliger did recognize me and we 

began to chat about many things, including 

the clarinet (his first instrument was 

the clarinet; apparently he was quite ad - 

vanced when after about nine months he 

decided he preferred the sound of the oboe 

and switched, something all clarinetists can 

be thankful for.) He asked if I had heard 

about Claripatch. 

Claripatch? I had no idea what he was 

talking about. He then began to enthusiastically 

describe an innovation from Swit - 

zer land by a clarinetist named Pierre- 

André Taillard. It was “truly amazing,” he 

said. He went on to explain that Mr. Tail - 

lard had invented thin plastic patches that 

are placed between the reed and the mouth - 

piece, ostensibly to improve the sound and 

responsiveness of a reed. 

The mere idea sounded ludicrous to 

me. But this unsolicited endorsement 

from a musician who is without a doubt 

one of the greatest wind players in the 

world was compelling, to say the least. I 

had no choice but to take it seriously and 

to investigate. 

The next day I read about Claripatch 

on the company’s Web site (). Although still skeptical, 

I was now intrigued enough to contact 

Pierre-André Taillard and his business 

partner, Stephan Siegenthaler, who is also 

a professional clarinetist. 

Let me make a long story short. I have 

since tried Claripatch and find it to be 

Page 24 

The Claripatch Pro Set includes 16 patches, 

two each of eight profiles, a pinchpatch 

ring, a screwdriver and a “clar i - 

mute.” It comes in a hard plastic case 

that also holds six B ♭ clarinet reeds. The 

Junior Set includes four patches and a 

pinch-patch ring. Both come with de - 

tailed instructions. 

everything its inventor claims — a tool for 

effectively improving the sound, responsiveness 

and longevity of reeds. It’s not a 

panacea, of course, and all clarinetists 

should decide for themselves if this unique 

product is something they want at their disposal. 

But in my opinion, anyone who re - 

jects Claripatch out of hand because it does 

not fit with conventional thinking about 

reeds and mouthpieces is doing themselves 

a disservice. As I’ve discovered in my own 

investigation, an open mind in this instance 

can reap major rewards. 

Listen to what Pierre-André Taillard had 

to say in response to questions I put to him 

about Claripatch: 

Q: How did all this come about? 

A: I teach historic clarinet at the Schola 

Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel. In 2001, 

we decided to organize a symposium on 

the clarinet around the year 1800. We 

invited about a dozen researchers and 

clarinetists. I was going to present a 

study on the interpretation of the clarinet 

works of Weber. I was supposed to 

perform several pieces and even record 

a CD with pianist Edoardo Torbianelli. 

For this I needed a mouthpiece that 

would permit me to play Weber on my 

period clarinet in the manner I felt 

would be most authentic. I made a 

mouth piece. It wasn’t bad but the reeds 

lost their support too quickly. One week 

before the recording I was searching for 

THE CLARINET 

a way to modify the curvature of the 

mouthpiece table. It was too risky to 

modify the lay one more time so I hit 

on the idea of inserting a wedge be - 

tween the reed and mouthpiece. I know 

it sounds strange but it worked. I act u - 

ally recorded the CD using a rudimentary 

patch consisting of two steel blades 

attached to the mouthpiece with cork 

grease. Let me tell you, it didn’t taste 

too good and it left traces of rust on the 

reed. But I knew after this experience 

that I was on to something. So in the following 

months I began to look into it 

seriously. I consulted engineers and 

other specialists in an attempt to refine 

the concept and develop it into a useable 

system for myself and other clarinetists. 

Q: Did success come quickly? 

A: Not at all. In fact, every expert I consulted, 

whether an engineer or a person 

from industry told me it was impossible 

to manufacture thin metal or plastic 

patches for this purpose for a reasonable 

cost. I forged ahead anyway be - 

cause I knew the idea had potential. 

And so did a dozen other clarinetists 

who tested some of the first patches. 

The advantages were undeniable. 

Q: How did you come up with the form 

and thickness of the patches, not to 

mention a material that’s both nontoxic 

and durable? 

A: Exhaustive research, which amounted 

to a great deal of trial and error. I experimented 

with certain prototypes, trying 

dozens of models in an attempt to un - 

derstand how a mouthpiece table functions. 

But there was a lot more to it than 

that. We also attacked the problem 

mathematically, and 

from the standpoint 

of physics and acou - 

stics. The models we 

The patches are precision 

made, completely 

tasteless and odorless, 

and food compatible. 

Blindfolded, you cannot 

tell if you are playing 

with Claripatch or 

not. They are designed 

to fit all mouthpieces 

made to standard overall 

dimensions.

finally developed temporarily modify 

the curvature of the mouthpiece by 2 to 

5 one-hundredths of a millimetre with a 

degree of accuracy of plus or minus 2 

microns. For the material, it was a really 

difficult challenge. I was stacking up 

thin aluminum strips to arrive at the de - 

sired thickness but then the problem 

be came finding non-toxic glue. Worse, 

the patches were very fragile and had 

to be replaced frequently. Finally, in 

2003, an engineer named Serge Brin - 

golf took up the problem on my behalf. 

One of his suggestions was an extremely 

dur able plastic used in aerospace 

construction. Patches made of this ma - 

terial are not only strong, stable and 

very precise, but food compatible as 

well. They also impart a superior musical 

quality to the sound. This turned 

out to be our solution. 

Pierre-André Taillard, developer of Claripatch, with his invention. 

Q: What claims do you make for Clari - 

patch? 

A: Claripatch will enable you to get the 

most of your reeds as well as noticeably 

prolong their life expectancy, all without 

having to modify your mouthpiece 

in any way. I’m not exaggerating when 

I say that with Claripatch, you can ex - 

pect every reed you choose to play its 

best. During a concert you can have in - 

creased confidence in your instrument 

and your reed as Claripatch overcomes 

the common problems encountered due 

to weather conditions, changes in altitude, 

and changing room/hall acoustics. 

Simply by choosing the right patch, a 

good reed remains a good reed, even in 

the face of difficult conditions. What’s 

more, Claripatch can help you personalize 

your sound for each style of music. 

For example, let’s say you want to re - 

cre ate the sound of a period clarinet on 

a modern instrument. Claripatch can 

help you do that. The right patch or 

combination of patches will enable you 

to change the dimensions of your sound 

in accordance with the room or hall 

you are playing in: a strong and rich 

sound for a large hall, a soft, so phis ti - 

cated, colorful sound for use in cham - 

ber music. And you can do all this with - 

out having to change your reed or your 

way of playing. 

Q: Are you saying that Claripatch will 

make every reed you select play like a 

good reed? 

A: No, that would be impossible. The 

quality of the cane plays a major role, 

as you know. But a judicious choice of 

patch shifts significantly the sound 

quality of almost every reed. You get 

more concert reeds and fewer un play - 

able ones. In the two years of research 

that were necessary to bring the system 

to fruition, we have come up with eight 

profiles from among hundreds tested 

that address problems commonly 

encountered with reeds. The patches are 

identified with letters, such as “N”, “S,” 

“R” and “W.” There are patches that 

improve the performance of a new or an 

ageing reed, others for a reed that’s too 

hard or too soft, others for a reed that 

sounds too bright or too dull, another 

for a reed that’s waterlogged, and still 

another for a reed that has lost its support, 

particularly for detached playing 

or for the production of very soft sounds. 

We provide a chart that ex plains what 

each patch is designed to do. It’s a pretty 

good guide. Some experimentation with 

every reed is still necessary, though. 

A simple technique to save time is to 

write the patch recipe — NSR — on the 

back of the reed for future reference. 

With increased experience you need 

only a few seconds to determine the 

right patch. 

Q: How many patches come in the Clari - 

patch set? 

A: In our pro set there are 16 patches, two 

of each of the eight profiles. We also 

make a junior set that includes four 

patches. I should mention too that the 

pro set comes with what we call a clar i - 

mute. This simple device allows you to 

blow into the instrument normally but 

without making a sound. It’s great for 

practicing or warming up without disturbing 

anyone. And it’s an effective 

tool for explaining embouchure and 

tongu ing basics to beginners. After a 

few minutes, the student can easily find 

the optimal balance between lip and 

blowing pressure to maximize the airflow 

entering the instrument. 

Q: Do you recommend using more than 

one patch at a time? 

A: In our instruction booklet we say that 

placing two identical or two different 

patches on top of each other will significantly 

augment the effect of each patch. 

That’s true. It all depends on your reed, 

the style of music and the venue. 

Q: How many possible combinations are 

there? 

A: With two patches you have 45 possible 

combinations. With three you have 157. 

With all 16 patches you would have 

theoretically 6,561 possible combinations, 

but we don’t recommend using 

more than three patches together. If you 

still have problems, it is better to reconsider 

the choice of reed or mouthpiece. 

Q: How do you attach the patches to the 

mouthpiece? 

March 2006 Page 25

A: Don’t worry. You don’t need cork 

grease. We developed what we call a 

pinch-patch ring that attaches to the 

base of the mouthpiece. The butt end 

of the patch fits into a slot in the ring. 

An added benefit is that the slot is also 

de signed to hold the butt end of the 

reed, which simplifies the placement 

and alignment of your reed on the 

mouthpiece. 

Q: Why does Claripatch work? 

A: No acoustician specializing in the clarinet 

has yet taken up the question. But 

there are currently two researchers in 

France looking into it. We expect it will 

take them from one to two years to 

arrive at a concrete answer. The complexity 

of the acoustic science explains 

these difficulties. For the musician, the 

principle appears to be quite simple. 

The patches optimize the reed’s vibrations 

by modifying not only the length 

of the facing and the size of the opening 

but the overall form of the curvature. 

The modifications are very precise and 

extremely subtle, but they do make a 

difference. The patches also reduce 

energy loss caused by the reed hitting 

Page 26 

the lay, which the player perceives as a 

pleasant sensation of greater stability 

and flexibility. 

Q: How do you explain the increased 

longevity that Claripatch imparts to 

one’s reeds? 

A: Let’s say you put on a new reed that’s a 

bit stiff. The patch “L” creates a longer 

and straighter lay and a smaller opening. 

This causes less stress in the reed 

while rendering sound production supple 

and more comfortable. In other 

words, at every stage of the reed’s lifespan, 

its vibration potential is optimized 

with the right patch or patch combinations. 

You avoid fatiguing the reed al - 

ways in the same place. It bends in a 

more symmetrical way. As it softens 

over time, you can continue to play it 

simply be using the right patch or pat - 

ches. All of this taken together extends 

the reed’s playable life significantly. 

Q: Can you estimate the amount of in - 

creased longevity? 

A: Well, for a very good reed I can play it 

in a satisfactory way about three to five 

THE CLARINET 

times longer than before. During my 

first year using Claripatch, my reed 

consummation dropped dramatically. 

And I could play about 90% of my 

reeds. Now I play only the best reeds 

but I still buy about two to three times 

fewer boxes than in the old days. More 

important for me, however, is the 

increased musical pleasure I derive 

from playing with Claripatch and the 

absence of frustration when playing 

new reeds. 

Q: Is Claripatch better suited to one particular 

type of set up? 

A: Generally speaking clarinetists who use 

a mouthpiece with a small to moderate 

tip opening and a fairly long facing, and 

who take a healthy amount of mouthpiece 

in the mouth while exercising 

moderate pressure with the lips will 

obtain the best results with Claripatch. 

Q: Who is using Claripatch? 

A: Orchestra players, chamber musicians, 

soloists, students, teachers and serious 

amateur players. Of course, clarinet 

players are famously reticent to em - 

brace new ideas. But quite a few are 

open minded and willing to give Clari - 

patch a try. More than a dozen wellknown 

international soloists play regularly 

with Clar i patch, including jazz 

players, period instrument players and 

specialists in contemporary music. 

There are Clari patch adherents in the 

Berlin Phil har monic, the Stuttgart Phil - 

harmonic, the Stuttgart Radio Orches - 

tra, L’Orchestra dell’Accademia Na - 

zionale di Santa Ce cilia in Rome, L’Or - 

chestre de l’Op éra National in Paris, 

and most of the professional orchestras 

in Switzerland. Some players are using 

a version of Claripatch specially de - 

signed for the German clarinet. 

Q: What does Claripatch cost? 

A: We’re selling our pro set for €113 or 

US $149 and our junior set for €42 or 

US $55. That may seem like a lot of 

money to some, but not when you consider 

what a box of reeds costs these 

days and how using Claripatch can dramatically 

reduce one’s consumption of 

reeds. Also, the patches don’t wear out. 

The material is very strong and durable. 

How long the patches can be used be - 

fore they need replacing is difficult to

know, but the oldest ones are now 18 

months old and still exhibit perfect 

func tionality, even after daily use. Set - 

ting the price is in many ways similar to 

setting the price for prescription drugs. 

Like the companies that develop medicines, 

we have to cover the cost of re - 

search and development, obtaining and 

maintaining patents and for the construction 

of production tools. Above 

and beyond these substantial up-front 

costs, we have to cover the cost of ma - 

terial and production. I’m pleased to 

report that all told, most people think 

the price is fair. 

Q: Is there any advice you would give to 

players who read this article and decide 

to purchase Claripatch? 

A: Any player who decides to try Clar - 

ipatch is stepping into a whole new 

world of possibilities. However, during 

the initial period, remember the elements 

of sound production in a clarinet 

are extremely complex. Although Clari - 

patch will help you to overcome certain 

sound production issues related to 

reeds, please do not expect a miraculous 

resolution to all your problems. 

Re main pragmatic and do not expect 

immediate perfection. One must allow 

it to evolve as a result of working with 

and understanding the patch system. 

Start off by exploring the color changes 

that are possible with different patches 

and a good reed. Take full advantage of 

this new source of artistic inspiration 

before attacking the more difficult problems 

of an unsatisfactory reed or experimenting 

with prolonging the life of a 

reed. Begin by using a small number of 

patches and once you have mastered 

their use, integrate the rest in, slowly 

but surely. 

* * * * * 

A FEW ADDITIONAL POINTS 

As I mentioned, I have tried Clari - 

patch. In my opinion, the system has 

merit in that it provides clarinetists of all 

skill levels with a unique set of tools for 

dealing with common reed problems. 

Here are a few other points you might 

want to bear in mind when deciding if 

Claripatch is for you: 

• Claripatch will not make imbalanced 

reeds play well. Side to side imbalances, 

whether slight or severe, need to be corrected 

by other means. 

• The patches are very thin and completely 

tasteless and odorless. You cannot 

“feel” the patches in your mouth. Blind - 

folded, you would not be able to tell if 

you are playing with Claripatch or not. 

• The patches extend into the mouthpiece 

window, which puzzles many players 

because they assume this will block the 

window and negatively affect the production 

of sound. Fear not. The patches 

do not block the window in actual play 

and therefore do not negatively affect 

the sound production in any way. 

• The pinch-patch ring is unobtrusive and 

remains in place. Even with no patches, 

it’s a great device for helping you to 

quickly get a reed into proper alignment 

on the mouthpiece. One wonders why 

mouthpiece makers have never thought 

of this. 

• The pro set of Claripatch comes in a 

hard plastic case that also holds six reeds 

and the clarimute. 

March 2006 Page 27

Biographies of Candidates for I.C.A. Officers 

PRESIDENT 

Marguerite Baker 

Levin is assistant professor 

of clarinet at 

Tow son University and 

principal clari net ist 

with the Baltimore 

Op era Orchestra. An 

active performer in the 

Washington, D.C./Baltimore 

area, she plays 

with the Wolf Trap 

Opera Orchestra, Post- 

Classical Ensemble, 

Marguerite 

Baker Levin 

Alexandria Symphony, Annapolis Sym - 

phony, the National Gallery Orchestra and 

the Key West Symphony. She has substituted 

with the Kennedy Center Orchestra, 

the Baltimore Symphony and the National 

Symphony Orchestra. She is a former 

member of the United States Navy Band in 

Washington, D.C. 

Levin was the Artistic Director for Clar - 

inetFest® 2004 and has performed at Clar i - 

netFest® conferences in Lubbock, Salt Lake 

City, Col lege Park and Tokyo. 

She has also served on the I.C.A.’s 

judg ing panels for the Young Artist Com - 

pe tition, the High School Competition, and 

the Research Presentation Competition. 

At Towson University, Levin is Leader 

of the instrumental applied division and 

serves on the executive committee. She 

performs with the faculty woodwind quintet, 

Quintigre, and the Towson New Music 

Ensemble. Levin is a former faculty member 

of Howard University in Washington, 

D.C. where she taught clarinet and music 

theory for seven years. 

Levin received a B.M. in Music Edu - 

cation from North Texas State University, 

where she studied with James Gillespie, 

and an M.M. from the Catholic Uni ver sity 

of America as a student of Leon Rus sian off. 

She will complete her D.M.A. in May of 

2006 from the University of Mary land 

where she has studied with Loren Kitt. Ad - 

ditional studies were with Stephen Girko, 

Robert Genovese and Edward Palanker. 

Gary Whitman is 

professor of clarinet 

and division chair of 

Wind and Percussion 

Studies at Texas Chris - 

tian University in Fort 

Worth, Texas. Active 

as a recitalist, he has 

performed at Clarinet - 

Fest® conferences in 

Arizona, Oklahoma, 

Texas, Utah and Mary - 

Gary Whitman 

land. His international performances in - 

clude Paris, France, Ostend, Belgium, 

and Stockholm, Sweden. He has served 

as guest lecturer in wind performance 

and ped agogy at the National Conser va - 

tory of Music in Mexico City, the Con - 

ser vatory of Music “Josafat Roel Pineda” 

in Lima, Peru, and the Stedelijk Con ser - 

vatory in Oostende, Belgium. His former 

students hold positions as professional 

performers and as music educators in the 

public schools, university positions, and 

private studios. 

As an orchestral performer, Whit man is 

the bass clarinetist of the Fort Worth Sym - 

phony. As a member of the FWSO since 

1990, he performs during the classical and 

pops subscription series as well as ballet 

and opera productions. His chamber music 

affiliations include the Texas Clarinet Con - 

sort, and Trio Con Brio, a TCU faculty trio 

dedicated to performing and commissioning 

music for clarinet, viola and piano. 

On March 1, 2005, the trio performed the 

world premiere of Trio for Clarinet, Viola 

and Piano by Eric Ewazen in Weill Recital 

Hall at Carnegie Hall. He continues to 

maintain a busy schedule as a versatile 

woodwind performer. He is heard regularly 

in venues varying from Broadway musi - 

cals to jazz in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, 

and with the top commercial performers in 

the industry. 

From 1995 to 2003 he served as advertising 

manager for The Clarinet, the scholarly 

journal of the International Clarinet 

Association, and was exhibits coordinator 

for the I.C.A. ClarinetFest® conferences. 

He coordinated the exhibits for Clarinet - 

Fest® conferences at the University of Ok - 

lahoma, the Hilton Riverside Hotel in New 

Orleans, and the University of Utah in Salt 

Lake City. He has also served on the judging 

panels for both the I.C.A. Young Artist 

and Orchestral Audition Competitions. 

Whitman holds the BME and MME de - 

grees from the University of North Texas 

and was awarded the certificate de stage 

from the International Music Institute in 

Nice, France. His major teachers and mentors 

have been Lee Gibson, James Smith, 

Andrew Crisanti and Guy Deplus. He has 

recently been selected for inclusion in the 

eighth edition of Who’s Who Among Am - 

er ica’s Teachers, 2004. In 2004 TCU conferred 

upon him the Dean’s Award for Re - 

search or Creativity. Whitman is an art istclinician 

for Buffet Crampon USA, Inc. 

TREASURER 

Diane Barger is 

associate professor of 

clarinet at the Uni - 

versity of Nebraska 

School of Music and a 

member of the Moran 

Wood wind Quintet. 

She currently serves as 

principal clarinet with 

the Lincoln Symphony 

Orchestra and is the 

Diane Barger 

Page 28 

THE CLARINET

Treas urer of the International Clarinet 

Asso ci ation. Barger served as Coordinator 

of the I.C.A.’s High School Solo Com pe - 

tition (2003–2005) and is Chair of the 

Wind Area at the University of Nebraska– 

Lincoln. She received the Doctor of Music 

(1999) and Bachelor of Music (1988) de - 

grees from the Florida State University and 

the Graduate Certificate in Performance 

(1990) and Master of Music (1989) de - 

grees from Northwestern University. An 

active soloist and chamber musician, master 

class clinician and adjudicator throughout 

the United States, Barger has been a 

featured artist at numerous I.C.A. Clar i - 

netFest® and Oklahoma Clarinet Symposi - 

ums. A specialist in the genre of operatic 

fantasies for clarinet based on Vincenzo 

Bellini operas, Barger can be heard as a 

featured soloist on the I.C.A.’s 1998 Re - 

cord ing Project in a performance of Do - 

men ico Mirco’s “La Sonnambula” Fan ta - 

sia. With the Moran Woodwind Quintet, 

Barger participated in two lecture/performances 

at the October 2005 

College Mu sic Society National 

Conference in Que bec City, Canada and 

the June 2005 CMS International 

Conference in Alcala de He n ares, Spain. 

SECRETARY 

Kristina Belisle is 

the associate professor 

of clarinet at the Uni - 

versity of Akron, principal 

clarinetist of the 

Akron Sym phony Or - 

ches tra and Blos som 

Festival Band, and 

clarinetist with the 

So laris Wind Quin tet. 

She currently serves as Kristina Belisle 

Secre tary of the Inter - 

na tional Clarinet Associ a tion. As a soloist, 

she has performed concertos with the 

Hous ton Sym phony, the Flint Symphony, 

the Cleve land Cham ber Symphony and 

with orchestras/wind ensembles through - 

out Ar kan sas and northeast Ohio. She has 

won numerous awards for her performan - 

ces including the 1993 William C. Byrd 

Na tional Young Artist Award for Winds 

and Brass and the 1992 Ima Hogg National 

Young Artist Award. As a chamber musician, 

she has performed with the Renaud 

Chamber Music Series, the Fon tana Fes - 

tival of Music and Art, the Nor folk, Bow - 

doin, and Garth Newel Chamber Music 

Festivals. She holds a Doctor of Musical 

Arts degree from Mich igan State Uni ver - 

sity where she studied with Elsa Ludewig- 

Verdehr. Internation ally, Belisle has performed 

at the 2005, 2003 and 2000 In ter - 

national ClarinetFest® conferences, the 

2002 Xi’an (China) In ternational Clarinet 

and Saxophone Fes tival and has given 

mas ter classes in China and Taiwan. She 

can be heard with Solaris on American 

Quintets II, released by Capstone Records. 

Back Issues 

of The Clarinet 

Back-issue order forms for The Clar inet 

may now be downloaded from the I.C.A. 

Web site: . Copies may 

also be re quested by con tacting: 

James Gillespie 

College of Music 

University of North Texas 

P.O. Box 311367 

Denton, TX 76203-1367 

E-mail: 

March 2006 Page 29

Readers of the previous issue of The 

Clarinet know that this is the fourteenth 

part of a series of articles 

based on materials from which Keith Stein 

(Professor of Clarinet at Michigan State 

Uni versity from 1934 to 1975) planned to 

create a how-to book for those who had no 

access to a clarinet teacher. I have attempted 

to put those materials into prose form, 

and a little fuller explanation of the circumstances 

surrounding that endeavor is 

given in Part One in the Volume 29, No. 4 

(September 2002) issue of the magazine. 

This article deals with Stein’s materials 

related to what he called “legato playing 

style,” an approach to clarinet playing at 

which he himself excelled. And in my own 

approach to this article, I have had to face 

a problem — that of whether to include 

all the many, many musical examples that 

Stein wanted to include in his planned 

chapter on the subject of legato playing. If 

I included them, this article would be prohibitively 

lengthy. And because these ex - 

amples are all from well-known literature 

for clarinet, I have decided not to include 

them here. I must presume that readers of 

this magazine have copies of these examples 

in their own clarinet library, whereas a 

learner without a teacher, for whom Stein 

planned to write his book, probably would 

not have had access to this music right 

there in his own home. So, minus the printed 

musical examples, here we go. 

* * * * * 

Legato fingering is an essential part of 

good legato style playing. The plastic nearglissando 

slur-lines of legato style depend 

to a great extent upon a sympathetic me - 

chanical response in the fingers without 

which the bending vocal style cannot be 

realized. The breath and its ally the em - 

bouchure most certainly play significant 

roles in legato style also. Some teachers 

demonstrate the tremendous difference finger-action 

makes in playing by fingering 

the clarinet while the student supplies the 

blowing on a turned-around mouthpiece. 

Unbelievable results are possible! 

Legato finger movement differs significantly 

from the light, deft typewriter snap 

and the close finger action of tongued ar - 

ticulation. Legato fingering also employs 

light finger action but in addition it must 

be controlled in a continuous up-and-down 

action that never breaks its steady, stalking 

Page 30 

movement from one part of an interval to 

the next. Legato style also permits the use 

of otherwise forbidden high finger movement 

both preceding and during progress 

to and from keys and tone-holes. This is 

sometimes permissible to establish a legato 

“mood” in the fingers as well as to help 

counteract “popping” and suddenness of 

finger action. 

The player must learn to approach from 

within a very close range a key or tonehole 

under continuous movement, pause, 

and then move in without popping or bang - 

ing. This is particularly effective when a 

finger covering requires simultaneous ar - 

rangement of several fingers or when the 

interval is particularly wide. 

TRAINING LEGATO FINGERS 

WITHOUT THE CLARINET 

Legato finger-action can be approximated 

by placing the left hand, palm side 

facing down, a few inches in front of oneself 

with the index finger tip touching the 

thumb tip. Raise the index finger off the 

thumb tip in a continuous rise upward until 

its highest limit is reached before all arch 

straightens out in the joints. Ideal legato 

fingers move both upward and downward 

in a dreamy, continuous manner. On the 

re turn make a preliminary upward, rounded 

motion with the index finger, then rev erse 

the same action slowly, steadily and continuously 

all the way back to the thumb. 

Permit nearby fingers freedom to react sym - 

pathetically and similarly until the entire 

hand is instilled with the legato feeling. 

Continue this procedure with each of the 

other fingers contacting the thumb. Extend 

the routine to pairs of fingers operating 

together, three fingers, and finally all four 

moving to and from the thumb. Repeat the 

whole procedure with the right hand. 

THE CLARINET 

NOW, WITH THE CLARINET 

Practice playing intervals of your own 

choosing, at random, with silent finger 

movement on the clarinet before playing 

them in sound. Repeat each exercise the 

necessary number of times from slower to 

faster tempo rates, both silently and then 

in sound. 

THE LEGATO PLAYING 

STYLE ITSELF 

Instrumental legato playing requires 

plastic finger-binding across intervals to 

approximate the near-glissando style common 

in vocal expression. The aim is to 

play continuously across intervals without 

the slightest stop or let-up, using tones as 

guideposts to encircle rather than to bump 

into, as though you were attempting to 

personify a flowing stream with swiftly 

running water. To continue the analogy, a 

flowing stream of water may well be covered 

by rocks down below, but nevertheless 

the water flows smoothly and uninterruptedly, 

allowing nothing at all to stop it. 

Clarinetists often omit the great singers’ 

invaluable use of smoothly flowing breath 

up from lung source for playing purposes, 

resorting instead to mere hard blowing on 

the breath line. 

AN APPROACH TO A 

SINGING LEGATO STYLE 

First establish the idea of singing on a 

single tone, that first tone of two notes 

comprising an interval. Any note, even the 

shortest, has duration; therefore, become 

aware of the first tone’s duration across its 

dimensions with sensitivity for sustaining a 

living, moving quality en route. One cannot 

engage in legato style without being 

concerned with tone quality. Make the first

note a pearl of the most beautifully centered 

tone possible, free of attack flaws, 

and a sound that begins and holds to the 

peak of tone quality across its duration. A 

long tone is simply several short ones in 

chained succession; a slurred group is simply 

one large, long tone comprised of several 

shorter ones blended together. 

Bend this first tone from its earliest be - 

ginnings on in the direction of the new 

tone ahead, spanning the interval without 

loss of tone quality, without the slightest 

break in the continuity of sound and without 

any evidence of lunging the breath forward 

or slamming the fingers into the second 

tone of the interval. The actual crossing 

is accomplished by continuously moving 

breath through a full-dimensioned 

breath channel, the airflow adjusted to keep 

the density equalized by means of the midtongue 

which receives the air and redirects 

it onto the reed with appropriate speed. 

Equalizing breath density is one of the 

essentials for successful playing of wide 

intervals. Slow practice, while concentrating 

on sensing and maintaining an un break - 

able plastic line, is the sure ap proach to 

mastery of legato style. Forcing and leap - 

ing with fingers and breath only destroys 

the opportunity to gain permanent control. 

Slowly played scales are excellent practice 

for legato style. Play slowly; halfnotes 

are even better than quarters for this 

purpose. Listen critically so that the line is 

continuous across each interval and that 

tonal momentum continues across the dur - 

ation of each tone after arrival. In descending 

scales, creep or stalk the fingers into 

near-coverage, then complete the fingering 

without banging the fingers down or gripping 

the clarinet upon arrival. In ascending 

scales practice lifting fingers deftly and 

precisely without “pre-pressing in” or permitting 

undue suddenness in the lift-off. 

Also lift the tones across the interval spans 

with the breath but without squeezing or 

grunting each one by narrowing the throat 

for each tone. 

Another fine way to practice legato style 

is to play scales in thirds and in fourths, if 

you haven’t already done that in your ear - 

lier interval practice. 

CROSSING WIDE LEGATO 

INTERVALS 

It is common to hear wide intervals 

crossed with a combination of increased 

breath force, exaggerated embouchure 

man ipulation, and finger slamming. Cor - 

rect crossings, either up or down, do re - 

quire slight changes in lip pressure and 

also slight adjustments of breath speed and 

volume, but these are so minute that it is to 

the player’s advantage to hold constant 

with steady, normal breathing and lipping, 

turning the responsibility over to his more 

in tuitive levels to draw exactly the amounts 

needed from his stored energies to cross 

the interval. Thinking in these terms, the 

embouchure is maintained at normal activity, 

the breath steadily supported within an 

open channel, while the fingers softly and 

continuously change from position to po - 

sition, quietly stalking each new tone. 

Above all, neither shy off nor hold back 

the breath on leaving the first note, nor 

permit a last-minute surge accompanied by 

a finger snap on nearing the second tone. 

CLARINET LITERATURE 

REQUIRING LEGATO STYLE 

INTERPRETATION 

Turn in Baermann, Part III, to No. 9, 

“Sixths.” Look at the first two exercises, 

the ones in C Major and A Minor. The rest 

of the exercises, in the other keys, may be 

used in the same way that these two are 

used, of course. 

Place no stress on speed. Practice each 

key study in three tempi, the first allowing 

a quarter-note value per tone, the second 

an eighth-note value per tone, and in the 

third, a sixteenth. But go to the sixteenth 

values only after the first two playing pass 

the test of truly unbroken legato lines 

bending across from note to note with 

whisper-soft landing of both fingers and 

breath into each successive tone. Use the 

breath to lift the tones plastically across the 

intervals, circumscribing rather than bumping 

into the tonal landings. 

In No. 1 of the Forty Studies by Crylle 

Rose, use a slow eighth-note beat, with the 

metronome set at 76. As the slurred intervals 

widen make a point to keep the throat 

open with the air emanating from breath 

source. In concentrating on the expanding 

upper part of the interval, do not overlook 

the continuous descending portion into a 

soft landing on the lower tone. 

Turn now to the slow movement (the 

Larghetto) from Mozart’s Clarinet Quin - 

tet, K. 581, one of the most beautiful 

movements in all of clarinet literature. It 

demands, of course, an extremely legato 

playing style. Many lines are comprised 

of half- and whole-steps. Insist that they 

first meet your standards of pure legato, 

then match the wider intervals to them. 

Take the time to make a sostenuto on the 

top tones of the octave crossings in rubato 

fashion. 

In the first “Fantasy-Piece” of the three 

contained in Schumann’s Opus 73 for 

clarinet and piano, strive for what could 

be called a velvety transference from tone 

to tone. 

A really choice, ultimate example of a 

demanded legato playing style occurs in 

the Andantino movement of the Brahms 

Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, Opus 

114. The passage in question occurs be - 

tween Letters D and F in most editions. 

The music is actually a “Landler,” almost 

a waltz-style passage. In it the music de - 

mands a continuation of sound across the 

octaves with no dead-sound spots in leaving 

the first tone of each octave interval, 

and with no finger popping into the second 

part of the octave. Take caution, as 

well, to make the entrances without bumping 

into them. 

ARTICULATED WIDE 

INTERVALS 

Continuous breath flow accompanies 

intervals bound together under slurred 

lines (legato) whereas breath segmentation 

(breath releasing) together with the 

action of the tongue touching back to the 

reed delineates (separates) articulations. In 

the interim between these separated tones 

it is essential to maintain constant breath 

support within an open throat even though 

the breath itself is in a state of pause at 

these points. 

The breath channel must remain in 

open readiness for breath availability 

between each part of articulated wide intervals 

with all playing factors, including support, 

remaining active. The breath is re - 

leased off and held in forward suspension 

as well as by breath control means in the 

short interim between tonal members of 

articulated wide intervals. This means that 

breath must not be sucked inward to aid in 

stopping tones, and that the support must 

not be withdrawn momentarily between 

the tones. 

March 2006 Page 31

As with slurred wide intervals it is also 

best to try executing articulated wide cros - 

sings first by holding quietly with an es - 

tablished abundance of playing energies in 

the hope that our finer intuitive self will 

draw from these stores exactly what is 

needed to make the crossings. This means 

that 1.) the embouchure is actively maintained, 

2.) the breath is instantly available 

and operating from breath source through 

a continuously open throat channel, 3.) the 

jaw and back tongue are both relaxed and 

directing down ward, and that 4.) the maintenance 

of light and free hands, wrists, and 

fingers is essential. The mind oversees the 

fingers’ continuance during wide interval 

crossings while they merely change from 

position to position. 

It will be found helpful in playing a se - 

quence of articulated wide intervals to es - 

tablish a mean somewhere between the 

outlying extremes of the intervals, remaining 

there quietly in imagination while the 

fingers move out to play the intervals on 

either side. Little or no further energy is 

offered by the lips or breath at either ex - 

treme to play the tones. 

RANDOM, ISOLATED 

THOUGHTS ON LEGATO 

PLAYING STYLE 

1.) The culprits, when legato playing is not 

going well, are most likely to be the 

fingers and the breath. The fingers tend 

to snap to and from their positions to 

force the tone to speak. The breath 

tends to back off at critical times, causing 

a break in the line, or to overblow 

in a bumping surge to ensure an interval 

crossing. These faults must be 

guarded against. 

2.) If I were to describe legato playing 

style, I would say that it is mainly a 

smooth uninterruption of tone across 

each interval, made without undue 

breath surge, bumping or let-up, the 

fingers moving precisely into place but 

without snap. 

3.) If we analyze what is happening with 

the fingers during legato playing, we 

may be reminded of a centipede, am - 

bling along on its thousand legs, all co - 

ordinated, but no single one of them 

doing much actual work. 

4.) I read an article once on legato playing, 

written by Daniel Bonade. Mr. Bonade 

made the point that before legato playing 

can be mastered the player must 

first master the playing on a well-balanced 

reed. After that, he must be sure 

that the breath keeps moving both during 

and between consecutively played 

legato tones, and that the fingers do not 

“slap” onto the holes and keys. He says 

there is nothing worse than hearing 

more finger-action than real tone. 

5.) I read another article once, this one 

mainly about staccato playing, written 

by Rosario Mazzeo. The very first and 

most important point made by Mr. 

Maz zeo was that before a person can 

master staccato playing he must realize 

that the ability to play a beautiful 

legato style must not only come first, 

but that it is actually the basis of a 

good staccato style. 

* * * * * 

In the next installment, we will deal 

with Keith Stein’s materials having to do 

with tone quality. 

ABOUT THE WRITER… 

David Pino is professor of clarinet in 

the School of Music at Texas State Uni - 

versity in San Marcos. He studied clarinet 

with Keith Stein for 15 years, and is the 

au thor of the book The Clarinet and Clar - 

inet Playing (Scribner’s, 1980, and Dover, 

1998). He has performed and toured with 

the David Pino Chamber Ensemble (clari - 

net, strings, and piano), and is a former Se - 

cretary of the International Clarinet Society. 

The Clarinet 

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE 

The magazine is usually 

mailed during the last 

week of Feb ruary, May, 

August and No vem ber. De - 

livery time within North 

America is nor mally 10–14 

days, while airmail delivery 

time outside North 

America is 7–10 days. 

Page 32 

THE CLARINET

March 2006 Page 33

A TRIBUTE TO 

Josef Horák 

by Henri Bok 

Josef Horák and Emma Kovárnová 

(photo by Alex Millier) 

The bass clarinetist par excellence 

Josef Horák died on November 23, 

2005, in Germany at the age of 74. 

In March 1955, Josef Horák gave the first 

solo bass clarinet concert in musical his - 

tory and from that moment on he gave his 

time and energy to assure his beloved in - 

strument the recognition it deserved. 

Josef had a lot of energy, a strong will 

and never stopped working — apart from 

relaxing after his concerts while enjoying 

his favorite cognac! 

In Emma Kovárnová he found his perfect 

partner — he the dreamer, she with 

“both feet on the ground.”When they made 

their countless concert tours by car Emma 

always drove because, as she said, “dreamers 

should not drive!” 

Their life as Due Boemi di Praga was 

not very easy. Due to the political situation 

in communist Eastern Europe they had 

great difficulty in performing and getting 

new works from composers in the West. 

Josef loved to tell the anecdote about his 

first meeting with Paul Hindemith. After an 

orchestra rehearsal in a German radio studio 

Horák stayed a bit longer, because he 

wanted to play and explore the bass clarinet. 

A man enters the studio, sits down and 

starts listening. After a while he starts asking 

questions: “Can you do this? Could you 

play this phrase an octave higher?,” etc. At 

the end of this spontaneous ses sion the man 

asks, “Why don’t you play Hindemith’s 

Bas soon Sonata on the bass clarinet?” 

Ho rák answers, “Because Hin demith 

wouldn’t agree!” Upon which the man ap - 

proached him and said, “May I in tro duce 

myself? My name is Paul Hindemith.” 

Horák has performed this Sonata ever 

since. That also applies to many other 

com positions which were dedicated to 

him: Josef Horák has added hundreds of 

new works to the bass clarinet repertoire. 

Josef was a very generous person, not 

only with time and knowledge, but he 

would also give his CDs away to colleagues 

and students. Anybody looking for 

scores could count on his help; soon a 

package of music would arrive from him. 

When giving master classes he always 

encouraged the younger generation and 

enjoyed seeing that his work for the instrument 

would be continued. His dream was 

always to create a real brotherhood of bass 

clarinetists and to enhance a spirit of cooperation 

rather than competition. 

It was wonderful that, in spite of his 

poor health, his sheer determination meant 

that Josef could make it to the First World 

Bass Clarinet Convention held in Rotter - 

dam in October of this past year, to give a 

concert, be a jury member and speak about 

his musical life. 

As Josef wrote in the program booklet: 

“My dream became reality!” The neverending 

standing ovation given to him by 

his peers was the crown on his work. 

Josef Horák will live on in the musical 

world where he will always be remembered 

for his pioneering work as the am - 

bas sador of the bass clarinet. 

Visit the I.C.A. 

on the World Wide Web: 

www.clarinet.org 

Page 34 

THE CLARINET

IN Memoriam 

A TRIBUTE TO DAVID WEBER 

by David Goodman 

David Weber 

David Weber, a legendary clarinetist 

whose performing career 

spanned six decades and who 

taught several generations of students, 

passed away on January 23, 2006. He was 

92 years old. He was still teaching until 

about six months before his death. 

“Dave was friendly with and studied 

with the greatest clarinet players of the last 

era,” said Donald Montanaro, who retired 

last year as associate principal clarinetist 

in The Philadelphia Orchestra and still 

teaches at the Curtis Institute of Music. A 

longtime friend of Weber, Montanaro ob - 

served, “He was the last link to people like 

Hamelin, Cahuzac, McLane, Bonade and 

Bellison.” In lessons that I and numerous 

others had with Weber, he would frequently 

offer tips or anecdotes passed on to him by 

these masters. To study with David We ber 

was to become part of the fabric that binds 

generations of clarinetists. 

Bernard Van Doren, head of the company 

that makes the reeds and mouthpieces 

that Weber played throughout his life, 

remarked, “David Weber was a prestigious 

teacher and soloist. His teaching influenced 

generations of clarinetists that now 

hold important positions in orchestras 

around the world. At Vandoren, it was a 

pleasure to meet him, because he was not 

only a kind man, but very professional.” 

Weber began his clarinet studies with 

Roy Schmidt of the Detroit Symphony, 

before moving to New York in the 1930s, 

where he studied with Simeon Bellison and 

Daniel Bonade. He became fast friends 

and occasional rivals with another Bonade 

student, Ralph McLane, who later became 

principal clarinetist in The Philadelphia 

Or chestra. In 1938, Weber auditioned for 

Arturo Toscanini, who hired him on the 

spot to play E ♭ clarinet in the NBC Sym - 

phony. He went on to play assistant principal 

clarinet in the New York Philharmonic 

in 1943–1944 alongside Bellison. He was 

principal clarinetist in the CBS Symphony 

Orchestra from 1946–1952, and then as - 

sumed the same position in the Symphony 

of the Air (the successor to the NBC Sym - 

phony) under Leopold Stokowski. In 1964, 

he became principal clarinetist in the New 

York City Ballet Orchestra until his retire - 

ment from performing in 1986. He was also 

on the faculty of Juilliard and Co lumbia 

Teacher’s College. 

A well read man and a famously dapper 

dresser, Weber was proud and emotional 

— traits that periodically got him 

into trouble with powerful conductors 

such as Bruno Walter and Fritz Reiner. 

His clashes with these maestros cost him 

professionally, and led him to offer humble 

advice to his students: “You have to be 

like I wasn’t. You’ve gotta have big ears 

and a small mouth.” 

Karl Leister, formerly principal clarinet 

in the Berlin Philharmonic and a friend of 

Weber, noted that what set David Weber 

apart as a teacher was that he was also a 

gifted performer. “I always felt he was one 

of the really professional musicians be - 

cause he was always active and playing in 

the New York City Ballet in the time when 

he was teaching.” Leister also appreciated 

Weber’s personal style. “For me, David 

was in the style of European grand señor. 

He acted in a style where everybody must 

re spect him. He was well dressed always, 

and he had a special feeling about what’s 

important in being together with another 

human… David was always for me young, 

a young man, because he was so interested 

in so many things, and he was so open.” 

Weber was an old school mentor. He 

cared about his students’ clarinet playing, 

but he also cared about our lives. Lessons, 

which included plenty of shouting and 

tough love from the master, typically took 

two to three hours, followed by lunch at 

Barney Greengrass, a Jewish diner on 86th 

St. The affection he showed his students 

was mutual, as a number of us gathered 

with him to celebrate his 90th birthday in 

2003, and a smaller group joined him 

again last December for his 92nd birthday 

in his Upper West Side apartment. 

Weber’s enduring contribution is his 

lifelong pursuit of beautiful tone. “The most 

important thing,” he would implore his students, 

“is to have a beautiful sound.” A 

double-lip player, Weber would teach his 

students to strive for a rich, liquid, bell-like 

sound, a style exemplified by players such 

as himself, McLane and Harold Wright. 

As I grew to understand over the years, a 

beautiful sound meant much more than 

simply having good tone. It meant making 

music: elegant phrasing, fluid technique, 

and using the instrument to express yourself. 

As he implored, “The clarinet is your 

voice. Sing!” 

That beautiful Weber sound can be 

heard in the playing of his many students, 

who now occupy seats in major orchestras 

including Cleveland, Milwaukee, 

Dallas, Philadelphia, American Ballet 

Theater, the Metropolitan Opera Orches - 

tra and elsewhere. 

I asked him not long ago what he felt 

his legacy has been. He considered it, 

then said contentedly, “I gave a good lesson.” 

Indeed. We will miss him. But the 

lessons he gave us in life and music will 

outlive him. And every time a beautiful 

sound passes the bell of a clarinet, the 

legacy of David Weber and the masters 

who taught him will be passed on to ano - 

ther generation. 


Vermont-based writer and clarinetist 

David Goodman () is co-principal clarinetist of the Montpelier 

Chamber Orchestra and founder of 

the Vermont Chamber Players. 

March 2006 Page 35

Buffet Crampon’s 

180th Anniversary Concert 

A Report by James Gillespie 

On November 10, 2005, “The City 

of Love” should have changed its 

name for the day to “The City that 

Loves the Clarinet.” Buffet Crampon celebrated 

its 180th anniversary at Paris’ Cité 

de la Musique before a capacity audience 

of 900 with a spectacle/concert that was 

unique in the history of the instrument. 

Under the supervision of Paul Baronnat, 

president of Buffet Crampon, it featured 

performances by some of Buffet’s most 

distinguished artists from throughout the 

world, works for various combinations, a 

multimedia presentation on a large screen 

(see cover) with interviews and testimonials 

of clarinetists and many other short 

features, all of which was overseen by an 

actor-announcer in — at times — period 

costumes, etc. 

However, before the concert proper began, 

the audience waiting in the lobby was 

treated to some brilliant clarinet quartet 

playing by Les Anches Hantées (Elise 

Marre, Nicolas Châtelain, Maxime Penard 

and Romain Millaud) that appeared in various 

locales in the space, playing always 

from memory with amazing energy and 

polish. What a starter course for the musical 

meal that was to follow in the main 

auditorium (see photo 1)! 

The first performance featured Seiji Yokokawa 

(Japan) and Jon Manasse (U.S.A.) 

in Franz Krommer’s Concerto for Two 

Clarinets and Orchestra, Op. 35, with the 

Orchestre des Lauréats du Conservatoire, 

conducted by Claire Levacher, a professional 

orchestra of recent graduates from 

the conservatories in Paris and Lyon. This 

established a high standard of artistry that 

never faltered for the reminder of the evening 

(see photo 2). 

The Krommer duo concerto was followed 

by Mozart’s Symphonie Concertante 

for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn and orchestra 

with a refined and elegant performance 

by Sandrine Cavalier-Pastor, clarinet, 

Gilbert Audin, bassoon, Jean-Louis 

Capezzali, oboe, and André Cazalet, horn. 

Cavalier-Pastor presently serves as solo 

clarinet in l’Opéra National de Lyon (see 

photo 3). 

The second half of the concert began 

with a hommage to the late Jacques Millon, 

the highly esteemed bass clarinetist 

and basset hornist of the l’Orchestre de 

l’Opera de Paris from 1957 until 1990. 

Philippe Cuper, Jérôme Julien-Laferrière, 

Jean-Noël Crocq, Philippe-Olivier Devaux 

and Bruno Martinez played Mozart’s Adagio 

for two clarinet and three basset horns, 

followed by Claude Kesmaecker’s arrangement 

for seven bass clarinets of Villa Lobos’ 

Bachianas Brasileiras played marvellously 

by Jean-Noël Crocq, Philippe-Olivier 

Devaux, Christian Douliez, Stéphane 

Kwiatek, Eric Leclerc, Bruno Martinez 

and Alexandre Ringeval (see cover photo). 

3 

1 

Les Anches Hantées clarinet quartet performing 

in the lobby before the concert. 

Seiji Yokokawa and Jon Manasse performing 

the Krommer Concerto for Two 

Clarinets, Op. 35 

Paul Baronnat 

2 

4 

5 

Jean-Louis Capezzali, oboe, Sandrine Cavalier-Pastor, clarinet, Claire Levacher, conductor, 

André Cazalet, horn, and Gilbert Audin, bassoon, taking bows after their performance 

of the Mozart Sinfonie Concertante 

(l to r) Bruno Martinez, Philippe-Olivier 

Devaux, Jean-Noël Crocq, Jérôme Julien- 

Laferrière and Philippe Cuper performing 

the Mozart Adagio 

Page 36 

THE CLARINET

7 

One may never hear such refined playing 

by seven bass clarinetists ever again!! 

Although Michel Arrignon was originally 

scheduled to play next, due to his illness, 

Pascal Moraguès, his colleague on 

the faculty of the Conservatoire National 

Supérieur de Musique de Paris, substituted 

brilliantly in a performance of Copland’s 

Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra 

marked by high energy and enthusiasm. 

The concert finale and dessert course 

for the evening’s clarinet feast featured the 

world premiere of Bertrand Hainaut’s clever 

and skillfully scored 180 ans déjà… for 

clarinet choir with piano which was commissioned 

by Buffet Crampon for the event. 

All the evening’s artists took part augmented 

by other performers for a total of about 

30 players, conducted by the composer. It 

featured excerpts and motives from famous 

clarinet solos from the orchestral repertoire 

(Gershwin, Weber, Rossini, Ravel, Rimsky- 

Korsakov) and solos by Poulenc, Debussy, 

to name a few, with “Happy Birthday” 

capping off the clarinet potpourri. It was 

made of, by and for clarinetists, and how 

could it have been better? 

It was a rare and historic evening indeed, 

and all those associated with the 

planning and performance of it should take 

great pride. The clarinet and Buffet Crampon 

were extremely well served! 

(All photos courtesy of Buffet Crampon) 

6 

Clarinet choir in the finale 

Marc Hollogne, announcer and moderator 

8 

9 

Pascal Moraguès 

Jon Manasse with the celebratory confetti 

March 2006 Page 37

y Christine A. Zimmerman 

For years, the combination of Buffet 

Crampon and Vandoren has resulted 

in musical excellence for clarinetists. 

That tradition continued with a clarinet 

choir festival sponsored by the two giants, 

held October 15–16, 2005, in Atlanta, 

Georgia. The free event — celebrating 100 

years of Vandoren and 180 years of Buffet 

Crampon — was hosted by the Atlanta 

Clarinet Association with the support and 

direction of Florida State University. 

On the 16th floor of the Atlanta Airport 

Marriott hotel, students, instructors, professional 

musicians, and hobbyists enjoyed 

master classes, clarinet choir performances, 

vendor displays, and lots of camaraderie. 

The event opened with a master class presented 

by Festival Director Mitchell Estrin 

who is the Associate Professor of Clarinet 

at the University of Florida and Educational 

& Creative Development Manager for Buffet 

Crampon USA. Titled “Three Steps to 

a Great Warm-up,” the class focused on 

achieving the maximum warm-up results 

in the minimum amount of time. Estrin 

discussed how proper warm-up techniques 

can also help build stronger clarinet fundamentals 

such as tonal quality, even timbre 

throughout the range of the instrument, and 

symmetry in articulation. Estrin, who was 

instrumental in making the festival a reality, 

stressed the importance of events like 

these to help clarinetists continue to grow 

in their art. “Due to a number of factors, 

the clarinet choir has been relatively silent 

since the 1970s,” said Estrin. “The Buffet 

Crampon/Vandoren Clarinet Choir Festival 

is a shining example of the resurgence 

of the clarinet choir as an important musical 

medium and marks a commitment by 

the presenters, performers, educators, and 

attendees to the writing of a new chapter in 

the history of the American clarinet choir.” 

Following the master class were performances 

by clarinet choirs from Georgia 

Southern University (Linda Cionitti, Director) 

and the Atlanta Clarinet Association 

(Robert Janssen, Director). Michael Skinner, 

President of Dansr (U.S. importer for 

Vandoren products), then spoke on the art 

Page 38 

(l to r) François Kloc, Michael Skinner, Mitchell Estrin, Harvey Hermann and Luan 

Mueller 

of reed making and fielded various questions 

including speaking on the subject of 

working on reeds and consistency. François 

Kloc, Director of Marketing and Artist 

Relations for Buffet Crampon, shared information 

on the company’s rich history 

and ongoing contributions to musicians. 

Monsieur Kloc also performed on-the-spot 

repairs, adjustments, and tune-ups for many 

of the event participants. 

In the afternoon, attendees enjoyed performances 

by clarinetists from the University 

of West Georgia (Luan Mueller, Director) 

and the University of Florida (Mitchell 

Estrin, Director). Michael Drapkin, who 

was a member of the Honolulu Symphony 

Orchestra as associate principal and bass 

clarinet and was principal clarinet with the 

New York City Opera Touring Company, 

presented a bass clarinet master class. The 

day concluded with performances by a 

clarinet quartet from Georgia State University 

(Ken Long, Director) and various 

Georgia clarinet professors’ ensembles. 

The second day featured performances 

by Columbus State University (Lisa Oberlander, 

Director), the Chattanooga (Tennessee) 

Clarinet Choir (Stuart Benkert, 

Director), and the U.S. Army Ground Forces 

Band Clarinet Quartet (Terrina Anderson, 

NCOIC). The two-day event culminated 

in a performance by a high school 

honors choir, directed by Luan Mueller, 

THE CLARINET 

and a rousing performance as nearly 100 

clarinetists joined together for a festival 

mass clarinet choir directed by Harvey 

Hermann. Hermann, who served on the 

University of Illinois Band Department 

faculty for 32 years and created and conducted 

the University of Illinois Band Clarinet 

Choir for many years, was also a former 

solo clarinetist of the U.S. Army Far 

East Headquarters Band in Japan and 

played principal clarinet with the Tokyo 

ABC and Yokohama Symphony Orchestras. 

A full listing of performance pieces 

from the festival, with sound clips, is available 

at . 

Throughout the event, vendor displays 

from festival sponsors gave attendees the 

opportunity to peruse music, stock up on 

supplies, and try out mouthpieces and clarinets. 

Carere Music, Opus Winds, and 

Doctor’s Products, all charter sponsors of 

the Atlanta Clarinet Association, received 

much interest from event participants. 

Appreciation for the contributions that 

suppliers make to musical artistry was 

noted. “We musicians sometimes take for 

granted the tools of our trade, but we 

should stop and think for a minute about 

the valuable contribution companies like 

Buffet, Vandoren, and others have made 

to our art,” commented Harvey Hermann. 

“Where would we be without fine instruments 

to play?”

As the festival came to a close, the prevailing 

sentiment from participants and 

sponsors about the event sparked talk of 

making it an annual occurrence. “This was 

a rare treat — to be immersed in fine clarinet 

instruction and performances for an 

entire weekend, and then top it off with the 

unique camaraderie that emerges when 

playing great orchestral works with a hundred 

newfound friends,” said Mike Moore, 

President of the Atlanta Clarinet Association. 

Michael Skinner, President of Dansr, 

added, “We were thrilled to co-sponsor 

this event. The Atlanta Clarinet Association 

has long been known for a very active 

group. We saw this as an opportunity to 

continue the Vandoren mission of staying 

close to the musician. It was a great event, 

and yes, we were definitely able to stay 

close to the musicians. We’d consider doing 

it again!” 


Christine Zimmerman is a marketing 

communications professional and a clarinetist 

in the Atlanta Wind Symphony, a 

75-member volunteer symphonic band. 

March 2006 Page 39

In 

Review 

The Friday morning, July 22, recitals 

began with Ching-chun Lin, 

clarinet (Taiwan) and Jen-Yi Wang 

on piano playing the fun Horovitz Sonatina 

in an excellent performance. Hakon 

Stodle, clarinet (Norway) and Tomoko 

Kaihoko, piano, played a nationalistic 

piece by Ketil Vea titled Suite for clarinet 

and piano. It was well done. At mid-morning 

the Vintage Quartet from Portugal took 

the stage. Young members Iva Barbosa, 

Candida Oliveira, B ♭ clarinets, José Eduardo 

Gomes, basset horn and B ♭ clarinet, and 

Ricardo Alves, bass clarinet played a fabulous 

program featuring the quartet works 

of Paul Harvey, Jean Françaix, and Portuguese 

music arranged by Victor de Faria. 

Bravo to this group who played with lots 

of style and passion. Their warm ovation 

was treated with an encore written by Paquito 

D’Rivera. 

Charles Neidich’s SRO master class, 

“Analysis, Expression and Technique — 

Three Sides of the Same Coin,” featured 

Young Artist Competition participants 

Alexey Gorokholinsky (Russia), Sae-rom 

Kim (Korea) and Naoko Danno (Japan). 

His lovely wife, Ayako Oshima, ably assisted 

him for translation. Neidich focused 

his remarks on an analysis of the music 

and the composer’s intentions using harmonic 

and line analysis (e.g., using different 

means of expression according to the 

harmony). Performers were asked to keep 

the intensity throughout the line or phrase 

with subtle differences for contrasting 

phrases. He encouraged wind players to 

compare their use of air to what string 

players do for attacks and swelling. He 

also noted the importance of the accompaniment 

along with the soloist to complete 

the emotional impact of the entire passage. 

THE INTERNATIONAL 

CLARINET ASSOCIATION 

CLARINETFEST® 2005 

TAMA, TOKYO, JAPAN 

JULY 17–24, 2005, PART II 

by Kelly Johnson 

and Alan E. Stanek 

He asked students to consider the questions, 

“Where does the melody go and 

when it does, how could the composer 

have done it differently that wouldn’t have 

been as dramatic or as beautiful?” He 

often remarked, “Don’t play long tones 

like a ‘door bell.’” Neidich encouraged 

participants to be energetic, passionate, 

aggressive and sensitive. 

The I.C.A. Board of Directors Recital 

began mid-morning. It is always fun to 

hear the current leaders of our organization 

play to realize that in addition to running 

the I.C.A, they are top-notch performers 

as well. This year did not disappoint. 

Michael Galván, current president, 

expertly played the exciting Lutoslawski 

Dance Preludes with pianist Naoko Endo. 

Lee Livengood, president-elect, followed 

with pianist Melissa Livengood for a beautiful 

rendition of the second and third 

movements of the Horovitz Sonatina. Kristina 

Belisle, secretary, did an excellent job 

with the difficult Gra for clarinet alone by 

Elliot Carter. Rose Sperrazza, executive 

director, played the very unique Lee Thimmig 

Stanzas, Book XIV with great style. 

Diane Barger, treasurer, wowed the audience 

with her fantastic technique and tone 

on the E ♭ clarinet by playing Giacomo 

Panizza’s Ballabile con Variazioni aus 

dem Ballett “Ettore Fieramosca” with pianist 

Yuki Nakajima. Robert Walzel, past 

president, ended this wonderful program 

with a fast, fun, and energetic performance 

of Simon Sargon’s Klez Muzik. 

Editor of The Clarinet, James Gillespie, 

was given The Awardee Recital and performed 

with his former student and the 

host of the I.C.A. ClarinetFest® from last 

summer, Marguerite Baker, clarinet, and 

Yuki Nakajima, piano. The opening selection, 

a duet for two clarinets titled Views of 

the Blues by Gordon Lewin, was a terrific 

change of pace from the music heard at the 

convention so far, and Gillespie and Baker 

matched beautifully. Gillespie then played 

a brand-new clarinet and piano version of 

“Viktor’s Theme” from the film The Terminal 

by John Williams. This piece, which 

is fun and accessible for any audience, will 

soon be available for purchase through Hal 

Leonard. The final duet, Gary Schocker’s 

Sonata for Two Clarinets, was a fun and 

fitting end to the recital. 

After the I.C.A. business meeting, the 

hosts of the Atlanta, Georgia 2006 ClarinetFest® 

took the stage. The Fountain 

City Ensemble kicked off the program 

with the exciting new piece titled Found 

Objects by award-winning composer J.M. 

David. Lisa Oberlander showed her dazzling 

technique on B ♭ and bass clarinets in 

this four-movement piece. Jeffery Olson 

ably performed Paul Richards’ Magic 

Forest Scenes for solo clarinet (2000). Joseph 

Eller presented Busoni’s obscure but 

beautiful composition, Elegia, and Laurence 

Sherr’s Duo Concertante for Clarinet 

and Piano. D. Ray McClellan programmed 

two wonderful works, Domenico 

Scarlatti’s “Andante e cantabile” from 

the Sonata in A Major, K. 209 and Ernest 

Chausson’s Andante and Allegro. Eller 

and McClellan concluded the recital with 

Mendelssohn’s Konzertstucke No. 1 in F 

minor, Op. 11. 

An early afternoon recital featured several 

Japanese students of Jacques Lancelot. 

Ayako Oshima performed Joseph 

Prinzer’s Duo Concertante from the Lancelot 

Collection, and Shigeru Ikushima 

and Tadayoshi Takeda gave a fine reading 

of Devienne’s Sonate No. 2 for two clarinets 

and clavier. Kazuko Ninomiya rendered 

Pierné’s Canzonetta. JCS President, 

Koichi Hamanaka, played the ever-beautiful 

Debussy Première Rhapsodie, and a 

clarinet sextet with Kenji Matsumoto, 

Keiichi Atsuta, Yuji Furusawa, Ikuko 

Nihio, Hisae Kori and Tomohio Owada 

gave us the enjoyable En Famille of Raymond 

Loucheur (see photo 1). Toru Hora 

was the commentator with Naoko Ishibashi 

at the piano and harpsichord. 

Richard Fletcher, clarinet, Kristine 

Fletcher, bassoon and Barbara Wimunc- 

Pearson, piano, make up Clearly Three, a 

trio from the U.S.A. Their recital treated 

their audience to Benjamin Gutiérrez’s 

Trio (1987) and Ivana Loudová’s Italské 

(Italian) Trio (see photo 2). 

Page 40 

THE CLARINET

No. 1: Clarinet sextet perforning Raymond Loucheur’s En Famille. Kenji Matsumoto, E ♭ 

clarinet, Keiichi Atsuta, Yuji Furusawa, Ikuko Nishio, B ♭ clarinets, Hisae Kori, alto clarinet, 

Tomohiko Owada, bass clarinet 

No. 2: Clearly Three Trio, Richard Fletcher, 

clarinet, Kristine Fletcher, bassoon, 

Barbara Wimunc-Pearson, piano 

At the “Rico in Concert” another standing 

room only audience warmly received 

Michel Arrignon (France) in a speedy performance 

of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Sonate. 

Kenji Matsumoto joined Arrignon for a 

beautiful performance of Poulenc’s Sonate 

for two clarinets (see photo 3). Then a real 

change of pace occurred. Remembering 

his first appearance at the 1986 I.C.S. 

Conference in Seattle and again at the 

1996 Paris ClarinetFest®, 76-year-old-jazz 

clarinetist, Eiji Kitamura, continues to 

inspire audiences with his big sound and 

tasty riffs. His renditions of “Memories of 

You” and “Begin the Beguine” brought the 

house down, requiring two encores. His 

inspiration came from a 1957 jazz session 

with Benny Goodman when Goodman 

came to Japan as a cultural ambassador. 

Thanks, Eiji, for the “memories” (see 

photo 4). 

One of the newest great clarinetists on 

the world scene is Jean-Daniel Bugaj, winner 

of the 1st Prix du Conservatoire Paris. 

No. 4: Eiji Kitamura 

No. 3: Michel Arrignon and Kenji Matsumoto in the “Rico in Concert” recital 

March 2006 Page 41

A stunning performance of Bassi’s Rigoletto 

Fantasia di concerto (Verdi) contrasted 

with Debussy’s Petite pièce (see 

photo 5). His performance of the first 

movement of Franco Donatoni’s Clair recalled 

memories of the first time experiencing 

another great French clarinetist, 

Philippe Cuper, and a young Ricardo Morales. 

BRAVO! 

The Buffet Crampon 180th Anniversary 

Recital showcased clarinet artists from 

Hong Kong/U.S.A., Taiwan, The Netherlands, 

Belgium, Portugal and Japan. Andrew 

Michael Simon, principal clarinetist 

in the Hong Kong Philharmonic, demonstrated 

a lovely way to start a recital with 

Rachmaninoff’s beautiful “Adagio” from 

Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27. Then 

we were treated to the difficult and technically 

demanding composition, CARNYX, 

written for Andrew Simon by Serban 

Nichfior. He closed his portion with Peter 

Margulies’ beautiful arrangement of Gershwin’s 

“Summer Time” (see photo 6). Wei- 

Leng (William) Chen, principal clarinetist 

in the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, gave us 

two movements of Roger Boutry’s En Bleu 

et Rouge and Eric Sammut’s jazzy Zapping 

Trio for clarinet, marimba and string 

bass (see photo 7). Bass clarinetists Harry 

No. 5: Jean-Daniel Bugaj and Naoko Ishibashi 

No. 6: Andrew Michael Simon and Naoko Ishibashi 

No. 7: Yuho Ishikawa, marimba, William Chen, clarinet, and Keita Tadokoro, coinrabass 

Page 42 

THE CLARINET

No. 8: Jan Guns 

No. 9: Eiji Kitamura, Buddy DeFranco and Eddie Daniels during the Fest Special Jazz 

Concert 

Sparnaay and Jan Guns were as different 

as day and night in their approach to the 

instrument and selections performed. 

Sparnaay gave us lots of tongue slaps, etc. 

in I. Szeghy’s unaccompanied Prelude e 

Danza, while Guns played the accompanied 

and introspective Thrushes in Forest 

by Takao Shirakawa (see photo 8). Antonio 

Saiote, I.C.A.’s National Chairperson 

for Portugal, played the ever-popular Hungarian 

Dances of Béla Bartók. With technique 

to burn, Shigeru Ikushima on B ♭ and 

Kenji Matsumoto on E ♭ gave us a great 

performance of Luigi Bassi’s Gran Duo su 

“La Sonnambula” di Bellini. 

Friday evening our hosts scheduled 

a Fest Special Jazz Concert in the Concert 

Hall. A packed audience (ca. 2,000+) enjoyed 

clarinetists Eiji Kitamura, Eiji Taniguchi, 

Eiji Hanaoka and Masahiro Takikawa 

with a trio of piano, bass and drums. 

Buddy DeFranco and Eddie Daniels held 

forth with the Fest Special Jazz Orchestra 

(2005). Much fun and a very enjoyable 

evening in Tama (see photo 9)! 

Saturday morning began with Javier 

Vinasco (Mexico) performing M. Lavistr’s 

solo clarinet work, Madrigal, employing 

some well-done multiphonics, and Berio’s 

Sequenza IXa. Frank Sidorfsky on basset 

horn delighted us with Casper Kummer’s 

Adagio and Variationen, Op. 45, and the 

unaccompanied Allemande, Courant and 

Gigue from J. S. Bach’s violoncello Suite 

No. 10: The British Clarinet Ensemble, with soloist Anna Hashimoto (Tartini/Jacob, 

Concertino) 

No. 3. József Balogh, substituting for 

Stephan Siegerthaler, delighted the audience 

with solo improvisations on Hungarian 

gypsy melodies, Brahms’ Hungarian 

Dance No. 6 and Romanian Dances 

encouraged by audience participation. 

Again, Andrew Simon displayed beautiful 

contrasts in Bellini’s Fantasy on Themes 

from “I Puritani” followed with Nikola 

Resanovic’s ALT.MUSIC.BALLISTIX for 

B ♭ Clarinet and Digital Audio Tape. 

Stephen Fox (Canada) expertly played a 

very nice piece, the Sonate by Paul Juon, 

and Clifford Crawley’s Tenapenny Pieces. 

A Clarinet Choir Banquet in the Concert 

Hall featured clarinet choirs from different 

areas of Japan and Great Britain (see 

photo 10). Giving many clarinetists an opportunity 

to perform with others, these 

large clarinet ensembles performed mostly 

standard arrangements of orchestral works. 

Back in the Recital Hall, Korean Im-So 

Lee impressed us with a beautiful tone and 

musical feeling offering Rossini’s “Una 

voce poco fa” from The Barber of Seville. 

Antonio Saiote’s accomplished pianist, 

Michiko Tsuda, in a marvellous collaboration, 

accompanied him in three works from 

their latest CD. First we heard three pieces 

from Fernando Lapa’s nem tudo ou nada. 

This was followed by a beautiful performance 

of Arthur Benjamin’s Le Tombeau 

de Ravel, Valse-Caprices and an interesting 

and lovely work by Takashi Yoshimatsu 

titled 4 Pieces in Bird Shape. The 

March 2006 Page 43

Lapa and Yoshimatsu works are especially 

recommended (see photo 11). 

At the same time Shuhei Isobe gave a 

research presentation in the Conference 

Room titled “Hidden Message in the Pieces 

of Brahms and Schumann.” 

The “American Composer Series 2” 

recital began with Leanne Manning Chan 

(Australia) playing Robert Muczynski’s 

Time Pieces. Nathan Williams (U.S.A.) 

gave the world premiere of Zachery Bernstein’s 

Untitled New Work (2005) followed 

by Leslie Basset’s Arias (1992). Williams 

is a wonderful player giving an exciting 

performance of two contemporary pieces 

quite similar in content. Thomas Piercy 

performs on Rossi Rosewood clarinets 

with an English bore. Producing a different 

but quite interesting tone quality, he skillfully 

played the lovely and dance-like Tonada 

y Cueca by Carlos Guastavino, Kalmen 

Opperman’s haunting Un Seul, and 

Ned Rorem’s Four Colors, Red-White- 

Blue-Orange, written for him in 2003. 

Robert Spring began his portion of the 

recital exploring the heights and depths of 

Thomas Wells’ Aus Tiefer Not, a work for 

unaccompanied clarinet based on a chorale 

of J.S. Bach. Accompanied by gifted pianist, 

Gail Novak, Spring gave the world premiere 

of Texas composer Mark Schultz’s 

rock & roll-based Of shadow and fire. 

Spring is an intense and showy performer 

always creating an interesting interaction 

with his audiences. He brought the recital to 

a close with a dazzling rendition of Jules Demersseman’s 

Morçeau de Concert, Op. 31. 

The Yamaha Corporation sponsored a 

well-attended recital “Vent de Normandie” 

featuring Claude Faucomprez of France 

and Naoko Kotaniguchi of Japan. They 

played Carl Baermann’s Duo Concertante, 

Op. 33 for two clarinets and piano (see 

photo 12). Quintet No. 3 in E ♭ , Op. 23 by 

Heinrich Baermann and Quintet in B ♭ , Op. 

34 by C. M. von Weber were given excellent 

readings — ably assisted by a wonderful 

string quartet. Jonathan Cohler (U.S.A.) 

was warmly welcomed for his performances 

of Louis Cahuzac’s Cantiléne, Luciano 

Berio’s Sequenza IXa, and Simon Sargon’s 

Klez Musik. Jonathan has obviously been a 

frequent guest in Japan and he spoke fluently 

to this mostly Japanese audience. 

Between the previous recital and the 

early evening recital we experienced the 

effects of a 6.2 magnitude earthquake centered 

somewhere near Tokyo. The Trio 

Page 44 

No. 11: António Saiote and pianist Michiko Tsuda 

No. 12: Naoko Kotaniguchi and Claude Faucomprez 

No. 13: Koichi Hamanaka and Atsuki Tsutsumi (ceramic clarinet) 

THE CLARINET

No. 14: F. Gerard Errante accepting the I.C.A. Lifetime Achievement Award (I.C.A. 

board members at left and President Michael Galván seated) 

No. 15: Wenzel Fuchs, clarinet, and Masayuki Okamoto, bassoon, soloists with the 

Japan Chamber Orchestra in Strauss’ Duet-Concertino 

Sonor (U.S.A.) of clarinetist John Masserini, 

bassoonist Albie Micklich and pianist 

Naoko Endo were unshaken as they gave 

an excellent performance of the intriguing 

arrangements of Max Bruch’s Three Pieces 

for Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano, Op. 

83 and Astor Piazzolla’s Two Argentinean 

Dances. These arrangements are well 

done by Trio Sonor and are welcome additions 

to the ensemble repertoire. After 

four days of non-stop, mostly solo recital 

performances, the unique sounds of such 

colorful combinations were appreciated. 

ClarinetFest® selection committees — 

please take note! 

The reviewers did not attend an interesting 

program sponsored by the Musica 

Ceramica Foundation of Japan. Atsuki 

Tsutsumi on a ceramic clarinet and Koichi 

Hamanaka on a normal B ♭ clarinet compared 

the normal wooden clarinet with a 

ceramic clarinet in performances of Akira 

Miyoshi’s Perspective en Spirale and 

Mendelssohn’s Konzertstücke No. 1, Op. 

113 (see photo 13). It was reported that the 

ceramic clarinet was beautifully crafted but 

was quite heavy in weight. An acoustical 

review awaits reporting in The Clarinet. 

Where is Lee Gibson when we need him? 

Following the I.C.A. Awards Presentation 

to winners of competitions, Honorary 

Membership/Lifetime Achievement 

Awards, etc. (see photo 14), a very large 

crowd was on hand to hear a wonderful 

evening of music played by the Japan 

Chamber Orchestra accompanying clarinetist 

Masaharu Yamamoto and flutist 

Yumiko Sakuma for Franz Danzi’s Concertante 

for Flute, Clarinet and Orchestra, 

Op. 41. The professionalism and musicianship 

of these artists was outstanding. Next 

we heard Richard Strauss’ Duet-Concertino 

for Clarinet, Bassoon and String Orchestra 

with Harp performed by clarinetist 

Wenzel Fuchs (principal clarinetist in the 

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) and bassoonist 

Masayuki Okamoto (Japan) (see 

photo 15). The appreciative audience 

demanded an encore and the artists obliged 

with Poulenc’s Duet for Clarinet and 

Contacts for 

The Clarinet: 

Send all articles, recital programs, orders 

for back issues, announcements and any 

other non-commercial items intended for 

publication in The Clarinet to: 

James Gillespie, 

Editor/Publisher 

College of Music, 


P.O. Box 311367 

Denton, Texas 76203-1367 

E-mail: 

Send all printed materials 

(music, books, etc.) intended for 

review in The Clarinet to: 

Joseph Messenger, 

Editor of Reviews 

Department of Music, 

Iowa State University 

Ames, Iowa 50011 

E-mail: 

Send all recordings intended for review 

in The Clarinet to: 

William Nichols, 

Audio Review Editor 

School of Music, 

University of Louisiana at Monroe 

Monroe, Louisiana 71209-0250 

E-mail: 

Send all inquiries about advertising, 

notices of change of address, 

inquiries about I.C.A. membership, 

missing issues, etc., to: 

So Rhee, 

Executive Director 

P.O. Box 510650 

Salt Lake City, Utah 84151 

E-mail: 

March 2006 Page 45

No 16: Super Wind Orchestra, Michiyoshi Inoue, conductor 

Bassoon. The final presentation of this 

wonderful evening was Aaron Copland’s 

Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra performed 

by Charles Neidich. Again an encore 

was demanded and Neidich gave us a 

dizzying rendition of Perpetual Motion. 

The orchestral musicians were excellent 

and the ensemble performed without a 

conductor — although one could sense the 

concertmaster and the principal cellist 

were quasi co-directors. Kudos to all for a 

fine evening of wonderful music making! 

Sunday began with a morning recital 

that featured a wide array of players. Good 

performances were given by the University 

of North Carolina at Greensboro quartet 

Una Voce (Shawn Copeland, Lauren Winkens, 

B ♭ clarinets, Nathan Olawsky, alto 

clarinet, and David Allen, bass clarinet), 

Mexican clarinetist Pedoro Cervantes- 

Ojeda, the Spanish duo Picornell-Jagla 

(Tomàs Picornell Roig, clarinet and Ireneusz 

Jagla, piano), Japan’s Ensemble Sonorité 

(H. Aoyama, A. Sunaba, T. Muranishi, 

B ♭ clarinets and A. Aoyama, bass clarinet) 

and Taiwan’s Ching-Chun Lin. 

The afternoon recitals continued with a 

recital for clarinet and bass clarinet. Stephan 

Vermeersch (Belgium) and the Thelema 

Trio (Peru) followed with another 

showing of low sounds with members Marco 

Antonio Mazzini, clarinet and contrabass 

clarinet, Peter Verdonck, baritone saxophone 

and Ward de Vleeschhouwer. Next, 

Japanese clarinetist Seiki Shinohe and the 

Dahlet String Quartet performed the lovely 

Mozart Quintet. The Japanese group Intricate 

Clarinetists (Akira Sakata, Yoshiaki 

Suzuki, and Takeshi Nozaki) followed. 

At the same time as these performances 

were taking place in the Schubert Hall, the 

Super Wind Orchestra performed with Michiyoshi 

Inoue, conductor in the Concert 

Hall (see photo 16). Among the members 

of this special orchestra were Wenzel 

Fuchs, Charles Neidich, Philippe Cuper, 

Julie DeRoche and Larry Combs as well as 

formance by Anna Hashimoto, solo clarinet 

(see photo 18). The entire program 

was fantastic. 

Over the noon hour, the first part of the 

clarinet and electronics program began. 

Under the direction of technical director 

Takayuki Rai, the MAMI Trio (Japan/ 

France) played a varied program. Members 

Mami Nakamura, B ♭ and bass clarinet, 

René Michel, accordion, and Noel 

No. 17: Close-up of the Super Wind Orchestra clarinet section 

No. 18: Soloist Anna Hashimoto with the Super Wind Orchestra (Michael Daugherty’s 

Brooklyn Bridge) 

some of the leading Japanese clarinetists 

(see photo 17). They performed an exciting 

program of many of the band’s standard 

works, plus Michael Daugherty’s 

Brooklyn Bridge featuring a dazzling per- 

Kay Kapoudjian, dodook (flute Armenian) 

were followed by Australia’s Brigid 

Burke who played two of her own compositions. 

Harry Sparnaay (The Netherlands) 

opened the second part of the clarinet and 

Page 46 

THE CLARINET

No. 19: Roslyn Dunlop 

electronics program and shared the stage 

with Masashi Togame (Japan) and Roslyn 

Dunlop (Australia) (see photo 19). Of 

course, no clarinet and electronic recital 

would be complete without the presence of 

F. Gerard Errante, and the program titled 

“I.C.A. Awardee Recital Clarion Synthesis” 

honored this clarinetist. Errante, past 

president of the I.C.A., performed with 

clarinetist, pianist, and new music supporter 

D. Gause-Snelson. Of particular interest 

was a world premiere of Gause-Snelson’s 

Desert Dawning (clarinets’ prerecorded 

electronics and color video). A resident of 

Las Vegas, she took the pictures herself 

from practically her own backyard (see 

photo 20). 

The festival’s final concert was sponsored 

by Buffet Crampon in honor of its 

180th anniversary, and it was a special 

event. Mozart’s Divertimento Nr. 3 was 

the first work on this concert performed by 

the young and promising Japanese trio 

Hirotaka Ito, Kenji Matsumoto and Yoshinobu 

Kamei. The performance was 

lovely. Ronald van Spaendonck (Belgium) 

next performed Horovitz’s Sonatina. Masaharu 

Yamamoto and Seiki Shinohe (Japan) 

followed with Studien für den Pedal- 

Flügel by Schumann (see photo 21), and 

Guy Deplus performed the fun Weber 

(Küffner?) Introduction, Themes et Variation 

(see photo 22). Mendelssohn’s Concertpiece 

No. 1 performed by Tadayoshi 

Takeda (Japan) and Ronald van Spaendonck 

followed. At the end of the first part, 

Koichi Hamanaka, president of the Japan 

Clarinet Society and a leading Japanese 

clarinetist, played Perspective en Spirale 

by Akira Miyoshi, the representative Japanese 

contemporary composer. After the 

intermission, Michel Arrignon (France) 

played Jean-Michel Ferran’s Apsaras. This 

brought the ClarinetFest® 2005, the first 

ever held in Asia, to an end (see photo 23). 

No. 20: D. Gause Snelson and F. Gerard Errante 

No. 21: Masaharu Yamamoto and Seiki Shinohe during the Festival Finale Concert 

No. 22: Guy Deplus during the Festival Finale Concert 

In addition to all of the wonderful 

events that took place during the convention, 

it is also necessary to thank the 

exhibitors for their support. Without their 

attendance, the conference would not be 

March 2006 Page 47

Asia, but it was a huge success thanks to 

the work of Tatsuo Shimosawa and his 

team. Thank you! 

what it is. Also, the reviewers would like 

to thank our hosts and organizers. There 

No. 23: ClarinetFest® 2005 concludes 

was much speculation about how the 

ClarinetFest® would do its first time in 

ABOUT THE WRITERS… 

Kelly Johnson is principal clarinet 

with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra 

and clarinet professor at Arkansas Tech 

University. 

Alan Stanek is Emeritus Professor of 

Music at Idaho State University and I.C.A. 

Historian. 

[With special appreciation to Professor 

Akira Tsunoda, Chairperson for the 

Japan Clarinet Society, for providing the 

photos. Ed.] 

Visit the 

I N T E R N AT I O N A L 

C L A R I N E T A S S O C I AT I O N 


www.clarinet.org 

Page 48 

THE CLARINET

The University of Oklahoma Hosts 

Its 30th Annual Clarinet Symposium 

A report by 

Amanda McCandless 

The University of Oklahoma hosted 

its 30th annual Clarinet Symposium 

on June 16–18, 2005, at the 

Catlett Music Center in Norman, Oklahoma. 

The first recital of the symposium 

was given by David Etheridge, symposium 

coordinator and University of Oklahoma 

professor, and Keith Lemmons, professor 

of clarinet at the University of New Mexico. 

They began with a performance of the 

Krommer Concerto for Two Clarinets, Op. 

35 accompanied by the OU Clarinet Choir. 

Lemmons finished the recital with Pierre 

Gabaye’s Sonatina and the Horovitz Sonatina. 

He dedicated his performance to his 

late teacher Robert Schott, and Lemmon’s 

performance was a wonderful tribute. 

Duo Rubio-Benavides (Pedro Rubio, 

clarinet and Ana Benavides, piano) then 

performed Spanish works for clarinet and 

piano. The first work performed was Fantasia 

sobre motivos de Lucrecia Borgia by 

Antonio Romero. The duo then performed 

an arrangement of Three Pieces by Joaquín 

Rodrigo that was breathtakingly tender and 

delicate. Next, the audience heard two 

romantic works; Introduccion, Andante y 

Danza by Julian Menéndez and Estudio 

Melodico, Op. 33 by Miguel Yuste. The 

final work of the recital, Sonata, Op. 46 by 

Salvador Brotons, is a substantial work 

that was well performed by the duo. 

Ben Redwine, E ♭ clarinetist with the 

United States Naval Academy Band, and 

Joseph Eller, clarinet professor at the University 

of South Carolina, performed next. 

Joseph Eller performed selections from the 

Early Character Pieces for Clarinet and 

Piano by Ferruccio Busoni that displayed 

his dark, attractive sound, as well as the 

premiere of Duo Concertante by Laurence 

Sherr and the first and last movements of 

Scott McAllister’s X Concerto. Redwine 

performed John Stephen’s Quintet for 

E ♭ /A/B ♭ Clarinet and String Quartet with 

Quartet Oklahoma, Morton Gould’s Benny’s 

Gig with bassist John Willams, and 

the world premiere of Downtown Brahms, 

Weber Hits the City by Anthony Wakefield, 

joined by Ricardo Morales and Quartet 

Oklahoma. 

The first evening concert began with a 

performance by the Verdehr Trio (Elsa 

Ludewig-Verdehr, clarinet, Walter Verdehr, 

violin, and Sylvia Roederer, piano). 

The first work, Dash by Jennifer Higdon, 

was a brilliant and virtuosic opening piece. 

Joan Tower’s Rain Waves is a musical kaleidoscope 

of colors and emotions that 

showed the trio’s versatility, from the 

hauntingly beautiful violin passages to the 

bold, dramatic statements for which Joan 

Tower’s music is famous. They continued 

with Dream Tracks by Australian composer 

Peter Sculthorpe and William David 

Brohn’s I Got Variations, a set of variations 

based on George Gershwin’s “I Got 

Rhythm.” The final work of the recital, Tibetan 

Dance by Bright Sheng, was an exciting 

end to this well-programmed and 

artistically conceived recital. 

The final recital of the evening was 

given by Jon Manasse, clarinet soloist and 

professor of clarinet at the Eastman School 

of Music. He was joined by Quartet Oklahoma 

to perform “Adagio” from Quintet 

for Clarinet and Strings by Heinrich Baermann, 

displaying Manasse’s amazing control 

and pure, shimmering tone. This was 

followed by an elegant and seemingly effortless 

performance of the Weber Quintet. 

Friday, June 17 began with a recital 

shared by Andrea Cheeseman, professor of 

woodwinds at Delta State University, and 

Eric Mandat, composer and professor of 

clarinet at Southern Illinois University. 

Cheeseman’s performance consisted of 

Time Pieces by Robert Muczynski and 

Liquid Ebony by Dana Wilson. Her performance 

made a definitive artistic statement 

and she is a musician capable of great 

depth, presenting both superb expressive 

and technical skills. Eric Mandat performed 

several of his own compositions, 

including the world premiere of Rrowzer 

for solo clarinet. Like many of his other 

works, Rrowzer is vibrant and innovative. 

Page 50 

THE CLARINET

Page 51

Mandat was joined by clarinetist Ani Berberian 

for two duos: Ritual and Black 

Swirls. Mandat then presented some selections 

from his etude book Finger Food. 

The final work on the recital was the duo 

So What Elsa’s New. 

The next recital was given by Robert 

Spring, professor of clarinet at Arizona 

State University. Spring is a lively and engaging 

performer, as his performance of 

Solar Flair for Two Clarinets by Theresa 

Martin displayed. Jorge Montilla, professor 

of clarinet at Arizona State University, 

joined Spring on this work. Spring then 

performed the world premiere of Mark 

Schultz’s Of Shadow and Fire, assisted by 

pianist Gail Novak, followed by Dry Heat 

for Solo Clarinet by Whitney Prince. Spring 

and Montilla then performed Venezuelan 

Burlesque for Two Clarinets by Jorge 

Montilla. The final work of the recital was 

Scott McAllister’s innovative concerto 

Black Dog. 

Kevin Schempf, professor of clarinet 

at Bowling Green State University, performed 

a diverse recital beginning with 

“Jig” from Sean Osborn’s Sonata for E ♭ 

Clarinet and Piano. He then performed 

Dante Dances by Dan Welcher. Assisted 

by flutist Christina Jennings, Schempf and 

pianist Robert Satterlee performed Barn 

Dances by Libby Larsen. Mike Lowenstern’s 

A Simple Memoriam for My Father 

was dedicated to Schempf’s father and 

involved Schempf on bass clarinet, video 

footage, tape and live narration. Schempf 

and Satterlee were joined by cellist Gregory 

Sauer for the final work on the recital: 

“Allegro ma non troppo” from Trio by Alexander 

Zemlinsky, displaying Schempf’s 

skills as a sensitive chamber musician. 

The evening performance was given by 

Ricardo Morales. Morales, principal clarinetist 

of The Philadelphia Orchestra, began 

the recital with Muczynski’s Time Pieces, 

approaching the work with the grace 

and control of a true master artist. He continued 

with a charming work by Arne Running 

called Daily’s Arc. Morales was then 

joined by Jessica Phillips, second and E ♭ 

clarinetist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, 

and Quartet Oklahoma for a performance 

of Il Convegno by Amilcare 

Ponchielli. The final work on the recital 

was the Brahms Quintet. When one hears 

Morales play this work, one would imagine 

this is precisely what Brahms had in 

mind when he wrote it. Morales expressed 

the breath-taking power of this work in a 

way that few other artists could. 

Saturday, June 18 began with a shared 

recital given by the Prestige Clarinet Quartet 

and Kim Cole Luevano. The Prestige 

Clarinet Quartet, whose members include 

John Kurokawa, Janice Minor, Sarah Nowlin 

and Anthony Costa, began their recital 

began with Three Sketches für Vier Klarinetten, 

opus 44/2 by Augustin Kubizek, 

which displayed the quartet’s fine ensemble 

skills. It was followed by Ian Holloway’s 

Die Kunst Der Klarinette Variations 

on Colonel Bogey. Kim Cole Luevano, 

professor of clarinet at Eastern Michigan 

University, began her portion of the recital 

with Libby Larsen’s Licorice Stick followed 

by a captivating performance of 

Deep Flowers by Evan Chambers. Cole 

Luevano ended the recital with Françaix’s 

Tema con Variazioni, into which Cole Luevano 

breathed new life by creating interesting 

contrasts between the variations. 

The first recital of the afternoon was 

shared by New Zealand clarinetist and 

composer Donald Nicholls and the La 

Fourza Clarinet Quartet. Donald Nicholls 

performed three contemporary works by 

composers from New Zealand: Concertino 

for Clarinet in A by John Ritchie, Anthony 

Young’s Tairawhiti for E ♭ clarinet and 

Nicholl’s alone now again. In this work, 

Nicholls proved himself a skilled composer 

with fine musical ideas as well as a 

talented clarinetist. La Fourza Clarinet 

Quartet (Cathy Ogram, Jean-François 

Bescond, Edna Huang and Tom Puwalski) 

performed next. They were joined by percussionist 

Greg Herron for a diverse recital 

of both classical and popular works including 

Early Hungarian Dances by Farkas, 

Isaac Albeniz’s Sevilla and an arrangement 

of Dave Brubeck’s Blue Rondo a La Turk. 

The quartet then gave a very sensitive performance 

of an arrangement of Music from 

“West Side Story” by Bernstein and ended 

with a jovial performance of Indiana by 

James Hanley. 

The final concert of the afternoon was 

given by Richard MacDowell, professor of 

clarinet at the University of Texas at Austin. 

His program began with Berg’s Vier 

Stücke, opus 5. MacDowell and pianist 

Gail Novak gave a convincing performance 

of this piece, performing it with the 

subtlety the work demands. MacDowell 

and Novak then performed Dante Dances 

by Dan Welcher followed by Dana Wilson’s 

Liquid Ebony. 

The first evening recital was given by 

Larry Combs, principal clarinetist of the 

Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Larry 

Combs was the first major symphony 

artist to perform at a University of Oklahoma 

Clarinet Symposium so it was fitting 

that he gave one of the final performances 

of the event’s 30th anniversary. 

He gave an impeccably refined performance 

of Mozart’s Quintet for Basset 

Clarinet and Strings, assisted by Quartet 

Oklahoma. Combs was then joined by 

Eddie Daniels to perform the virtuosic Il 

Convegno by Ponchielli. 

Well-known jazz artist Eddie Daniels 

gave the final performance of the symposium. 

Daniels and his combo performed 

both jazz standards as well as new jazz 

works, some written by Daniels himself. 

The 30th-annual University of Oklahoma 

Clarinet Symposium proved to be an assembly 

of many of the finest clarinetists in 

the world. One is amazed at David Etheridge’s 

ability to organize such high-quality 

events year after year, and the wonderful 

opportunity Dr. Etheridge gives to the 

clarinet community is greatly appreciated. 

Performing artists at the 30th annual University of Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium 


Amanda McCandless is currently assistant 

professor of clarinet at Bemidji 

State University. 

March 2006 Page 53

Page 54 

The University of Georgia and the 

University of South Carolina, in 

cooperation with the International 

Clarinet Association, are proud to sponsor 

ClarinetFest® 2006. Clarinet professors 

Joseph Eller (USC) and D. Ray McClellan 

(UGA) are honored to be the hosts and 

artistic directors of this year’s 

convention which will be held in Atlanta, 

Georgia, USA for the first time August 9–13. 

ClarinetFest® 2006 will be housed at the 

world-class Omni Hotel in downtown 

Atlanta which is connected to the CNN 

news world headquarters. The luxurious 

AAA four diamond hotel is located in the 

heart of downtown Atlanta and features 

sophistication and elegant style within its 

1,067 spacious guest rooms and suites. 

Each handsomely appointed guestroom 

offers magnificent views of the downtown 

skyline, the lively CNN Center Atrium 

or Centennial Olympic Park. The Omni 

includes a complimentary full-service 

health club, three superb restaurants, offsite 

golf 15–45 minutes away, and all 

of the amenities you expect in a luxury 

hotel. Within walking distance are 

Underground Atlanta (shopping, dining, 

and entertainment), the World of Coca- 

Cola Museum, the brand new Georgia 

Aquarium (one of the world’s largest 

aquariums), the Children’s Museum of 

Atlanta and the one and only famous 

Peachtree Street with exquisite shopping, 

world-class dining and nightclubs. Some 

other attractions just a short distance from 

the Omni are The Woodruff Arts Center, 

home of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, 

and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta Botanical 

Garden, Zoo Atlanta and Turner 

Field, home of the Atlanta Braves. All 

of these locations can be reached by 

convenient transportation provided 

throughout the city, including the MARTA 

train system, of which there is a station at 

the CNN Center and the world’s busiest 

airport, Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta 

International Airport. Additional information 

about Atlanta activities, attractions 

and more can be found at the Atlanta 

Visitors and Convention Bureau Web site 

at . 

The artist roster will feature performers 

from all corners of the world and festivities 

will include an evening with the Atlanta 

Symphony Orchestra and tribute concerts 

featuring students of legendary teachers 

David Weber, Mitchell Lurie, Stanley 

Hasty and Guy Deplus. ClarinetFest® 2006 

will also feature concerts which include 

the United States Army Field Band and a 

string quartet in residence. 

Preliminary Artist Roster 

(as of Febuary 25, 2006): 

David Weber Tribute Concert 

Kenny Davern, jazz soloist, NY 

Robert DiLutis, assistant principal, 

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra 

Dan Gilbert, Cleveland Symphony Orchestra 

David Gould, freelance clarinet, NYC 

Jon Manasse, Eastman School of Music 

D. Ray McClellan, University of Georgia 

Guy Deplus Tribute Concert 

Philippe Cuper, principal, Paris Opera 

Orchestra 

THE CLARINET 

Sylie Hue, principal, Garde Républicaine 

Orchestra 

Yasuaki Itakura, Tokyo National University 

of Fine Arts and Music 

Bruno Martinez, bass clarinet, Paris Opera 

Orchestra 

Patrick Messina, principal, Orchestra 

National de France 

Milko Pravdic, Academy of Music, Croatia 

Guy Deplus, The Paris Conservatory 

(retired) 

Mitchell Lurie Tribute Concert 

Tie Bai, Los Angeles, CA 

Kathleen Jones, principal, Puerto Rico 

Symphony Orchestra 

Im-Soo Lee, principal, Seoul Philharmonic 

Orchestra 

Hakan Rosengren, Sweden, California State 

University–Fullerton 

David Shifrin, Yale University 

Mitchell Lurie, University of Southern 

California (retired) 

Stanley Hasty Tribute Concert 

Larry Combs, principal, Chicago Symphony 

Orchestra 

Ken Grant, principal, Rochester 

Philharmonic Orchestra, Eastman School 

of Music 

Ted Gurch, assistant principal, Atlanta 


Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, Michigan State 

University 

Tom Martin, assistant principal, Boston 


Stanley Hasty, principal, Rochester 


of Music (retired) 

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra 

Laura Ardan, principal, concerto soloist 

United States Army Field Band 

Ken Grant, principal, Rochester 


of Music 

Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, Michigan State 

University 

Fred Ormand, University of Michigan 

North American artists: 

Marguerite Baker Levin, Towson 

University 

Diane Barger, University of Nebraska 

Kristina Belisle, University of Akron 

David A. Bellman, principal, Indianapolis 

Symphony Orchestra

Jon Manasse Alessandro Carbonare Laura Ardan David Shifrin 

Jane Carl, University of Missouri– 

Kansas City 

Linda Cionitti, Georgia Southern University 

Steve Cohen, Northwestern University 

Buddy DeFranco, Jazz soloist, Florida 

Joseph Eller, University of South Carolina 

David Harris, University of Illinois 

Kenneth Long, Georgia State University 

Lee Livengood, Utah Symphony Orchestra 

Louisiana Philharmonic Clarinetists: 

John Reeks, Robyn Jones, 

Stephanie Thompson 

Ana Victoria Luperi, principal, Winnipeg 


Mark Nuccio, associate principal, 

New York Philharmonic Orchestra 

Lisa Oberlander, Columbus State University 

Ron Odrich, jazz soloist, NY 

Fred Ormand, University of Michigan 

Sean Osborne, Seattle, WA 

Ken Peplowski, jazz soloist, NY 

Ben Redwine, U.S. Naval Academy Band 

Dan Silver, University of Colorado 

Gary Spearl, University of Tennessee 

Robert Spring, Arizona State University 

Robert Walzel, University of Utah 

John Warren, Atlanta, GA 

Nathan Williams, Interlochen Academy 

Steve Williamson, principal, Metropolitan 

Opera Orchestra 

Alan Woy, State University of New York– 

Potsdam (retired) 

Peter Wright, principal, Jacksonville 


Joaquin Valdepeñas, principal, Toronto 


Vancouver Hosts ClarinetFest®(2007) 

International Artists: 

Dmitri Ashkenazy, Germany 

József Balogh, Hungary 

Henri Bok, bass clarinet, Rotterdam 

Conservatory of Music 

Sergio Bosi, Italy 

Marino Calva, Mexico 

Alessandro Carbonare, principal, Orchestra 

Nazionale di S.Cecilia, Rome 

Andy Firth, Australia, jazz soloist 

Wenzel Fuchs, principal, Berlin 

Philharmonic Orchestra 

Deborah de Graff, Australia 

Roeland Hendrikx, principal, National 

Orchestra of Belgium 

Ching-Chun Lin, Taiwan 

Jorge Montilla, Venezuela, Arizona State 

University 

Donald Nicholls, New Zealand 

Michael Riessler, Germany, jazz soloist 

Pedro Rubio, Spain 

Paolo Sergio Santos, Brazil, latin/jazz 

soloist 

Andy Simon, principal, Hong Kong 

Philharmonic Orchestra 

Sandrine Vasseur, Paris Conservatory prize 

winner 

Roger Vigulf, Norway 

Potpourri Concerts: 

Deborah Andrus, Bethlehem, Moravian 

College 

Chris Ayer, Stephen F. Austin State 

University 

Ani Berberian, Air Force Academy Band, CO 

Deborah Bish, Florida State University 

John Cipolla, Western Kentucky University 

Mary Alice Druhan, Texas A&M 

University–Commerce 

Jane Ellsworth, Kenyon College 

Henri Bok Mark Nuccio Ricardo Morales Joaquin Valdepeñas 

March 2006 Page 55

Dileep Gangolli, Evanston, IL 

Barbara Haney, Fort Washington, MD 

Todd Kerstetter, Kansas State University 

Julianne Kirk, Ball State University 

Patricia Martin, principal, Baton Rouge 


Gregory Oakes, University of Southern 

Mississippi 

Jeffrey Olson, Valdosta State University 

Hild Peersen, Columbus, OH 

Rebecca Rischin, Ohio University 

David Shea, Texas Tech University 

George Stoffan, Southern Utah University 

Cumberland Woodwind Quintet 

Harbor Winds Clarinet Quartet, USA 

Prestige Clarinet Quartet, USA 

Verdehr Clarinet Quartet 

Additional Ensembles: 

Caracas Clarinet Quartet, Venezuela 

Nota bene Clarinet Quintet, Luxemburg 

Demos Greek Band, USA 

Lisbon Clarinet Quartet, Portugal 

Madeira de Vento, Brazil 

New Mexico Trio, USA 

Senzoku Gakeun Clarinet Orchestra, Japan 

Prague Clarinet Quartet, Czech Republic 

Seigenthaler Trio, Switzerland 

Silvier Trio, Brazil 

Transcontinental Clarinet Quartet, USA 

University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble 

University of North Carolina–Greensboro 

Clarinet Ensemble 

University of Oklahoma Clarinet Ensemble 

Presentations/master classes: 

William Blayney, Seattle, WA 

Kelly Burke, University of North 

Carolina–Greensboro 

Carmen Campione, Cincinnati Conservatory 

of Music 

Alessandro Carbonare, principal, Orchestra 

Nazionale di S.Cecilia, Rome 

Russ Dagon, principal, Milwaukee 

Symphony, Northwestern University 

(retired) 

Tom Ridenour, leading authority on clarinet 

acoustics, mouthpieces and reeds 

Jean-François Rico, Cane-growing and 

reed-making session 

Jean-Marie Paul, Director of Sheet Music, 

Vandoren 

Guy Deplus tribute session 

Stanley Hasty tribute session 

Mitchell Lurie tribute session 

David Weber tribute session 

Chat with the Legends: Brody, Deplus, 

Hasty, Lurie, McCaw 

Clarinet Choir clinicians 

and conductors: 

College Choir: Julie DeRoche, DePaul 

University 

Festival Choir: David Etheridge, University 

of Oklahoma 

* * * * * 

As always, the traditional events will 

take place, such as the Young Artist Competition, 

the Orchestra Audition 

Competition and the High School 

Competition. 

Please visit the I.C.A. Web site, , for updated information regarding 

artist lineup, registration, lodging/ 

transportation issues, and Atlanta area attractions 

and activities. Save time and register 

online, or use the registration form in 

the centerfold of this issue of The Clarinet. 

Southern hospitality and charm await 

you in Atlanta! 

ClarinetFest®2007 

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA 

JULY 4–8, 2007 

2007 will take place on the campus of the University of British 

ClarinetFest® 

Columbia. Co-sponsored by the UBC School of Music, the conference will 

be presented in the world-renowned Chan Center for the Performing Arts. 

The spectacular UBC campus is a “must-see” for any visitor to Vancouver, where 

snow-capped mountains meet the ocean and breathtaking vistas greet you around 

every corner. More information will follow in subsequent issues of The Clarinet 

and on the I.C.A. Web site: . 

Send all presentation proposals and nominations to the address below. Recordings 

and written requests will be accepted through September 1, 2006, and will be 

reviewed by committee. Please include exact program information, including timings 

and biographical material for performer(s). 

Wes Foster, Artistic Director 

Cris Inguanti, Co-Artistic Director 

ClarinetFest® 2007 

UBC – School of Music, 6361 Memorial Road 

Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2 Canada 

 

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printing, each photo must include 

at least 300 pixels per inch (ppi) 

at the approximate dimensions anticipated 

for use. To clarify, photos 

intended for reproduction at the 

one-column width should be at 

least 2.25" wide and include at 

least 300 ppi, while photos intended 

for reproduction at the two-column 

width should be at least 5" 

wide and include at least 300 ppi. 

Photos with inappropriate resolution 

settings may have to be rejected 

because they will reproduce 

too poorly to use, or they 

may have to be used at a size 

smaller than anticipated in order 

to maintain their quality. 

Page 56 

THE CLARINET


2006 HIGH SCHOOL SOLO COMPETITION 

Eligibility: Competition participants must be 18 years old or younger as of June 30, 2006. 

Application: Send materials postmarked no later than Monday, April 21, 2006 to: 

2005 I.C.A. High School Solo Competition 

Kathy Pope, Coordinator 

University of Utah — School of Music 

1375 E. Presidents Circle — 204 DGH 

Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0030 

Phone: (801) 587-9417 • Fax: (801) 581-5683 

e-mail: 

CONTEST RULES 

I. Application fee: $50 U.S. All applicants must be members of the I.C.A. and must provide proof of membership. Nonmembers 

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. This fee is non-refundable. 

II. Recording Instructions: Please provide a high-quality recording on compact disc (CD-R) containing the following repertoire 

in the exact order listed. Each selection/movement should be ID coded as tracks. Audio cassettes 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 should be submitted. 

1. Francis Poulenc, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (Play mvts. II & III only), published by Chester 

2. Bélá Kovács, Hommage à J.S. Bach for Clarinet Solo (from the collection Hommages à), published by Edition Darok 

(may be played on either A or B ♭ clarinet) 

III. A photocopy of the contestant’s driver’s 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. 

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, 

cassette, 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 22, 2006. Final round will take place at ClarinetFest® 2006, to be held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, August 2006. 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 I.C.A. 

will provide a pianist for all finalists. All finalists will receive free registration at ClarinetFest® 2006. 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 investigating applicable tax laws and reporting prize winnings to requisite government agencies. 

March 2006 Page 57

The following is a brief report on my 

trip to Rotterdam to perform at the first 

World Bass Clarinet Convention, October 

21–23, 2005. In addition to being a report 

of the proceedings, it might serve as a 

guide for young performers on the travails 

of a traveling working musician. 

Iknew I was in trouble when I boarded 

the Delta flight to Amsterdam and two 

thirds of the passengers were coughing 

and sneezing. That Delta is in bankruptcy 

proceedings no doubt contributed to 

the in-cabin environment being stuffy and 

less than pristine. This only compounded 

the chances of inheriting exotic microbes 

from my fellow passengers. We arrived at 

Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport thanks more 

to a 120kt jet stream boost than any fuel 

the miserly Delta execs allowed our intrepid 

pilots to burn, which was helpful to me 

as I had to be in Rotterdam by 10 a.m. and 

it was 8 a.m. when we landed. 

After a scare that the railway ticket machine 

had eaten my ATM card, I managed 

to hop the next express to Rotterdam and 

arrived at De Doelen concert 

hall/convention center in Rotterdam to register 

and hear the opening remarks, suppressing 

sneezes and coughs all the while. 

As is typical of these single instrument 

confabs, there were too many performers 

and too many venues to hear all the concerts, 

demonstrations and master classes. I 

did attend a significant number, however. 

Additionally, Buffet, Selmer and Leblanc 

all had a full range of “harmony” clarinets 

on display for trial at their booth or in a 

practice room; Pomarico, Vandoren, 

Marca, Yamaha, Gonzalez and a few others 

I can’t recall also had booths. It was the 

first time in my career that I have been 

able to compare professional-grade instruments 

from different manufacturers side 

by side. I am happy to report that the new 

bass clarinets have very good scales and 

nice uniform resistance and sound. This 

represents a big improvement over the 

instruments of even 15 years ago. 

I tried some Pomarico crystal mouthpieces. 

When they measured my mouthpiece 

(Vandoren B46) it measured a 

2.20mm tip opening, about 0.4 more than 

anything Pomarico normally produces, 

though they have a new “jazz” model with 

larger tip openings. During chit-chat with 

the featured performers, I learned that most 

of them used mouthpieces with 2.0mm or 

greater tip openings. This being the case, I 

wondered why most of the students in my 

experience played on much smaller opening 

mouthpieces. When one considers that 

most soprano clarinetists use mouthpieces 

in the 1–1.2mm range, and the bass clarinet 

is twice the size of the soprano clarinet, 

it would seem that a tip opening of 

around 2.0mm would be the place to start. 

(l to r) Anthony Jennings, Josef Horák, Ian Mitchell, Dennis Smylie, Henri Bok (Judges), 

Philippe Leconte (Buffet Crampon), Sachiko Ueyama (Third-prize winner), Jiri Porubiak 

(accompanist of second-prize winner), Joaquin Meijide Failde (First-prize winner), 

Jerome Selmer (Henri Selmer), George Wiegel (President, World Bass Clarinet Federation) 

(photo by Dan Harris) 

Going 

Dutch— 

A Report on the First 

World Bass Clarinet Convention 

by Daniel Harris 

Steffan Schorn and Caludio Puntin Duo 

(photo by Dan Harris) 

The only vendor who was advertised as 

being there, but was not there, a man whom 

I very much wanted to meet, was Howard 

Wiseman of Wiseman cases. My 10-yearold 

Selmer case was not doing its job and I 

had to spend a couple of hours tweaking 

my horn after the bumpy ride from New 

York. I did end up purchasing a Wiseman 

case for my bass clarinet when I returned 

home. It was the case of choice among the 

professionals at the convention and anyone 

who traveled frequently. After all these 

years, I’ve learned to travel lean and mean. 

My luggage for the trip consisted of my 

bass clarinet case and one small backpack, 

all of which went into the overhead bin 

(also in the overhead rack on the TGV). 

Unfortunately in this terrorist-paranoid 

world, that means you can’t take a reed 

knife or jeweler’s screwdriver with you; 

that is, unless you want to put them in your 

Page 58 

THE CLARINET

luggage and check it with all the attendant 

hassles. Normally, if I need a jeweler’s 

screwdriver, I buy one when I arrive. FYI: 

U.S. law prohibits airlines from preventing 

you from taking your musical instrument 

aboard as carry-on luggage (). I have yet to find a plane, 

even puddle-jumpers, that could not accommodate 

my low-c Selmer bass in the 

overhead compartments. I have had trouble 

in other parts of the world taking my bass 

clarinet aboard as carry-on luggage, so 

always travel with a strong, secure waterproof 

case. I once retrieved my instrument 

at Nice’s Côte D’Azur airport after an 

EasyJet flight from London and it was 

covered with hydraulic fluid. 

THE CONFERENCE 

There were three main daytime venues: 

The Lecture Room (about 100 seats) for 

master classes; the Willem Burger Zaal (an 

approximately 800 seat concert hall); and 

the Eric Dolphy Room (about 100 seats). 

There were more than 150 registered bass 

clarinetists at the convention. They came 

from all over the world. A large number of 

them had studied with Dutch bass clarinetists 

Harry Sparnaay or Henri Bok at 

some time in their careers, including a 

number of the Americans on the roster. 

The music ran the full gamut of styles and 

periods, though 20th-century and newer 

works predominated for obvious reasons. 

Generally, the playing of transcriptions 

was frowned upon and only Dennis Smylie 

(U.S.A., New York) played a movement 

from one of the Bach cello suites to 

demonstrate his instrument which had 

belonged to Rosario Mazzeo and was extended 

by Verne Powell to play a low concert 

A. Dennis Smylie also performed 

Don Martino’s Strata, which has become 

Dennis’s signature piece. The only other 

transcription I heard was played as an encore 

by Evan Ziporyn (U.S.A., Boston) as 

a spoof on Dennis (it was the same concert) 

who performed a movement from a 

Bach cello suite all pizzicato (i.e., slaptongue). 

Of the concerts I attended, the following 

players gave outstanding and 

unique performances: Evan Ziporyn on the 

first evening concert; Josef Horák with his 

wife Emma Kovárnová played a portion of 

the first all-bass clarinet recital they gave 

50 years ago with nearly his last breath 

(sadly, he died in a hospital in Berlin on 

November 23, 2005); Michael Lowenstern 

and his electro-bass clarinet pieces; Henri 

Bok and Bennie Maupin performing in the 

Laurenskerk with organist Willem Tanke; 

Harry Sparnaay’s slot on the same concert; 

David Jean-Baptiste’s duos with guitar; 

Duo Vibrone’s Desert Musique (Dan Harris 

and Alex Grillo, vibes); Giora Feidman 

(who played with such a winning conviction 

that he had the audience in the palm 

of his hand); Luis Afonso Montanha (Brazil) 

and Carlos Tarcha (Brazil) percussion, 

who played some of the most demanding 

music of the convention with 

complete ease; the Steffen Schorn/Claudio 

Puntin Duo, (Schorn’s contrabass clarinet 

and contrabass saxophone playing 

were beyond belief and Claudio was burning 

up the keys in his usual style). Finally, 

Henri Bok’s duo playing of jazz standards 

with Rob van Bavel was beautiful. 

Additionally, there was the worldrecord-breaking 

bass clarinet choir which 

performed a commissioned piece by Paul 

Harvey, Eulogy for Horatio Nelson. The 

sound of 148 bass clarinets is not to be 

believed and might have been described as 

“De Rumble in De Dolen.” This was preceded 

by a performance by the Capriccio 

Clarinet Orchestra, which gave a very good 

reading of a transcription of the Finale of 

the Dvˇorák New World Symphony and Joszef 

Balogh’s Rondo in Klezmer Style. It 

was nice to hear an A ♭ sopranino as counterpoint 

to all the weekend’s basso. 

Prior to the convention, there was a 

composition contest for a new work for 

bass clarinet. The winner of the World Bass 

Clarinet Convention 2005 Composition 

Competition was Marc (Kenneth) Yeats 

(Scotland) for his composition Child of the 

Black Faced Night. The winning composition 

would be required literature in the second 

round of the First Henri Selmer Bass 

Clarinet competition which was held during 

the convention. Additionally, the winning 

composer received a check for €1.500. 

A performance contest for student artists 

under 35 was held concurrently with 

the convention. Jérôme Selmer of Selmer 

Paris presented the First Henri Selmer 

Bass Clarinet Prize first-place award to 

Joaquin Meijide Failde of Spain. The prize 

was a Selmer Privilege Bass Clarinet (approximate 

value €9.500). The second-prize 

was won by Jiri Porubiak from the Czech 

Republic and included a Wiseman case. 

The third-place prize was won by Sachiko 

Ueyama from Japan, which included a 

Jérôme Selmer and Bennie Maupin (photographer unknown) 

March 2006 Page 59

I use a stock off-the-shelf Vandoren 

B46 and a #3.5–4.0 Vandoren reed. (Except 

when I have a huge head cold like I 

did there, then I opted for a slightly lighter 

reed.) I was hoping that some cane suppliers 

would be there so I could buy some 

suitable tube cane or bass clarinet blanks. I 

would really like to try making a thicker 

German style reed to have a little more 

wood in the shoulder and stock for the top 

octave and a half and to hold the pedal 

tones together or at least test a theory that a 

thicker shoulder and stock make focusing 

those tones easier, especially when playing 

very loudly. It did seem that the performers 

who improvised or played the most 

new music tended to have freer blowing 

set-ups. The performers in the orchestras 

tended to have a more constrained sound, 

though it certainly didn’t affect their performance 

or ability to make “weird” sounds 

when required. The commonality was that 

all featured performers made the bass clarinet 

sound like a clarinet, not some clarinet-saxophone-tarogato 

hybrid, unless 

asked to do so. 

A portion of the record-breaking bass clarinet choir (photographer unknown) 

weekend in Paris courtesy of Buffet Crampon. 

Mr. Failde gave a sensitive performance 

of Child of the Black Faced Night 

after collecting his award. 

What did I come away 

with after three intense 

days of bass clarinet? 

Well, one thing is certain: the bass clarinet 

and bass clarinetists are not second 

class clarinetists anymore. Every one of 

the featured performers at the convention 

played a four and a half octave range with 

ease (nearly all played low C basses), all 

could play repeatable improvised and notated 

multi-phonics, timbre effects, alternate 

tuning scales, all manner of tonguing. Every 

performer I heard had finger speed and 

facility to burn. I queried a good number of 

the performers and all the ones I spoke to 

had played compositions for bass clarinet 

and tape and/or electronics, including real 

time computer interactions. It was a very 

skilled and versatile group of performers. 

Some of the orchestral players had 

wooden bells (cocobolo-Backun or grenadilla-Rossi) 

and gold-plated necks. Since I 

didn’t hear these same performers playing 

with metal bells, it is difficult to ascertain 

the difference those bells made in the 

sound or tuning. Henri Bok’s Selmer Privilege 

had been modified with an extension 

so the low C had a proper vent hole and 

didn’t vent from the bell mouth. It was 

very noticeable and pleasing to hear an intune 

low C. Perhaps it will become a standard 

item on some future generation of 

instruments (see photo below). 

Henri Bok’s Selmer Privilege. Notice 

extension to vent Low C correctly and 

Rossi Grenadilla bell. (photo by Dan Harris) 

What was there to hear? 

How about: BCl & piano, BCl & organ, 

BCl & vibes, BCl & guitar, BCL & Sitar, 

tabla & bass, BCl & tape, BCl & computer, 

BCl & electronics, BCl & trombone, 

BCl & basset horn, BCl & viola, BCl & 

cello, BCl octet, BCl duos, BCl & chamber 

orchestra, and finally BCl & wine glass 

with wine. There were a fair number of 

bass clarinetists who were also composers 

and performed their own works: Evan 

Zyporyn (U.S.A.), Michael Lowenstern 

(U.S.A.), Dan Harris (U.S.A.), Thomas 

Savy (France), Jeff Reilly (Canada), Todd 

Marcus (U.S.A.), Akos Laki (Hungary), 

Stanislav Mitrovic (Yugoslavia), Henri 

Bok (The Netherlands), and probably 

some others I missed. One American 

composer with one work in the repertory 

of most of the performers was Larry 

Austin’s Threnos, In Memory of the Victims 

of September 11, 2001 for Bass Clarinet 

and Tape. Generally though, most 

artists performed works from their home 

countries. I’m pleased to report great 

pieces from Brazil, Scotland, Canada (east 

and west coasts), Spain, Holland, and Great 

Britain. The U.S.A. was well represented 

compositionally. There were no doubt 

other works I missed that were worthy of 

mention. There were pieces that were 

rather straightforward and others where 

the bass clarinet became a living breathing 

monster synthesizer of otherworldly 

sounds. All manner of performance styles 

were enthusiastically received. 

WRAP-UP 

There are a slew of new compositions 

worthy of study and performance to be 

pursued. I befriended many new bass 

clarinetists. There are numerous amazing 

young bass clarinetists who are playing at 

a level few performers of any age played 

at 30 years ago. I would have to credit Josef 

Horák, Harry Sparnaay and Henri Bok 

for their inspiration as performers and 

teachers for raising not only the awareness 

of the bass clarinet as a solo instrument, 

but also the current very high performance 

standards. One should also mention that 

Page 60 

THE CLARINET

these three also are responsible for a significant 

portion of the bass clarinet repertory 

created in the last 30 years. I would be remiss 

if I did not include the name of Eric 

Dolphy in the list of performers who have 

inspired many bass clarinetists. Many performers 

credited Eric Dolphy with the reason 

for their taking up the bass clarinet. 

To perform at the highest level, fundamental 

musicianship is absolutely paramount 

and it was evident in all the featured 

performers. And I might mention to young 

players that learning how to handle jet lag, 

illness, fatigue, camera flashes, intrusive 

video cameramen, and travel snags while 

traveling and performing are as much a 

part of a traveling musician’s kit-bag as the 

musical preparation. 

As Bennie Maupin said to me at the end 

of the convention, “Pretty extraordinary 

playing.” Amen. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

No convention is a success without the 

vision and efforts of a few dedicated people. 

A tip of the hat and a special thanks to 

Henri Bok, Artistic Director; Beerend Lenstra, 

Executive Producer; George Wiegel, 

President of the World Bass Clarinet Federation; 

Ann Evans, Program Coordinator; 

Selmer, Buffet, Leblanc and the other corporate 

sponsors; and the City of Rotterdam 

for hosting a terrific and informative convention. 

The Dutch are terrific hosts and 

their beer is among the best. Great playing, 

great people and great beer, a real Dutch 

treat, you can’t ask for more. Bass clarinetists 

if you are not a member of the 

World Bass Clarinet Federation you should 

become one and plan on attending the next 

World Bass Clarinet convention. 

Monday morning early I was on the 

TGV and off to Paris and more musical 

adventures. 

Relentless caper for all those who step 

the legend of their youth into the noon. 

—Hart Crane 


Dan Harris was born and raised in 

Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from The 

Eastman School of Music, Yale University 

and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. 

His principal clarinet teachers have been 

Jerome Stowell, Stanley Hasty, Keith Wilson 

and Glenn Bowen. His composition 

teachers include Richmond Brown, Mel 

Powell, Hall Overton, Burt Levy and Steve 

Reich. Mr. Harris has spent more than 30 

years as an orchestral clarinetist and freelance 

woodwind performer. For 10 years 

he was the Director of the Electronic Music 

Center at the University of Wisconsin– 

Madison and Lecturer in the areas of Composition 

and New Music performance. 

Since 1994 Mr. Harris has focused his performance 

activities exclusively on the bass 

clarinet and the bass clarinet with electronic 

and media extensions. He performs frequently 

in Europe with Studio Instrumental, 

Duo Vibrone, Trio Rare, and The New 

Tango Band. He gives master classes in 

improvisation at Cité de Musique in Paris. 

He most recently performed at the First 

World Bass Clarinet Convention in Rotterdam 

with Duo Vibrone and with Trio Rare 

in Paris. He resides in Brooklyn, NY with 

his wife, Dr. Maureen E. Mulvihill, author 

and scholar, and their pastel tiger, Kid 

Stretch. Readers may contact Dan Harris at 

. 

March 2006 Page 61

Gervase de Peyer 

in his 80th Year, Part II 

by John Robert Brown 

In part one of this article, published in 

the December edition of this magazine, 

Gervase de Peyer’s early life was described. 

In the concluding part of his story, 

de Peyer’s musical activities during the 

early 1950s are detailed, including the 

events that led him to live and work in the 

U.S.A. from the early 1970s onwards. 

quite busy in the freelance 

world, what with my introductions 

through John Amis, the “Ibecame 

Royal Philharmonic, and all that. I’d met a 

number of musicians by then — people 

like Emanuel Hurwitz, Terence Weill and 

Cecil Aronowitz, all of whom I got on very 

well with. We did a concert which was for 

the Arts Council in a hall in a club-style 

building behind Piccadilly, near the Park, 

quite a nice concert hall. We had the opportunity 

of getting together a group to 

play there. This ensemble had the structure 

of the Melos ensemble, although it wasn’t 

called Melos then. In fact we tried three or 

four titles, as well as a number of different 

players, until finally it gelled as the Melos 

Ensemble. It included five wind players, a 

string quintet (with double bass), a harpist 

(Osian Ellis), a pianist (Lamar Crowson, 

who made records with us early on), who 

was a very fine musician from California, 

and a teacher at the Royal Academy. He 

had been a student of Arthur Benjamin on 

the West Coast of America.” 

Page 62 

Gervase de Peyer 

(photo: Aldo Tuttini) 

The Melos Ensemble of London became 

an outstanding concert group offering 

historic recorded programs, which 

were planned by de Peyer. These are still 

available on CDs from EMI and other 

recording companies. 

“I had a personal connection with Arthur 

Benjamin: he knew my aunt Ethel 

Bartlett. He wrote a two-piano version of 

his Jamaican Rumba for my aunt and 

uncle, Bartlett and Robertson, which they 

played at the Wigmore Hall. Indeed, soon 

after that, Arthur Benjamin had completed 

a brilliant work for piano and clarinet, Tombeau 

de Ravel, and personally contacted 

me. I was immediately most interested by 

his call, as he asked me to try it through 

with him. I felt that certain passages were a 

bit awkward. Most graciously, he said: 

‘Alright, Gervase, look, you write something 

out and show it to me, and we’ll see 

what we think.’ 

“So I did. I made some slight alterations 

to it. I went back to him when I’d done this 

and we played it through. This was one of 

the occasions when the composer, very 

graciously, changed something with pleasure. 

I still play that piece. It’s quite a 

tough piece to do well. I gave the first performance 

of Tombeau de Ravel at the Wigmore 

Hall, and also recorded it. 

“The clarinet player who preceded me 

as the principal clarinet of the London Symphony 

Orchestra (of which I had no thought 

at the time), was also in an orchestra exclusively 

recording music for films. Muir Mattheson 

was the conductor. Somehow or 

other the LSO inner circle had got a hold 

on these recordings, which were better 

paid than doing extra rehearsals and concerts, 

for instance. I was phoned up to take 

Sidney Fell’s place in the Wigmore Ensemble, 

I think it was called. 

“This situation ultimately created a crisis 

for the orchestra which led to an extensive 

rebuilding, with a new generation of players 

taking over many of the most important 

positions. Much of this occurred during 

THE CLARINET 

Joseph Krips’ tenure as principal conductor, 

and the following period with Pierre Monteux. 

So, in 1956 Joseph Krips asked me to 

join the LSO as principal clarinetist.” 

Gervase de Peyer held this appointment 

for 17 years, until 1973. As a soloist he 

acquired a formidable reputation throughout 

Britain and Europe. During that time 

de Peyer also played with The Philharmonia 

Orchestra under Herbert von Karajan, 

Guido Cantelli, Otto Klemperer, Furtwangler 

and other distinguished conductors. 

Also, he undertook engagements as principal 

clarinetist with chamber orchestras 

such as the English Chamber Orchestra 

(ECO), the London Chamber Orchestra, 

the London Mozart Players and many others, 

keeping him busy performing concertos 

by Finzi, Busoni, Neilsen, Seiber, Weber 

and Mozart. Many concertos were dedicated 

to him. Amongst his many recordings 

with Decca and EMI, his concerto 

recordings have won The Grand Prix du 

Disque, Académie Charles Gros, and The 

Plaque of Honor of the Academy of Arts 

and Sciences of America. 

The big change in Gervase de Peyer’s 

life came when he moved to New York, in 

the early 1970s. How did that come about? 

“There was the new hall built at the 

Lincoln Center. The director of the concert 

series was looking for players to make a 

completely new ensemble, which was going 

to be the resident ensemble there. I had 

come to America with the LSO several 

times. The first one was either in 1961 or 

1962 with the Melos Ensemble, and also 

with the LSO on a world tour. The Melos 

ensemble was playing quite a lot of concerts, 

and started making recordings. 

“Charles Wadsworth, who had been appointed 

director for the ensemble in the 

new hall at the Lincoln Center, heard one 

of the recordings and liked my playing. So, 

when the LSO came, he took the opportunity 

to hear me. We did three tours, one 

with George Solti. I played Weber’s E ♭ 

Clarinet Concerto in the first concert of 

the tour. That was quite a thrill for me.

“In 1967 Charles Wadsworth asked me 

if I would be interested in coming to New 

York to play as solo clarinet player with 

this group. I said, ‘Yes, when will it be? 

I’m rather busy.’ Ultimately, I was appointed 

in 1969. I came over specially for 

a few weeks, did a few concerts, and came 

back to London. I was still with the Melos 

Ensemble, still with the London Symphony 

Orchestra, and so on. This was in 

1969. It wasn’t until 1973 that I gave up 

the job with the LSO. In America, the 

number of concerts had gone up, and I just 

couldn’t do it all. 

“It was quite a hectic period for me, and 

it was thrilling, too. The hall at the Lincoln 

Center was beautiful, a lovely chamber 

music hall, the Alice Tully Hall, about 

1,000 seats, beautiful. Alice Tully was 

always at the concerts, sitting in a box. I 

met many fine American performers, which 

was very exciting for me, people like Janos 

Starker used to come and play a cello sonata. 

Richard Goode, the pianist, was the resident 

classical pianist for us. As one of the 

founding members of the Chamber Music 

Society (CMS) I stayed with them for 20 

years. I played the entire classic repertoire 

and a considerable body of works newly 

commissioned from composers like William 

Schuman, Gunther Schuller and Ned 

Rorem. On the 10th anniversary of CMS, 

regular favorites included the Mozart and 

Brahms clarinet quintets. We did a lot of 

wind ensembles, including the music of 

Jean Françaix and the works of Francis 

Poulenc for solo groups and wind instrument, 

such as Duet Sonata for Clarinet, for 

bassoon, etc. 

“We recorded many works under the 

label of Music Heritage. The Poulenc recording 

for wind instruments and piano 

received a prize. The CMS came to Aldborough 

early in the 1970s, also to the 

Spoleto Festival in Italy. In the last 10 

years of my tenure I went on a tour every 

year with the CMS throughout the U.S.A., 

also giving master classes. We also performed 

regularly at the Kennedy Center, 

Washington, D.C. In 1992, I created the 

Washington Melos Sinfonia as a not-forprofit 

organization. With them we played 

at the Kennedy Center, the World Bank 

and in the Washington area.” 

De Peyer was involved in three CMS 

TV programs Live from Lincoln Center. 

He taught at Mannes College, and every 

year was either in residence at Banff Summer 

School and Music Festival, or Victoria, 

British Columbia or later on in Assisi, 

Italy, for their Music Festival, Festa 

Musica Pro. In the 1990s, he created a 

label, Radiant Mastery, with which he recorded 

all the works for clarinet and piano. 

“I had done Aaron Copland’s Clarinet 

Concerto here with the London Symphony 

Orchestra. Ultimately, during the next few 

years, I played it about 13 times, conducted 

by Copland. One of these was during 

seven concerts in a row in Mexico City. 

We were there for a week, and every night 

— Monday to Sunday — we had a concert. 

The last one was in the small hall in 

the University. There was an electricity 

cut. I’d played Copland’s Concerto every 

day for a week. That night I’d finished 

playing, the second half had started when 

— suddenly in the middle of a Mendelssohn 

symphony, which Copland was conducting 

— all the lights in the building 

went out! 

“We were all in pitch darkness. People 

began to light candles and a few little lights 

appeared. I put my clarinet together and 

crept in from the side. I said to Aaron, who 

was sitting there, ‘Would you like me to 

play something?’ 

“I said that I thought we needed something 

quiet, and it’s a bit of a travesty really, 

but I could play the slow movement of 

Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. So I did it, 

unaccompanied, in pitch darkness, with a 

few candles burning here and there. That 

went down quite well. Copland and I were 

very good friends, right to the end of his 

life. He was a very charming man, and I 

felt very privileged to have been asked to 

do that. 

“Paul Hindemith was coming to conduct 

the London Symphony Orchestra in 

three or four performances, and I played 

the Clarinet Concerto, with him conducting, 

about three or four times. He was 

absolutely charming, delightful, easy, had 

no problems, no fuss. He enjoyed himself, 

I think, and so did I. He spoke English 

enough — but he didn’t speak English 

enough to be nasty! 

“I met Francis Poulenc because Anthony 

Bernard 1 used to run the London 

Chamber Orchestra. He used to run important 

concerts with important people and 

very interesting programs. I did one or two 

concertos with him, including Gerald Finzi’s 

Concerto and the Debussy Rhapsodie. 

This was around 1960.” 

On the subject of the Debussy piece, de 

Peyer offers an interesting anecdote concerning 

the time he played the work in 

Paris with Bernard. “When I first rehearsed 

the piece with him he said: ‘Monsieur de 

Peyer. I must show you something about 

the Rhapsodie: Première Rhapsodie for 

Orchestra avec Clarinet Principale en 

Sib.’ So I didn’t think anything of it, particularly. 

Then the rehearsing started. So 

he said. ‘All play. And Monsieur de Peyer, 

you will remember we looked at the 

music. And the music, it says not Première 

Rhapsodie for Clarinette et Orchestre. 

Non. It is Première Rhapsodie for Orchestre 

avec Clarinette Principale.’ And the 

point was made. 

“Poulenc was hired to play with Anthony 

Barnard and the orchestra. Bernard 

did a LOT of French music. He received a 

Legion d’Honneur because of his services 

to French Music. He’d hired Poulenc, and 

Poulenc came to play his Piano Concerto. 

I was playing in the orchestra, and was 

intrigued — as many people were — to 

see Poulenc coming into the BBC studio 

wearing his bedroom slippers! So he sat 

down at the piano, and proceeded to play 

his concerto, and it was very nice, very 

fine. He had a very pleasant personality. 

The next day was the concert in the big 

studio at Maida Vale. To my astonishment 

in comes Poulenc, in front of an invited 

audience, still in his bedroom slippers. I 

thought, ‘This is an opportunity I can’t 

miss. I’ll go around and make a little teasing 

remark after the concert. I went into 

the artists’ room. The two of them were 

there. We chatted a little bit. I said: ‘Monsieur 

Poulenc, J’ai un question pour vous. 

Pourquoi portez-vous des pantoufles? Ce 

n’est pas habituel?’ 

He said: ‘Monsieur, you know, I do not 

play so many concerts. I am usually at 

home, and I have to practice at home because 

I do not play so much. I have to 

practice very hard, and I’m in my own 

home, I’m always wearing slippers. So 

when I come to sit for the concert, it is SO 

different without my slippers. So I decide: 

I will still play in my slippers.’” 2 

As he approaches his 80th birthday celebrations, 

Gervase de Peyer still exhibits 

seemingly tireless energy, traveling between 

his homes in France and London, 

giving concerts, workshops and master 

classes across the globe, choosing repertoire 

for yet another CD recording, and 

March 2006 Page 63

practicing. One special forthcoming master 

class is to take place in Vidin, Bulgaria, 

July 24–July 30, 2006. Vidin is a lovely 

town on the bank of the Danube, very 

close to the border with Romania, a stopping 

harbor for boat trips up the Danube 

and the Black Sea. 

At the time of writing, Gervase is working 

towards a celebratory birthday concert, 

to be given in London’s Wigmore Hall on 

April 4, 2006, the very same hall where, as 

a child, he played the piano in one of Mabel 

Floyd’s annual piano concerts all those 

years ago. 

Page 64 

And, even if the ghost of Francis Poulenc 

may be watching the great clarinetist 

that evening, I’ll bet that the ever-immaculate 

Gervase de Peyer won’t be wearing 

slippers! 

REFERENCES 

1 

Anthony Bernard (1891–1963) wrote much incidental 

music for BBC productions. His scores included 

Iphigenia in Aulis (1951, later re-used with additions 

of his own by Rae Jenkins, himself sometime conductor 

of the BBC Welsh and BBC Variety Orchestras), 

The Tempest (1951), A Midsummer Night’s 

Dream and the Ion and Bacchae of Euripides. In 

THE CLARINET 

1956 Bernard made a version for the BBC of The 

Beggar’s Opera, scoring it for flute, oboe, bassoon, 

harpsichord and strings. He is best remembered for 

his conductorship of the London Chamber Orchestra, 

which for upwards of 30 years explored unfamiliar 

repertoire. He also directed the BNOC (1924–25) 

and at Stratford-on-Avon (1932–42). He studied 

composition with Bantock and Ireland and was an 

organist and a piano accompanist. His earlier works 

include an organ prelude, Rorate Coeli (1916), 

Variations on a Hill Tune, for piano (1920) and 

songs like The Cherry Tree Song. 

2 

Poulenc’s Clarinet Sonata was found after Poulenc’s 

unexpected death. It is a very late work (1963). Soon 

after the discovery, Poulenc died. Says de Peyer: 

“He had sent it off to somebody; this was a piece that 

hadn’t been heard. So concerts were arranged, the 

first one in France. But no one knew where the music 

was. So there was a search, and finally the manuscript 

showed up at the bottom of a cupboard. I did 

the British premiere, in an Arts Council production. 

It was an all-Poulenc program. The other artists were 

Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears, and I also played in a 

performance of the Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano. 

The bassoonist was Roger Bernstein.” 


John Robert Brown is International 

Recruitment Consultant for Birmingham 

Conservatoire, at the University of Central 

England. In this role he travels worldwide 

to recruit and audition music students. 

His books A Concise History of 

Jazz and A Concise Guide to Musical 

Terms are published by Mel Bay Inc, and 

his articles appear regularly in the U.K.’s 

Classical Music Magazine, CASS Magazine, 

and elsewhere. 

At present, John is the Chairman of the 

Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great 

Britain. Formerly he was Postgraduate 

Course Leader at Leeds College of Music 

(LCM), where he worked from 1975, combining 

academic duties with the post of 

Head of External Relations. He was the 

founder and organizer of Leeds International 

Jazz Education Conference, from 

1994, and in recent years he was External 

Relations Consultant for LCM. 

As a reed player he made many broadcasts 

with his own band, “John Brown’s 

Bodies” on BBC Radio, played occasionally 

with the Hallé Orchestra, and for several 

years presented jazz programs on BBC 

local radio. He has also presented a BBC 

TV series on music. His arrangement of 

The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba was 

performed by the Fairer Sax in the John 

Schlesinger film Madame Sousatzka. 

Recently, John was delighted to accept 

an invitation to serve on the IAJE Resource 

Team.

Autumn 

Fancies 

by Bonnie Glass 

Autumn always brings a sense of 

the greatest change of season: 

The montage of colours, cool 

evenings and butterflies seeking Mexico. 

The Great Hibernation never includes the 

autumnal bloom in my postal box — catalogues 

for the music teacher. For the 

watchful, the catalogues bring enlightenment 

and amusement. Ever like the Monarchs, 

they give a variety of colour. 

High amongst the neuroses of clarinettists 

has to be the mouthpiece. Given the 

great numbers, styles, prices and claims 

of superiority, it is no wonder many players 

join the endless quest for the perfect 

mouthpiece. In a recent catalogue, I counted 

73 listings for mouthpieces whose cryptic 

facings include the 10M, J5, Ruby B, 4 

[star] , RE-5, RM28, BP02, Model GE, 

and so on. How to choose? 

One of these catalogues has a “B ♭ 

Clarinet Mouthpiece Chart” with metric tip 

openings across the top and various 

mouthpieces listed under each tip opening. 

I was interested to see that the tip opening 

I play (1.06mm) was listed as H, 8, 1, Pr, 

2, M08, HR and B44. Wouldn’t it be nice 

if the manufacturers just simply labeled 

them “1.06mm?” 

“Sticker shock” can be a problem if you 

are shopping for a new mouthpiece. List 

prices run from $120 to a whopping $325. 

Many of the mouthpieces are handcrafted 

from a soft semi-finished blank supplied 

by Babbitt of Elkhart, Indiana. Others are 

completely finished there. My thought is 

this: If I spend $325 for a mouthpiece it 

should be jewel-encrusted and have a 10- 

year, 10 million note warranty. 

With every new catalogue I am happy 

to see that no mouthpiece manufacturer 

has tried the duckbill-elongated-torpedo 

design of our saxophone cousins. There 

were, however, hints about the character or 

potential of a mouthpiece with wonderful 

model names such as Goldentone, Protone, 

Artist, Symphonic, Chicago and (my favorite) 

the StratoBuzz (just kidding). 

On a more serious note, it is pleasing to 

see a decline in the number of mouthpieces 

offered with differing side rails. They often 

require more reed work since any reed 

applied would be immediately unbalanced 

and lacking in efficiency. 

Of the few players who used such a 

mouthpiece (with undeniably beautiful 

results), Harold Wright and his teacher 

Ralph McLane would be the foremost 

examples. Their mouthpiece tip opening 

of 1.01mm may have helped offset some 

of the problems inherent in the unbalanced 

facing. 

One of the catalogues features a separate 

section devoted to brands of jazz 

mouthpieces. This was a bit of a surprise, 

since I have known some “crossover” 

players who used exactly the same equipment 

for both styles. Their only change 

for playing jazz was perhaps a shorter barrel 

to compensate for a lower tongue position, 

louder playing and the resulting 

lower pitch. 

It is most unfortunate that there are very 

few mouthpiece choices for my beloved 

alto clarinet — that glorious instrument 

with which I began clarinet study. Luckily, 

I have a reserve supply of my favorite: the 

“Alto-matic Ripper 5 [star, will be drawn 

on hard copy] .” 

One of the frustrating things about the 

clarinet is that every single piece of equipment 

can make a difference. Mouthpiece, 

ligature, barrel, reed, bell and the main 

bore of the instrument can all contribute to 

pain or pleasure. One catalogue shows 29 

different brands of ligatures, some with 

enticing names such as Super Revelation, 

Leggerio, Light, Ultimate, Optimum and, 

my hands-down favorite, the Equa-Tone. 

One manufacturer will definitely corner 

the market by offering separate ligatures 

for A and B ♭ clarinets. 

The cost of ligatures runs from about $3 

up to about $60. Gold plate, of course, is 

more but worth it to match any body-piercing 

hardware. 

The ads for barrels are a great disappointment 

this year. Still, there is a fun 

variety of materials other than the traditional 

granadilla. Plastic, African blackwood, 

aluminium heat-sink and, my absolute 

favorites, from “The Doctor’s Power 

Barrel.” The good doctor has some 

great stuff: Power Barrel Aristocrat and, 

best of all, “Power Barrel Stealth,” where 

one sneaks up on a note and plays it 

before anyone is aware. 

It would seem that most barrel makers 

have settled in on some variant of Hans 

Moennig’s taper. Most of the barrels with 

his taper can shorten the 12ths in the left 

hand and bring the left-hand low register 

into focus on R-13s made between 1948 

and 1980. 

Before Moennig died, he had an option 

with Buffet to pass or fail the barrels carrying 

his name. Mr. Moennig no longer 

oversees this. If one has a gauge, one can 

determine whether the spread between 

upper and lower openings comes within 

about .009", as in .081" and .090". 

My experience with the aluminium 

heat-sink barrel was that it cooled off fast 

on breezy stages and had to warm up at the 

bar during the interval. 

The rest of my catalogues go into such 

essentials as ornate super straps, instrument 

pegs, stands, cases, covers, reed 

cases, repair tools, metronomes, tuners, gig 

bags and much more. Maybe I can tell you 

about these some other time. 

Meanwhile, the very best of luck to 

you in sorting this out. 


Bonnie Glass was three years old when 

she decided to escape her parents’ parlour 

piano and concentrate on collecting frogs. 

Her hobby ultimately led her to the alto 

clarinet, offering a similar sound. After 

winning first prize at the 1st International 

Alto Clarinet Cotillion, she came to the 

United States. She is available for clinics 

and the sharing of home beer recipes. 

March 2006 Page 65

Bernstein and the Clarinet: 

Stanley Remembers Lenny 

Part II 

Page 66 

by Amy Shapiro 

This is the conclusion of an interview 

consisting of excerpts from 

my 2002 undergraduate honors 

project at Hofstra University, “An Oral and 

Aural History of Leonard Bernstein and 

his Clarinet Sonata featuring an annotated 

interview with Stanley Drucker.” 

* * * * * 

Amy Shapiro (AS): Did Leonard Bernstein 

ever discuss with you — or do 

you have any idea — why he chose to 

compose a piece [sonata] for the clarinet 

as his first published work? 

Stanley Drucker (SD): Well, from what I 

heard he was fascinated with the clarinet. 

He even went out and spent his 

last four dollars buying one in a pawnshop 

once, if the story is true (and a lot 

of things become legends). But I think 

he probably was fascinated with the 

instrument: its sound, its flexibility, and 

the fact that he had a friend who played 

it. I think it was something that was perhaps 

in his background, maybe a folk 

instrument in a Judaic sense where clarinet 

is very important in the music of 

that genre, like it is in some other ethnic 

situations. (Greek music, for instance 

— clarinet is practically a national instrument.) 

So I think that might have 

been some underlying reason. 

AS: Did Bernstein ever talk to you about 

what he thought of your performances 

of his piece? 

SD: He was always very nice to me. He 

was always like an older brother figure 

to me (I wouldn’t say father figure). He 

was, I would say, a very warm and brilliant 

kind of a person to be around. 

Things happened when he was around. 

He had that kind of a chemistry. 

AS: Have you ever heard the version of 

the Bernstein Sonata orchestrated by 

Sid Ramin [RCA Victor, 1993]? 

SD: I haven’t heard it but I know it’s been 

performed. The piece will always be 

played. It’s an ongoing situation and 

I’m glad that people are trying to enlarge 

it by orchestrating it and so forth. 

I don’t know if it improves the piece but 

it probably widens its audience. 

AS: What are your impressions of Yo-Yo 

Ma’s transcription of the Sonata for 

cello and piano [Sony Classical, 1993]? 

SD: Oh, I think it’s excellent. It really is. It 

works very well and I was unsure how 

it would sound on cello, but I think it’s 

great. And his playing of it is first-rate. 

I felt that the collaboration between the 

piano and the cello was really excellent. 

AS: Did you ever play the Sonata with 

Leonard Bernstein? 

SD: No, I didn’t, but I did play it with Lukas 

Foss (who was a very good friend 

of Leonard Bernstein’s) several times. 

In fact, I played it with Lukas at a big 

reception for Lenny at the Pierre [Hotel] 

when he was being honored by 

“Young Audiences” [in 1983] and 

played it with Foss subsequently a lot 

of times. 

AS: When you learned the Bernstein Sonata 

you were very young, so how 

would you recommend that a young 

person today go about working on it? 

SD: Well, I would say, like they would 

study any other piece that they hadn’t 

seen before. You start slowly and work 

THE CLARINET 

with a good teacher who can point out 

things to be aware of. As you work 

things out, you work out the technical 

aspects and rhythmic aspects, dynamics 

(which are very important to bring 

forth the variety of sounds and colors) 

and then, after you’ve got all of that in 

hand, you can proceed to form some 

kind of a performance where you have 

something that you want to make it feel 

like, sound like. 

AS: Were you at or did you watch the 

1955 premiere of Bernstein’s Prelude, 

Fugue and Riffs [for Solo Clarinet and 

Jazz Ensemble] on Omnibus? 

SD: I didn’t, but I heard the piece over the 

years and never played it up to a certain 

point, but it’s fun. You need a great 

band for that piece. You have to have 

really outstanding people that play that 

style. There isn’t much for the clarinet 

to do — a little bit. You have to stand 

there and look good, but it’s fun to be 

part of, to be in the middle of a thing 

like that. 

AS: When did you hear Benny Goodman’s 

recording of Prelude, Fugue and Riffs 

and what did you think of it? 

SD: It was on a compilation LP with other 

pieces. I think the Copland Concerto 

might have been on that LP too, but I’m 

Leonard Bernstein and Stanley Drucker after a Freedom Concert in Berlin in December 

1989. Bernstein is imitating Drucker playing.

not sure. I thought it was very typical 

Benny Goodman. There was a lot of 

energy, a lot of spirit. I thought that he 

exuded the right kind of feeling for it, 

which he would, certainly, in that kind 

of genre. 

AS: What were your original impressions 

of Prelude, Fugue and Riffs the first 

time you heard it? 

SD: Well, it swung. I mean it was really 

hot stuff. I thought it was very current 

sounding. It still sounds very current. 

AS: Do you have any thoughts on the form 

of the work? 

SD: It’s typical Bernstein, with the rhythms, 

5/8, 7/8, off-kilter stuff, and accents 

in the wrong places. It’s definitely 

something that will always sound fresh. 

AS: Did you ever play Prelude, Fugue and 

Riffs with Leonard Bernstein conducting 

or discuss the piece with him? 

SD: No, no I didn’t. Not this piece. 

AS: What is the seating arrangement for 

Prelude, Fugue and Riffs? 

SD: It’s the normal dance band and clarinet 

standing on one side, in front of it. 

AS: The score of Prelude, Fugue and Riffs 

suggests that the clarinet be “discreetly 

amplified.” Were you [when you played 

it with the New York Philharmonic in 

1988 and 1993]? 

SD: Well, it depends on where it’s done. I 

don’t think they normally use amplification 

at Avery Fisher Hall, maybe for 

a harpsichord or something like that 

sometimes, but there was no special 

amplification. There are always mikes 

hanging from the ceiling but they’re for 

the archival recordings. 

AS: Do you know why Bernstein never 

wrote another work for clarinet, considering 

that Prelude, Fugue and Riffs 

isn’t solely a clarinet work? 

SD: Right. Well, I imagine he had to use 

all of his energies for writing the bigger 

works, for the Broadway shows, 

the symphonies and some of the largescale 

pieces and I think, perhaps, it was 

priorities and time. Even small works 

take time. 

AS: Did the idea of Bernstein composing 

a piece for you ever come up in conversation? 

SD: I suggested it once and it was actually 

when the Corigliano Concerto got written 

[1977]. I suggested Lenny as a composer 

of a commissioned work for clarinet 

and orchestra, and he responded to 

the people that were asking him that it 

was a question of time. He couldn’t have 

it ready for the season but he wanted to 

conduct the piece and he recommended 

John Corigliano to write the work. I 

think it was a very good choice. 

AS: Overall, what do you think of Leonard 

Bernstein’s writing for the clarinet? 

SD: His writing for the clarinet is very, 

very good and knowledgeable. Let me 

give you an example of the opening of 

his Symphony [No. 2], The Age of 

Anxiety, which is this lengthy duet for 

clarinets that’s played in this echo tone 

style: three, four pianos, very, very pure, 

clear, soft writing. It sets an incredible 

mood and that certainly takes an understanding 

of the instrument just because 

it’s not just wild, loud notes. It’s very 

long phrases, very sustained, very distant 

and it really creates a mood. 

AS: What other Bernstein works have you 

played that have big clarinet parts? 

SD: I’ve played all of them. There’s always 

something rhythmic in a lot of the 

works. Some of the ballet music has 

tricky little spots. He always throws in 

little rhythmic bear traps that have to be 

looked at. 

AS: What do you think Bernstein thought 

of the clarinet in general? 

SD: Well, he said he liked the instrument. 

He was drawn to it. Of course, David 

Oppenheim was a close friend in his 

early circle of friends and he was a clarinetist 

so, I mean, it probably intrigued 

him. It’s hard to know exactly, inasmuch 

as he was a pianist, not a wind 

player, but he felt an attachment to it. 

Obviously he wrote well for it and I 

think he liked the clarinet. I really do. I 

like to think of it that way. 

AS: At least from what I’ve seen, Bernstein 

seemed fond of the E ♭ clarinet. 

SD: Oh sure, and I think that’s the Coplandesque 

influence. Copland, of course, 

wrote magnificently for the piccolo clarinet, 

when I think of Music for the Theatre 

as a prime example and El Salón 

México and the Third Symphony. I feel 

that he liked those extreme high notes 

but, both men being pianists, I think 

they probably liked the piano the best. 

AS: In what order of importance do you 

think Bernstein would have ranked himself 

as pianist, conductor and composer? 

SD: Well, I guess he wanted to have been 

recognized as a composer, and he certainly 

made a very significant mark. Of 

course, his main occupation was as conductor 

over those many years, probably 

piano third. He did take time off occasionally 

to compose various works and 

they managed to get written. Maybe he 

didn’t get everything down that he 

wanted to get down, but I think the 

body of work is interesting. I think it’s 

very recognizable as being his music 

and probably under-appreciated, like 

most people are in their time. I can’t 

think of anybody who was over-appreciated 

in their time, but it makes interesting 

reading when you criticize, more 

than when you praise. 

AS: When Robert McGinnis retired in 

1960, Bernstein appointed you principal 

clarinet. You made your solo debut 

with the Philharmonic in October 1961, 

performing Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie 

with Bernstein conducting. What 

was that experience like? 

SD: Oh, that was exciting. That was Carnegie 

Hall. We did it five times over, I 

guess it was a week and a half, and then 

we recorded it in that second week. The 

recording was done where we made 

most of the records then at the Manhattan 

Center, in one of the ballrooms 

up on the seventh floor, a Columbia recording 

[now on a 1992 Sony Classical 

CD]. I remember that very well. 

AS: What was it like working with Bernstein 

as a soloist? 

SD: Well, it was a three-ring circus. It was 

heavy stuff; it was probing; it was challenging. 

It was, I would say, very thorough 

and one could really get worn out 

after many rehearsals because of the 

energy you put out, the kind of involvement 

that you had to have. 

AS: What do you remember about the 

Nielsen Concerto [now on a 1993 Sony 

Classical CD]? 

SD: Lenny was doing a Nielsen retrospective, 

doing all the symphonies and the 

small pieces, and one year he did the 

Flute Concerto and then the year after 

[1967] he did the Clarinet Concerto 

and we recorded it. It was an exciting 

recording. I think it was just about a 

one-taker because, after all, the record 

companies weren’t wasting time with 

the wind concertos. 

AS: You performed the Copland Concerto 

numerous times with Bernstein as 

March 2006 Page 67

conductor, from 1970 up to 1989 when 

you were also Bernstein’s last concerto 

recording soloist [Deutsche Grammophon, 

1991]. What are your memories 

of these performances? 

SD: Well, certainly, always, no matter 

what tempo he picked, it seemed right. 

It convinced. He had the right mood for 

that piece and you could really sink into 

it and make something happen. 

AS: How did Bernstein’s view of the Concerto 

change over the years? 

SD: It got slower [laughs]. The first part 

got slower. 

AS: What did you think about that? 

SD: Well, I wasn’t sure, but when I heard 

the playbacks I felt it was okay. It was 

very Mahler-like, the first part. 

AS: How would you describe your relationship 

with Leonard Bernstein over 

all the years? 

SD: I think it was a very friendly relationship. 

He was a Renaissance man. He 

could do anything: he could lecture, 

play the piano very well, conduct, write, 

and probably talk on a lot of different 

subjects. He embodied, I would say, the 

New York spirit in a way that was very 

unique. He spoke many, many languages, 

I think, and also spoke New York 

very well. 

AS: In 1990, Bernstein visited Wagner’s 

house in Bayreuth and, after playing on 

Wagner’s piano, remarked: “It really 

sounds like a clarinet. You could create 

the sound of an entire orchestra on this 

piano.” Do you think that says a lot 

about what he thought of the clarinet? 

SD: Well, it certainly does and if that’s 

what he meant, I’m all for it [laughs]. 


Amy Shapiro graduated from Hofstra 

University summa cum laude with high 

honors from the music department. She 

holds a master’s degree in clarinet performance 

from New York University and is 

currently pursuing a Ph.D. in musicology 

at Stony Brook University. A student of 

Stanley and Naomi Drucker, Amy began 

her clarinet studies with Louis Panacciulli. 

She can be heard on the 2005 Elysium 

recording The American Chamber 

Ensemble Plays Peter Schickele in 

Monochrome III for Nine Clarinets, which 

she has also performed at Weill Recital 

Hall at Carnegie Hall. 

Stanley Drucker with the author following 

his performance of Bernstein’s Prelude, 

Fugue and Riffs with the New York 

Philharmonic on July 2, 2005. 

Page 68 

THE CLARINET


2 0 0 6 Y O U N G A R T I S T C O M P E T I T I O N 

Eligibility: The competition is open to all clarinetists who shall not have reached the age of 27 by January 1, 2007, and are not 

currently under major artist management. 

Application: Send all materials to: 

Lee Livengood, 490 Northmont Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84103 . 

— CONTEST RULES — 

1. Application fee: $50 U.S. All applicants must be members of the I.C.A., and must provide proof of membership. Nonmembers 

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 by 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. This fee is non-refundable. 

2. Recording instructions: Please provide a high-quality recording on compact disc (CD-R) containing the following repertoire 

in the exact order listed. Each selection/movement should be ID coded as tracks. Audio cassettes 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 should be submitted. 

Joseph Horovitz, Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano, movements II and III only 

Miklós Rózsa, Sonatina, Op. 27, movement I only 

C. M. von Weber, Concerto No. 2, Op. 74, movement II recitative to end (mm. 63–87) and movement III (complete) 

3. A photocopy of the contestant’s driver’s 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 been not been edited. 

5. A summer address, telephone number, and e-mail address (all if possible) should be provided. Please provide all information 

in typwritten form. 

Please note that no application form is required. 

— JUDGING — 

Judging of tapes will be conducted with no knowledge of the contestant. Do not include any identification on the CD-R, cassette 

or box. There should be no speaking on the recording, such as announcing of compositions. 

Preliminary judging will be by taped audition. Semifinalists will be chosen by committee. Letters of notification will be e- 

mailed by June 1, 2006. Semifinal and final rounds will be held at the ClarinetFest® 2006, to be held in Atlanta, Georgia, August 

2006. Repertoire will consist of the works listed above. 

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 semifinalists and finalists. All semifinalists will receive free registration at ClarinetFest® 2006. 

Travel expenses will be the responsibility of the contestant. 

All recordings will become the property of the I.C.A. and will not be returned unless a stamped, addressed envelope is provided. 

(Use U.S. postage or International Postal Coupon.) 

— PRIZES — 

First Prize — A new clarinet and $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. 

March 2006 Page 69

PART II: INTONATION 

AND FINGERINGS 

The author has surveyed early clarinet 

specialists from around the world while 

writing the D.M.A. dissertation “Early 

Clarinet Performance as Described by 

Modern Specialists, with a Performance 

Edition of Mathieu Frédéric Blasius’s IIe 

Concerto de clarinette,” under the supervision 

of Kelly Burke at the University of 

North Carolina at Greensboro. This is the 

first attempt in compiling and codifying the 

modern performance practice of the early 

clarinet. Second in a series, this article will 

examine the intonation parameters on the 

early clarinet. Subsequent articles will discuss 

articulation, reeds, instrument selection 

(originals, modern replicas), and selected 

repertoire with reference to performance 

practice of the early 19th century. 

Performers interested in historical 

instruments such as the chalumeau 

or classical clarinet are usually advanced 

players on the modern clarinet 

wishing to acquire performance practice 

information and historical perspective. 

With respect to intonation and tonal response, 

some believe that early instruments 

are difficult and inaccurate. Early 

pedagogues such as Lefèvre, Blasius, and 

Backofen would agree that their instruments 

were less than perfect: 

Pure intonation, the most important 

feature of every wind instrument, 

cannot be found in the commonplace 

clarinet. At least I have 

not had any success in finding it. 

Whether these faults arise unavoidably 

from the inherent design of the 

instrument, or are due to the carelessness 

of the instrument maker, I 

do not want to say. 1 

The Boehm system, resulting in part 

from efforts to improve the clarinet’s intonation 

and tonal response, requires customized 

fingerings, manipulation of the 

embouchure, and subtle adjustments of the 

tongue position in order to play in tune. 

Instrument design comprise acoustical 

compromises that have negative effects on 

intonation, thus assigning the performer 

with a responsibility to compensate by 

means of embouchure, airflow, and fingers. 

Notes are not designed to play in tune 

automatically. The accomplished player 

Page 70 

Early Clarinet Pedagogy 

for Modern Performers 

by Luc Jackman 

will select fingerings suited to the equipment, 

musical context, and playing conditions. 

One might even choose slightly different 

fingerings for the A and B ♭ instruments 

of the same make and model. Each 

note or fingering has a distinct resistance, 

tone color, and intonation idiosyncrasies. 

Furthermore, adjustments must constantly 

be made with respect to the note’s role 

within the musical context. This was no 

different 200 years ago. 

As mentioned in Part I (December 2005 

issue), approaching the early clarinet with 

modern bias is counterproductive: The 

main difficulties of intonation on early 

clarinet are created when playing reeds 

that are too hard and trying to make the 

instrument sound like its modern counterpart. 

Aspiring to a perfectly even scale 

takes away some of the early clarinet’s 

expressive qualities: Composers used the 

covered notes to their musical advantage. 

We must ignore our modern predilection 

for evenness of projection and response, 

and cherish the covered notes. As advocated 

by Charles Neidich: “Have the instruments 

lead you in the direction which 

makes them [the notes] speak most easily 

and best in tune.” 2 The resulting tone will 

not necessarily match a modern player’s 

conception of sound, especially if he/she 

has not heard early clarinet performances 

by accomplished players. Keep an open 

mind, experiment, and discover! 

Hard reeds offer a familiar sense of resistance, 

but encourage too much jaw pressure, 

reducing flexibility of embouchure 

(especially when playing double-lip), and 

making intonation difficult. The key is to 

select reeds that counterbalance the resistance 

created by the narrow bore, small 

tone holes and use of cross fingerings, allowing 

control of the clarinet’s full range 

with relative ease and good intonation. 

With soft reeds, most of the intonation 

issues can be corrected by means of fingers 

(fingerings, shading, buttress fingers, 

and resonating fingers), or embouchure 

(voicing, and tightening or loosening of 

the lips). 

THE CLARINET 

Early clarinet design differed considerably 

between countries and makers, making 

it impossible to compile a standard fingering 

chart. In his examination of 42 fingering 

charts from 1732–1816, Albert Rice 

remarks: “Throughout the eighteenth and 

nineteenth centuries, clarinets were standardized 

neither in their construction nor in 

their fingerings.” 3 Rice’s article permits 

access to an exhaustive number of fingering 

charts in one source. Another useful 

compilation of fingering charts for the fivekey 

clarinet can be found in Eugène Rousseau’s 

dissertation. 4 Basic fingerings are 

common to all fingering charts, but each 

instrument has its idiosyncrasies depending 

on the year, model, and country of manufacturing. 

Therefore, there are no generally 

applicable rules of fingering. Each player 

must become thoroughly acquainted with 

the peculiarities of his or her instrument, 

and develop fingerings accordingly. 

In addition to selecting an appropriate 

“basic” fingering, intonation can further be 

improved by means of the fingers using 

shading, half-holing, and buttress fingers/ 

resonating fingerings. Shading is performed 

by reducing the finger-tone hole 

distance, thus flattening the pitch. It is 

most effective when a finger is lowered 

over the first open tone hole. In the clarion 

register, shading can also be performed 

with the register key: The subtle control of 

the height of the register key is critical for 

playing early clarinet, and will affect notes 

to different degrees, depending on their 

respective distance to the register vent. 

The fewer number of tone holes — 13 

as opposed to 23 on the Boehm — limits 

the five-key clarinet’s chromatic possibilities. 

The player must therefore be imaginative 

if a needed note does not have an 

assigned tone hole. The chalumeau c ♯ is 

one example. Some instrument makers 

remedied the situation by providing the 

left-hand ring finger with a double tone 

hole. If this is not the case on your instrument, 

you will need to perform a technique 

called half holing. An integral part of the

assoonist’s technique, half holing is the 

partial covering of a tone hole (30%–60%). 

This technique, creating further resistance 

in the instrument, must be combined with 

appropriate voicing of the airflow. 

In addition to providing additional support, 

the Stutzfinger or “support finger” 

technique assists with intonation and resonance. 

The inclusion of right-hand fingers 

in open fingerings is a rudimentary form of 

our resonating fingerings for throat tones. 

Given that acceptable fingerings are 

used, the most important control parameter 

remains the embouchure. Flexibility is 

crucial, since each note has its own embouchure. 

However, the adjustments 

should be subtle; if too much work is required 

from the embouchure, one should 

reconsider the reed/mouthpiece set-up. 

On my Lotz replica, it is possible to find a 

tonal center to each note by adjusting the 

tongue position and placement/pressure 

of the lips around the mouthpiece. Each 

note responds differently, and when voiced 

accordingly, sounds a resonant, focused 

tone with agreeable intonation. It was 

interesting to observe that the fingerings 

for b, b 1 , and b 3 found in early charts are 

quite sharp on my Lotz. Examining the 

extant repertoire written for the five-key 

clarinet, one finds that works are usually 

in the keys of F, C, and B ♭ . Consequently 

the note b acts primarily as the leading 

tone in C, which is raised when playing 

with non-tempered instruments. 

As per modern clarinet, conscious long 

tone exercises are the essence of getting 

acquainted with the instrument’s idiosyncrasies, 

developing a focused sound, and 

an ideal means for experimenting with the 

above-mentioned finger techniques. Relax 

the embouchure, blow gently, and try to 

get the most sound with a minimum of air. 

Find a tonal center to each note by adjusting 

the airflow, tongue position, and placement/pressure 

of the lips around the mouthpiece. 

When playing long tones on notes 

requiring cross fingerings, one should be 

open minded to different sound colors. 

Practicing partials or bugle calls expands 

awareness of the embouchure and might 

help discover new fingerings. 

Once a focused sound and overall 

awareness has been cultivated, the next 

step is to fine-tune the scale with respect to 

intonation. Playing intervals against a 

drone pitch will help the player develop a 

flexible embouchure, select appropriate 

fingerings, and develop a critical ear. 

Make sure to acquire a tuner that will 

accommodate the pitch level of your 

instrument. Start with the natural scale (Fmajor), 

experimenting with crescendos 

and decrescendos, becoming aware of the 

needed adjustments, and taking note of the 

notes that are well in-tune for reference. 

Finally, it is of utmost necessity to play 

with other musicians so that intonation can 

develop artistically. Find another lonely 

early clarinet player to sightread duets 

from the early methods, or a pianist that 

has access to a fortepiano. If this is not 

possible, the Smart Music software may be 

programmed to play at any pitch level, 

including A = 430hz and A = 415hz. 

Further intonation adjustments can be 

performed by inserting wax into the tone 

holes — thus modifying their sizes — 

using tuning rings, and experimenting with 

barrels of different sizes. The attentive 

player will discover the particularities of 

his/her instrument, choose fingerings accordingly, 

cultivate a flexible embouchure, 

and adjust to the musical context of each 

note. The process takes time: Approach the 

early clarinet as a new discovery. This is 

especially difficult for advanced players 

who “expect” to produce satisfying results 

after a short period of time. The flexibility 

cultivated through diligent practice will 

improve your overall playing on the early 

clarinet, and will transfer to your modern 

clarinet technique. 


Luc Jackman is a freelance musician 

in Montreal and Winston-Salem. He received 

a master’s in chamber music performance 

from McGill University and a 

Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University 

of North Carolina at Greensboro 

where he studied with Dr. Kelly Burke. 

Main teachers include André Moisan, 

Charles Neidich and Robert Crowley. Luc 

has performed with the Greensboro Symphony 

Orchestra, the Winston-Salem Symphony, 

the Piedmont Opera Company and 

the Carolina Pops. Luc teaches woodwinds 

at Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC, 

and can be reached at . 

(Part III: Articulation: Technique and 

Performance Practice) 

END NOTES 

1 

Backofen, Johann Georg Heinrich. Answeig zur 

Klarinette, nebst einer Kurzen Abhandlung über das 

Basset-Hörner. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, [ca. 

1803]. Reprint, Celle: Moeck Verlag, 1986. Translated 

by Susan Carol Kohler in “J. G. H. Backofen’s 

Answeisung zur Klarinette nebst einer kurzen 

Abhandlung über das Basset-Horn, Translation and 

Commentary,” D.M.A. diss., University of Washington, 

1997, 8. 

2 

Charles Neidich, dissertation survey response. 

3 

Rice, Albert. “Clarinet Fingering Charts, 1732– 

1816.” The Galpin Society Journal 37 (March 1984): 

16–41. “Forty-two fingering charts dating from 1732 

to 1816 were examined for this study. Many of 

them, as may be imagined, merely duplicate fingerings 

which had already appeared in earlier charts. 

The following is a table limited to charts at least 

some of whose fingerings appear there for the first 

time.” The twenty-eight fingering charts selected and 

compiled include (in chronological order): J. F. B. C. 

Majer Museum musicum (Schwäbisch Hall, 1732), 

J. P. Eisel Musicus (Erfurt, 1738), V. Roeser Gamme 

de la clarinette, avec Six Duo pour cet instrument 

(Paris, 1769), M. Corrette Méthode de la Flute 

Traversière: Nouvelle edition, revue, corigée et augmentée 

de la Gamme du Haut-bois et de la 

Clarinette (Lyon and Rouen, 1773), Principes de 

Clarinette Avec Tablature des Meilleurs Maîtres 

pour cet Instrument et plusieurs Duos pour cet 

instrument (Paris, ca. 1775), F. D. Castillon fils 

(Amsterdam, 1776), The Clarinet Instructor (London, 

ca. 1780), L. N. Berg Den første Prøve for Begyndere 

udi Instrumental-Kunsten (Christiansand, 

1782), A. Vanderhagen Méthode Nouvelle et Raisonnée 

pour la Clarinette and Nouvelle Méthode de 

Clarinette divisée en deux parties (Paris, ca. 1785 

and ca. 1799), J. V. Reynvaan Muzijkaal Kunst- 

Woordenboek (two published charts, Amsterdam, 

1795), F. Blasius Nouvelle Méthode de Clarinette 

(Paris, ca. 1796), J. W. Callcott (London, 1797– 

1802), V. Michel Méthode de clarinette (Paris, ca. 

1801), The Clarinet Preceptor (London, ca. 1801), J. 

G. H. Backofen Anweisung zur Klarinette, nebst 

kurzen Abhandlung über das Basset-Horn (Leipzig, 

ca. 1802), J. X. Lefèvre Méthode de Clarinette 

(Paris, 1802), The Clarinet Preceptor (London, 

1803), O. Shaw For the Gentlemen (Dedham, 1807), 

S. Demar Nouvelle Méthode pour la clarinette 

(Paris, ca. 1808), C. Bocha Père Méthode Instructive 

pour la Clarinette (Paris, ca. 1809), ‘Gamut for the 

Clarionet’ (Dublin, ca. 1810), J. Fröhlich Vollständige 

Theoretisch-pracktische Musikschule (Bonn, 

1810–1811), J. Mahon A new and Complete Preceptor 

for the Clarinet (London, ca. 1811–1816), F. 

Antolini La retta maniera di scrivere per il clarinetto 

ed altri istromenti da fiato (Milano, 1813), W. 

Whitely The Instrumental Preceptor (Utica, 1816), J. 

F. Simiot Tableau explicatif des innovations et 

changements faits à la Clarinette (Lyon, 1808). 

4 

Rousseau, Eugène E. “Clarinet Instructional Materials 

From 1732 to ca. 1825.” Ph.D. diss., State 

University of Iowa, 1962. Rousseau compiled and 

compared the charts by Antolini, Backofen, Blasius, 

Bland & Weller, Démar, Fröhlich, Gehot, Holyoke, 

Lane, Lefèvre, Leroy, Longman & Broderip, Michel, 

Reynvaan, S. A. & P. Thompson, Vanderhagen 

(1785, 1797, and 1803), and Wheatstone. 

March 2006 Page 71

TONY 

SCOTT 

Part I: 

The Stateside Years 

by Thomas W. Jacobsen 

Page 72 

The name of clarinetist Tony Scott 

may be nearly forgotten by an 

older generation of American jazz 

fans and, at the same time, be virtually 

unknown to a younger generation. That is 

because Scott’s glory years — the years 

when he was a frequent winner in the polls 

and was considered one of the top jazz 

clarinetists in the country — are now a half 

century in the past, and he has been living 

abroad for most of the intervening time. 

He first left the country in 1959 and, with a 

few brief exceptions, he has not returned to 

the States. He now lives in Rome, where he 

has resided for the last 30 years or more. 

Anthony J. Sciacca — he changed his 

last name in the 1940s at the suggestion of 

his friend and one-time roommate, Bill 

Simon 1 — was born in Morristown, N.J. 

June 17, 1921. After studying at Juilliard 

from 1939 to 1942, Scott was drafted into 

the army. He served for three years, playing 

in army bands and — since he was stationed 

in the New York City area — sitting 

in regularly on legendary 52nd Street with 

some of the best jazzmen of the era. Those 

two experiences, Juilliard and “The Street,” 

shaped his musical thinking for the years 

under consideration here as well as much 

of his later career. 

Scott’s early influence on clarinet was 

Clarence Hutchenrider of the Glen Gray 

Casa Loma band, but Benny Goodman 

soon became his idol. Jack Maheu, a fine 

clarinetist who worked in New York for 

many years and now lives and plays in 

New Orleans, recalled hearing Scott when 

the latter was still in his formative years. 

“When I was going to school in Brooklyn 

in 1950,” he says, “we had our spring frat 

dance. We hired Tony Scott’s group. He 

had Teddy Wilson on piano, Jimmy Crawford 

on drums, Don Eliott on vibes, and I 

can’t remember the bass player. Whoa, 

now that was something! Excellent. A 

memorable night. Beyond words. That 

was before he got in his modern style of 

playing. He was playing in the Benny 

Goodman style.” 

Not one to mince words, Scott can be 

quite outspoken. When asked by jazz 

writer Burt Korall in the late ’70s what the 

name Benny Goodman evokes in him, he 

replied, “The name calls to mind several 

things: ballads, virtuosity, great swing and 

style, the personality of a dead fish. I’ve 

never forgiven him for taking much of the 

money allotted for jazz clarinetists. Artie 

Shaw got the rest. There was nothing left 

by the time Buddy DeFranco and I came 

along.” He then went on, “Artie and Benny 

were two of the biggest whores in music. 

When they were at the top, they performed 

nine schlock tunes for every good jazz 

composition. I must say, though, that when 

Artie or Benny produced, it was fantastic, 

on a very high level.” 

While Scott could still reveal his debt to 

Goodman in 1950, he had long since come 

under the spell of another giant: Charlie 

Parker. He first met Parker in 1943. “I was 

sent to the Spotlite Club by Ben Webster 

[Tony’s chief mentor on 52nd Street] who 

had told me about Bird,” he says. “I was 

supposed to blow after him. I felt miserable 

… what the hell could I play after this 

musical madman? I walked up on the stage 

to be near him and played in the style of 

Goodman, but from that day on I wanted 

to play like Bird.” 

Always adventurous, Scott left the 

swing style behind and turned to the hot 

new thing: bebop. He was one of a handful 

of clarinet players to give it a go, and 

one of the first. (DeFranco is two years 

his junior.) 

Scott first gained national attention 

with his 10" LP on Brunswick, Music After 

Midnight, in 1953. Joined by Dick 

Katz, piano; Milt Hinton, bass; and Philly 

Joe Jones on drums, they recorded at 

Tony Scott at the French 

Lick Jazz Festival, French 

Lick Springs Hotel, 

August (?), 1959 

(Photo courtesy of 

Duncan Schiedt)

Minton’s in Harlem, often considered the 

birthplace of bop. 

That recording drew critical acclaim 

and led to his being named “New Star of 

1953” on clarinet by Downbeat’s annual 

critics’ poll. 

Later in the same year he cut a second 

successful 10" LP for Brunswick (this time 

recorded in the studio), which was not 

released until the following year. Writing 

in Downbeat (1953), jazz critic Nat Hentoff 

opined, “To this ear, Tony Scott has 

become our finest contemporary jazz clarinetist… 

No other modern clarinetist has 

the fire, the drive, and the beat Tony generates. 

DeFranco may have more fluent technique 

… but Scott too gives the impression 

of being able to execute almost any idea 

that comes to mind. And so many do.” 

The comparisons with DeFranco were 

inevitable. Clearly, they were the two top 

jazz clarinetists of the decade. DeFranco 

had owned the clarinet chair in Downbeat 

polls from 1945–1955, but Scott won for 

the first time in 1956 and dominated the 

critics’ and readers’ polls for the rest of 

the decade. 

DeFranco tells this story about himself, 

Scott and producer George Wein. 2 

“[Wein] called me one time after I had 

moved to California and said: ‘Buddy, 

I’ve been looking for Tony Scott but I 

can’t find him. Will you come out instead?’ 

Of course, he really wanted Tony 

and not me, see? So I said: ‘George, you 

just said the wrong thing.’ He also made 

me a pretty weak offer, adding: ‘Oh, I 

didn’t mean it that way.’ All he was trying 

to do back then was to let me know 

that Buddy wasn’t ‘in’ right then.” 

Scott made countless other recordings, 

both as a leader and as a sideman (with 

such stars as his close friend Billie Holiday), 

during the 1950s. He introduced a 

number of young artists who were later to 

become stars, not the least of whom was 

the gifted pianist Bill Evans. He experimented 

with group sizes, from his standard 

quartets to a septet and even a big band. 

RCA Victor offered him a huge contract to 

form a big band, promising to make his 

name household words. “All I could think 

of was Ivory soap 99 and 99/100% pure,” 

he says. “I was going to have to play white 

music, with white musicians for white audiences, 

so I said, ‘No thanks.’ My friends 

all said I was nuts, but I wanted to live 

like a Black jazz musician. Anyway, you 

can’t be a nun during the day and a whore 

at night.” 

He also performed and recorded on 

other instruments besides the clarinet. 

He’d always been very comfortable with 

the tenor saxophone and flute, and he 

studied piano at Juilliard. On his 1957 recording, 

The Modern Art of Jazz, he debuted 

on the baritone saxophone. In the 

following year, Downbeat named him not 

only the number one clarinetist but the 

new star on baritone! 

Despite all the acclaim — maybe, in 

part, because of it — Scott began to weary 

of the music business by the end of the 

decade. He had already taken three months 

at Charlie Parker’s home in Bucks County, 

Pennsylvania, to regroup in 1956. (You 

will recall that Artie Shaw also retired to 

his Bucks County farm for a time before 

resuming his career.) Shaw had had similar 

feelings when he finally dropped out of the 

business in 1954, and Buddy DeFranco 

“retreated” to California in the following 

year. The clarinet was hardly the instrument 

du jour in the jazz world. In fact, as 

Tony put it, “The clarinet is dead, and I 

hate funerals.” 

Beyond that, sadness had come along 

with all the success. He lost many close 

friends in the last half of the decade: “… 

Charlie Parker, my prophet and greatest 

friend (’55), Art Tatum (’56), Big Sid Catlett 

(’57), Lester Young (’58), Billie Holiday 

(’59), and for me the creativity in jazz 

died with them,” he said. “I’m looking for 

new sounds, new feeling and a change 

of thought.” 

Inspired perhaps by a successful tour of 

Europe and South Africa in 1957, he decided 

to acquire a further taste of the music 

scene abroad. So, on November 3, 1959, 

Scott set out for the Orient. 

To Be Continued 

SELECTED SOURCES 

James Isaacs, liner notes for Golden Moments 

(1982) 

Burt Korall, liner notes for Sung Heroes 

(1986) 

Burt Korall, “First Take: Tony Scott,” Jazz 

(1978) 

Cinzia Scott, The Musical Universe of 

Tony Scott. The official Web site of 

Tony Scott, . 

Bill Simon, “Tony Scott: Some Reminiscences 

of a Best Friend,” IARJC Journal 

(1998) 

John S. Wilson, liner notes for Both Sides 

of Tony Scott (1956) 

Lord, Tom, The JAZZ Discography (CD- 

ROM Version 6.0, 2005) 

A SELECTION OF 

RECORDINGS BY TONY 

SCOTT AS LEADER, 1950S 3 

Music After Midnight, Tony Scott Quartet, 

Brunswick BL 58040. Recorded 

live at Minton’s Playhouse, NYC, February 

5, 1953. 

Tony Scott Quartet, Brunswick BL 

58056. Recorded NYC, December 22 

and 27, 1953. 

Tony Scott Septet, RCA Victor EPA 596. 

Recorded NYC, December 28, 1954. 

Both Sides of Tony Scott, Tony Scott 

Quartet, RCA Victor LPM 1268. Recorded 

NYC, January 25-26, 1956. 

The Complete Tony Scott, Tony Scott and 

His Orchestra, RCA Victor LPM 1452. 

Recorded NYC, December 11, 1956. 

In Concert, Tony Scott and the Horst 

Jankowski Trio, Jazz Life 2673812 

(Holland). Recorded live in Ljubljana, 

Slovenia, May 10, 1957. (Released on 

CD, 1990.) 

My Kind of Jazz, Tony Scott Quintet, 

Perfect PS 14010. Recorded NYC, November 

16, 1957. 

The Modern Art of Jazz, Tony Scott 

Quintet, CELP (SEECO) 425. Recorded 

NYC, November 16, 1957. 

Tony Scott Plays Gypsy, Tony Scott and 

His Buddies (Quartet), Signature SM 

6001. Recorded NYC, 1959. 

Golden Moments, Tony Scott Quartet, 

Muse MR 5230. Recorded live at The 

Showplace, NYC, August 1 and 9, 1959. 

(Released 1982.) 

Sung Heroes, Tony Scott Quartet, Sunnyside 

SSC 1015 (France). Recorded 

NYC, October 28–29, 1959. (Released 

1986.) 

END NOTES 

1 

“The phone calls came in all hours of the day and 

night, sometimes for Tony ‘Scotcha,’ sometimes for 

‘Skeeacka.’ Finally, I suggested he make it easier on 

everyone and call himself Tony Scott” (Simon, 

1998). 

2 

A Life in the Golden Age of Jazz, 2002, p. 258. 

3 

These recordings are in the author’s personal collection 

and represent but a fraction of Scott’s total output. 

For recordings made before 1953, see Simon 

(1998) and Lord (2005), and since 1959, see part 

two of this article. 

March 2006 Page 73

The first installment in this series in 

the December issue considered two 

pre-war films, The Big Broadcast 

of 1937 and Hollywood Hotel. 

FOR AULD LANG SYNE, 

1938, WARNER BROS. INC. 

This 10-minute fund raising film for the 

Will Rogers Memorial has James Cagney 

introducing himself and later identifying 

all the attending guests as they arrive for 

the benefit. Among the many movie stars 

were Humphrey Bogart, John Barrymore, 

Bette Davis, Basil Rathbone, Errol Flynn 

and singer/actor Dick Powell. The musical 

highlights of the movie evolve around 

the Benny Goodman Orchestra, which included 

Gene Krupa and Lionel Hampton, 

who play extracts from the movie Hollywood 

Hotel. Unfortunately, the writer’s research 

turned up no images, printed material 

or a video of the movie. 

THE POWERS GIRL (U.S.), 

HELLO! BEAUTIFUL (U.K.), 

HOLA, PRECIOSA 

(ARGENTINA), 1942, 

UNITED ARTISTS 

This extravagant musical is based on 

the real Powers Modeling Agency in New 

The Movies of 

Benny Goodman 

A Pictorial Retrospective 

Take 2 

by James 

Gillespie 

Original still (l to r): George Murphy, 

BG and Dennis Day during a rehearsal 

Original lobby title card 

York (among its graduates: Grace Kelly, 

Lee Remick and Jennifer Jones) and a model’s 

rise to fame and shows actresses Anne 

Shirley and Carole Landis at their best. 

The Benny Goodman Orchestra is featured 

prominently throughout in such numbers 

as “Let’s Dance,” “The Lady Who 

Didn’t Believe in Love” (with vocalist 

Miss Peggy Lee), “One O’Clock Jump,” 

“Roll ’em,” and “I Know That You Know” 

(the Benny Goodman Quintet). Other vocal 

numbers with Dennis Day were with a 

studio orchestra. The band included: Jimmy 

Maxwell, Lawrence Stearns, Tony Faso 

(trumpets); Lou McGarity, Charles Castaldo 

(trombones); Hymie Schertzer, Clint 

Neagley (alto saxophones); Jon Walton, Al 

Klink (tenor saxophones); Bob Poland (baritone 

saxophone); Jimmy Rowles (piano); 

Dave Barbour (guitar); Cliff Hill (bass); 

and Hud Davies (drums). 1 

Page 74 

THE CLARINET

Original lobby card. Scene shows Dennis Day, BG and George Murphy at a fair where 

the BG band had just played for a rain-soaked group of frenzied jitterbuggers 

Sheet music “Three Dreams” from The 

Powers Girl published in New York in 

1942. 

Magazine ad from 1942 

Ad from U.K. magazine Kinematograph Weekley, May 20, 1943. 

Note British title Hello Beautiful. 

March 2006 Page 75

Sheet music “Out of This World” from 

Hello Beautiful (U.K.) published in the 

U.K. in 1943 

Danish program pamphlet sold at the film’s showing in Denmark. The sale of such pamphlets, 

which provided a summary of the plot, a list of the actors and a few photos from 

the film, have been common in European theaters for many years, but the practice has 

never been adopted in the United States. 

Original 

window 

card poster. 

These were 

placed in 

shop windows 

with 

the dates 

and name of 

the theater 

added in the 

blank space 

at the top. 

Spanish language poster from Argentina 

SYNCOPATION, 1942, 

RKO RADIO PICTURES INC. 

This musical attempts to chronicle the 

history of jazz with a story that centers on 

a trumpet player (recorded by Bunny Berigan 

for the soundtrack) who falls in love 

with a young woman with a passion for 

music. Unfortunately, the girl is still grieving 

for her true-love that she lost during 

Page 76

The two images at left are from a publicity 

pamphlet for Syncopation 

the war. The actors include Adolph Menjou, 

Jackie Cooper and Bonita Granville. 

Benny Goodman fans have to wait until 

the very end of the movie to hear him as a 

member of The Saturday Evening Post 

All-American Jazz Band that plays an untitled 

“Blues.” The band was comprised of 

Harry James, trumpet; Jack Jenney, trombone; 

Charlie Barnet, tenor saxophone; 

Joe Venuti, violin; Howard Smith, piano; 

Alvino Rey, guitar; and Gene Krupa, 

drums, and was selected by the readers of 

the then-popular magazine. The sequence 

serves as a sort of epilogue for the film 

and was recorded at the Fox-Movietone 

studios in New York City. However, Benny 

Goodman recorded his own solo with 

his own rhythm section separately, and it 

was dubbed into the picture’s soundtrack. 

Because he was late for the film sequence, 

an actor named Paul Rickey, with his back 

to the cameras, masqueraded as Goodman 

on screen. 2 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Benny Goodman, The Centennial Collection, 

Bluebird 82876-60088-2; Includes 

a CD with 21 standards and a 

DVD with excerpts from the following 

movies: The Powers Girl, The Gang’s 

All Here and Stage Door Canteen 

Connor, D. Russell and Warren W. Hicks. 

BG — On the Record, A Bio-discography 

of Benny Goodman, Arlington 

House, 1973 

Firestone, Ross. Swing, Swing, Swing, The 

Life and Times of Benny Goodman, W. 

W. Norton & Co., New York, 1993 

Maltin, Leonard. The Disney Films, Crown 

Publishers, Inc., New York, 1984 

Meeker, David. Jazz in the Movies, Talisman 

Books Ltd, London, 1981 

Paul, Jean-Marie, “Benny Goodman, roi 

du swing: 1909–1986,” Clarinette Magazine, 

Numéro 9-2ème Trimestre 1986, 

pp. 4–11 

Yanow, Scott. Jazz on Film, Backbeat 

Books, San Francisco, 2004 

END NOTES 

1 

Meeker, David. Jazz in the Movies, entry no. 2561 

2 

Connor, D. Russell and Warren W. Hicks. BG — On 

the Record, A Bio-discography of Benny Goodman, 

p. 323 

Page 77

The Mozart Partita Project 

First Editions of Parthien (Harmoniemusik) Attributed 

to Mozart — the Octets of K. Anhang C 

Page 78 

by David Bourque 

From about 1782 through about 1825, 

the term Harmonie ensemble defined 

a specific instrumentation. 

The traditional Harmonie consisted of pairs 

of oboes, clarinets, horns, and bassoons 

with or without a part for double bass. 

Flutes were almost always excluded. The 

term Harmoniemusik differentiated wind 

music written for Harmonie from that written 

for wind band or wind ensemble. 

During this period, thousands of original 

works were written for Harmonie. 

There were also many arrangements or 

transcriptions of other works including 

popular symphonies and operas of the day. 

Composers such as Beethoven and C. M. 

von Weber approved of and even supervised 

some of the arrangements of their 

works for Harmonie. 

The Mozart Partita Project undertook to 

publish four works contained in Köchel 

Anhang C (Anh.), three of which had 

never been published. It was a joint initiative 

of Northdale Music Press, a small 

publisher in Toronto specializing in wind 

band music, and myself as editor. We felt 

it important to find the earliest known 

materials and use these as our basis for the 

editions. In this way, we were not dealing 

with contamination due to copying errors 

and/or a performer’s markings in a set of 

parts. The editions by Northdale International 

represent the collaboration of several 

experts in assembling the very first fully 

edited and critical performance edition of 

these works. K. Anh. C 17.03 was first 

published in 1801 by Breitkopf & Härtel 

as part of a collection but it has not been 

available in a viable performing edition for 

many years. K. Anh. C 17.04, K. Anh. C 

17.05 and K. Anh. C 17.07 have never 

before been published. 

The great works for Harmonie, the Serenades 

K. 375 (E ♭ ) and K. 388 (c minor) 

and the Serenade K. 361 “Gran Partita” (a 

Harmonie ensemble with two added horns 

and two basset horns) are well known to 

wind players and scholars. It has always 

seemed a bit odd to me that Mozart would 

not have written more for Harmonie. My 

search for more Mozart Harmoniemusik 

led me to seek out the unpublished and 

unavailable works of K. Anhang C. 

What the heck is an Anhang? The works 

of Mozart are indexed in a thematic catalog, 

the Köchel Verzeichnis (abbreviated 

K. or K. V.). In the Sixth Edition of this 

Köchel catalog (K6) there is a series of 

Anhang, or appendices. These appendices 

contain works whose authenticity is deemed 

to be of a spurious nature (possibly counterfeit) 

or works thought to be by Mozart, 

but unable to be confirmed as such. The 

works that are the subject of this article are 

listed in the Köchel catalog in Anhang C 

(i.e., Appendix C), along with other spurious 

works. (For example, a popular work 

attributed to Mozart that is considered spurious 

is the Sinfonia Concertante for oboe, 

clarinet, bassoon, horn and orchestra, K. 

Anh. C. 14.01.) 

As with all of the works cataloged in 

Köchel Anhang C, the Parthien are also 

of questionable authenticity. There are arguments 

both “for” and “against” them 

being authentic. 

Authentic? 

• The works have a close affiliation to 

Mozart through his wife, Constanze, 

and Johann Traeg, a favorite copyist 

of Mozart and family friend. Constanze 

wrote in her correspondence about a 

number of works for harmonie, some 

incomplete. i 

• Constanze was protective of Mozart’s 

unfinished works and it would be unlikely 

that she allowed anyone to finish 

them. ii 

• Leeson and David Whitwell believe that 

the four Parthien in Prague are identical 

with those advertised in August of 1792 

by Johann Traeg. iii 

• Mozart had a fondness and great skill 

writing for Harmonie. The demand for 

Harmoniemusik in the 1780s and 1790s 

and the apparent lack of it by Mozart 

THE CLARINET 

has astonished scholars. iv One might 

postulate that Mozart would have been 

motivated to write more Harmoniemusik 

for the commission fees if nothing 

else. 

• There was a sizeable debt owed to Mozart 

by Anton Stadler, the clarinetist for 

whom Mozart wrote the Concerto, K. 

622 and the Quintet, K. 581. This debt 

was more than half of Mozart’s yearly 

court stipend v — could this be the fees 

for a number of commissions including 

the Parthien? After Mozart’s death, 

Constanze directed Traeg to contact 

Stadler regarding a number of manuscripts 

in Stadler’s possession. vi 

Not Authentic? 

• There is no autograph manuscript (i.e., 

a score in Mozart’s hand). 

• The works were not mentioned in Mozart’s 

correspondence in which he often 

discussed his works. 

• The works were released with a large 

volume of works attributed to Mozart. 

Why were these works not made available 

during Mozart’s lifetime, especially 

when he needed the income? 

• There are some stylistic concerns. 

SOURCE MATERIALS 

Dr. Neal Zaslaw of Columbia University 

and Daniel N. Leeson were appointed 

co-editors of the Harmoniemusik of 

Mozart for the Bärenreiter Neue Mozart- 

Ausgabe Edition of Mozart’s complete 

works. These two scholars are among the 

world’s leading authorities on the Harmoniemusik 

of Mozart. 

During his travels in the late 1960s and 

early 1970s, Leeson had come across manuscripts 

in the Klementinum University 

Library in Prague. In the early 1970s there 

were no photocopy machines in Communist 

Prague, so Leeson hired (at great personal 

expense!) a photographer to take 

photographs of each page of his discoveries. 

When I approached him about a performance 

part source for the octets, Leeson

provided me with the photographs he had 

taken in Prague. They were the works K. 

Anh. C 17.04, 17.05 and 17.07. Two are 

full-length partitas (five movements in 

17.04 and four movements in 17.05) — 

17.07 is a single movement work. Through 

the generous donation of Daniel Leeson, 

the Prague photographs of the Four Parthien 

now reside in the library at the University 

of Toronto, Faculty of Music. It is 

believed that this is the only reproduction 

of the Prague materials. 

Leeson and Whitwell state that the 

Fuchs materials of the Anhang C Harmoniemusik 

were copied from a score, and 

they believe that this is the same score that 

is in Prague. viii It is also believed that the 

Prague score was copied from a set of 

parts, not from another “earlier” score. ix As 

the Prague materials can be traced to 1792, 

they pre-date the Fuchs copies by 45 

years. Until the discovery of the Prague 

scores in 1972, the Fuchs parts were 

thought to be the earliest source material 

for these works. 

Themes of the four movements of K. Anh. C. 17.05 from Köchel Verzeichnis 6th Edition 

(K 6 ). Note “Abschr. Fuchs” (“copy Fuchs”) 

PROVENANCE 

The Prague materials were crucial to 

the Mozart Partita Project. Leeson had 

determined that these are the earliest 

known surviving copies of the works K. 

Anh. C 17.04, 17.05 and 17.07. vii On 

August 11, 1792, there appeared in the 

Weiner Zeitung an advertisement: 

From Johann Trag [sic] … the 

following works by Mozart are to 

be had: 

6 Masses by W.A. Mozart 

2 Pianoforte concertos`a 

2 Clavicemb. 

2 Concerti à Corno Princ. 

1 Concerto à Violino Princ. 

15 Sinfon. 

1 Cassatio à 2 Viol. 2 Cor. Viola è 

Basso. 

4 Parthien à 2 Obe 2 Clarinetti 2 

Cor. 2 Fag. [bold added] 

1 Quintetto à Corno 2 Viol. Viola è 

Basso 

2 Duetti à Violino è Viola 

24 Contredanses with all parts 

7 _____ with an Overture 

1 Sonata in D `a 2 Clavicemb. 

3 Sonates per il Clav. 

Various Arias with Italian text in 

Partitura 

3 Sinfon. Arranged as Quintets for 

2 Viol. 2 Viole è Basso 

1 Quintetto in G min. arranged for 

Clav. Viol.Viola è Basso 

In addition to the above, various 

further Quart. And Trios 

arranged for violin and Flute 

These works were put up for sale with 

the blessing of Constanze, Mozart’s widow. 

What a remarkable volume of works 

to be released at one time! In this release 

were the Four Parthien (shown in bold 

above), the very works that Leeson had 

discovered in Prague. 

Along with the Prague materials, I had 

a photocopy of manuscript parts originally 

copied by Alois Fuchs. It has been ascertained 

that the Fuchs parts originate from 

about 1837. 

Entry from K 6 states the location of the earliest known copy of K. Anh. C 17.05 and that the 

score is in the hand of Alois Fuchs. Notice Ausgabe: keine (publication [or edition]: none). 

Contacts for 

The Clarinet: 

Send all articles, recital programs, orders for back 

issues, announcements and any other non-commercial 

items intended for publication in The Clarinet to: 

James Gillespie, Editor/Publisher 

College of Music, University of North Texas 

P.O. Box 311367 

Denton, Texas 76203-1367 

E-mail: 

Send all printed materials (music, books, etc.) 

intended for review in The Clarinet to: 

Joseph Messenger, Editor of Reviews 

Department of Music, Iowa State University 

Ames, Iowa 50011 

E-mail: 

Send all recordings intended for review 

in The Clarinet to: 

William Nichols, Audio Review Editor 

School of Music, University of Louisiana at Monroe 

Monroe, Louisiana 71209-0250 

E-mail: 

Send all inquiries about advertising, notices of change 

of address, inquiries about I.C.A. membership, 

missing issues, etc., to: 

So Rhee, Executive Director 

P.O. Box 510650 

Salt Lake City, Utah 84151 

E-mail: 

March 2006 Page 79

Entry from K 6 states location of the earliest known copy of 17.07 — (paired with 17.05 in 

Parthia I) 

K. Anh. C 17.03 has different provenance 

than does K. Anh. 17.04, 17.05 and 

1707. As mentioned earlier, K. Anh. C 

17.03 was first released in 1801 in a collection 

published by Breitkopf & Härtel. 

Also in this collection was K. Anh. C 

17.01 (in E ♭ , a.k.a. Divertimento in E ♭ , K. 

App. 226), K. Anh. C 17.02 (in B ♭ , a.k.a. 

Divertimento in B ♭ , K. App. 227), works 

known to modern wind players. The set 

also contained an arrangement for eight 

players of some movements from the Gran 

Partita, K. 361 (K. 370a). K. Anh. C 17.01 

and 17.02 have been previously published 

in modern edition and have been available 

for many years in several editions, including 

one by Mozart’s biographer, Alfred 

Themes from the five movements of K. Anh C. 17.03 from Köchel 6th Edition. The first 

movement starts with an Adagio (not shown). The Breitkopf & Härtel edition of 1801 is 

the earliest known source for this work. 

THE EDITING PROCESS 

Einstein. Einstein was the editor of K 3 and 

it was his opinion K. Anh C 17.01 and 

17.02 (cataloged by him as K. App. 226 

and 227) were authentic Mozart. I obtained 

a photocopy of the 1801 B&H performance 

parts (there is no score published — 

the only score is in the hand of Alois Fuchs 

dating from about 1837) and used this to 

produce the critical edition for Northdale. 

Sadly, the plates for that original 1801 

B&H publication, along with many other 

historical editions, were destroyed in Leipzig 

as a result of the Allied bombing campaign 

during the Second World War. It is 

our intent to edit and publish a Northdale 

International edition of K. Anh. C 17.01 

and 17.02 in the future. 

The works were edited as critical editions. The Northdale International editions are 

intended both for scholarly use and as the basis for practical or performance editions. Efforts 

were taken to preserve all of the original markings (or alternatively, footnote in detail 

changes of these originals) found in the Prague photographs. 

There were hundreds of ambiguous and conflicting dynamic and articulation markings in 

this material. In all, thousands of changes needed to be made from the source material in 

order to produce a viable performance edition. Each change is footnoted with reference 

given to the source material. It is possible to reconstruct the source material by backtracking 

the footnoted changes. In support of a regular performance practice in Mozart’s time, I 

added an optional bass part — there was 

no bass part in the Prague materials. 

The edition is prefaced with performance 

notes. Among the suggestions are 

decorating a cadence with a solo voice 

under a fermata (an Eingang) and the embellishment/ 

improvisation on returning 

material, as in the reprise of “A” in an “A- 

B-A” form. 

There has been much debate about the 

significance of the specificity of Mozart’s 

own markings of articulation and dynamic 

markings. The problem was somewhat 

compounded in the Anhang C octets as 

there is no score in the hand of Mozart and 

there are dot and stroke articulation markings 

(Striche or Keil) in the source materials. 

In preparing the Bärenreiter Neue 

Mozart-Ausgabe Edition, the editors consulted 

five music history theorists. Four of 

these scholars, including Hermann Keller, 

determined that there is often a meaningful 

difference between a dot and wedge staccato, 

and some differences are determined 

by context between wedges themselves. It 

is predominately the results of Keller’s 

research X that is reflected in the performance 

notes that I included with this edition. 

I have also indicated places where 

players might choose to play Eingangen. 

FIRST RECORDING 

The Northdale International edition of 

the Harmoniemusik of K. Anh. C was 

recorded in December 2003 at the Glenn 

Gould Studio in Toronto. This is the premiere 

recording of the historical first editions 

of K. Anh. C 17.04, 17.05 and 

17.07. While K. Anh. C 17.01, 17.02 and 

17.03 have all been previously recorded, 

to my knowledge this recording is the 

first one that is faithful to the earliest 

known source material, the Breitkopf & 

Härtel publication of 1801. This is a recording 

by The Festival Winds, an allstar 

ensemble that includes clarinetist 

James Campbell and horn player James 

Sommerville of the Boston Symphony. 

The recording is available on CBC Records: 

. 

ARE THESE WORKS 

BY MOZART? 

The Octets of K. Anh C are a curiosity 

in many ways. There are some parts of 

the works that are technically brilliant, 

Page 80 

THE CLARINET

inspired, and stylistically polished. Then 

there are other sections that are arguably 

somewhat weak. What if Mozart designed 

these works as an exercise for his students? 

Perhaps the master wrote part of a movement 

and the student finished the composition 

of the movement. Is it possible Mozart 

gave this exercise to one of his students 

like Karl Andreas Göpfert (who, in another 

exercise, was asked by Mozart to arrange a 

stack of Mozart’s operas for Harmonie xi )? 

Does each of the Parthien contain the 

work of multiple students? 

These questions will inevitably lead us 

to the ultimate question: Are these works 

by Mozart? There is no conclusive proof 

that the works are composed by Mozart, 

nor is their conclusive proof that they are 

not by Mozart. Dan Leeson put it best in 

his introduction to the Northdale Editions 

when he said, “The statements ‘too good 

to be by anyone else other than Mozart’ or 

‘not good enough to be by Mozart’ are 

without substance. They are emotional 

statements and are intellectually bankrupt.” 

While academics should not opine 

that the works are by Mozart, we may say 

that they are a welcome addition to the 

Harmoniemusik repertoire. They deserve 

to be played and to be heard. 


David Bourque is the editor of the 

Northdale International editions of Köchel 

Anhang. C 17.03, 17.04, 17.05 and 

17.07. He has been the bass clarinetist in 

the Toronto Symphony Orchestra since 

1983. A regular guest instructor at Indiana 

University School of Music, David 

currently teaches clarinet and bass clarinet 

at the University of Toronto, Faculty 

of Music. He is the author of the newly 

released DVD tutorial. “Working the Single 

Reed.” David’s current projects include 

writing The Working Bass Clarinettist: 

an annotated symphonic excerpt book 

for bass clarinet. 

He can be reached through: . 

END NOTES 

i 

ii 

iii 

Letter from Constanze to Breitkopf & Härtel, 

27 Oct. 1798 and to J. André, 1 May 1800 

Daniel N. Leeson and David Whitwell, “Mozart’s 

‘Spurious’ Wind Octets,” Music and Letters, Vol. 

53, No. 4 (Oct. 1972), pp. 377–399 

Leeson and Whitwell, op. cit. 

iv 

Georges de St. Foix, “Mozart et les instruments à 

vent,” Bulletin de la Societé ‘Union Musicologique,’ 

v (1925) 

v 


vi 

Letter from Constanze to J. André, 21 February, 

1800 

vii 


CLARINETFEST® 

viii 


ix 


x 

Hermann Keller, Phrasing and Articulation: A 

contribution to a rhetoric of musis, with 152 musical 

examples, W.W. Norton (1973) 

xi 

Otto Erich Deutsch, Mozart: A Documentary Biography 

(London, 1965) 

2006 ONLINE REGISTRATION 

Registration for ClarinetFest® 2006 in Atlanta is available online. Consult the I.C.A. 

Web site for details and information. 

In Upcoming Issues 

of The Clarinet… 

• Industry Profiles, Rovner Ligatures 

• The Eclectic Trio: Recommended 

Trios and Duos for Flute, Clarinet 

and Saxophone 

• The Clarinetists of the Orchestra 

dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa 

Cecilia-Rome 

• The Movies of Benny Goodman 

(continued) 

March 2006 Page 81

An Early Performance of Messiaen’s 

Quartet for the End of Time 

by Albert R. Rice 

The following observations relate to 

the very interesting article on clarinetist 

Henri Akoka that appeared 

in The Clarinet, Vol. 32, No. 1 (December 

2004, 59–64) by Rebecca Rischin. 

A few years ago, Katie Clare Mazzeo 

gave me a copy of a photograph of the important 

composer Olivier Messiaen (1908– 

1992) standing with four young music students 

and their coach, Rosario Mazzeo. 

Having attended the Berkshire Music Center 

at Tanglewood, summer home of the 

Boston Symphony Orchestra, in 1979, I 

immediately recognized part of the “Shed” 

near the Chamber Music Hall. In 1949, 

Messiaen was Tanglewood’s composer-inresidence, 

which gave him the opportunity 

to have some of his works performed including 

the Quatuor pour la fin de temps, 

premiered earlier at Stalag VIIIA in Görlitz, 

Silesia on January 15, 1941. 1 The photograph 

(see Figure 1) is signed by Messiaen 

and dedicated to Rosario Mazzeo 

with some unreadable (by me) French text 

and a date of 24 July 1949. 

After contacting the archives of the 

Boston Symphony Orchestra, I was pleased 

to receive the original program with the 

help of archivist Bridgit Carr. The concert 

(see Figure 2) featured the Messiaen Quartet 

in the Tanglewood Chamber Music 

Hall, followed by Schumann’s String Quartet 

in A minor, Op. 41, no. 1. A typed program 

provided an English translation of 

the French text 2 and identified the performers: 

Violin, Paul Chalfant; Clarinet, Edmund 

Chassman; Violoncello, Edward 

Bisha; and Piano, Eloise Matthies. This 

performance of Messiaen’s Quartet must 

have been one of the earliest, if not the 

earliest, in the United States. Rischin 

reports that Durand in Paris published the 

score or piano part and parts in May 1942 

in a print run limited to only 100 copies 

because of paper shortages during World 

War II. 3 It is not clear when Durand reprinted 

the Quartet but it may have occurred 

during the 1950s when the world 

economy had improved. 

It would be interesting for readers to 

send in their recollections of clarinetist 

Page 82 

Figure 1 (above): 

Edward Bisha, Edmund 

Chassman, Rosario 

Mazzeo, Olivier Messiaen, 

Eloise Matthies 

and Paul Chalfant 

Figure 2 (right): 

Program of performance 

Edmund Chassman or 

any other performers on 

this 1949 Tanglewood 

program. 

END NOTES 

1 

See Rebecca Rischin, “Henri 

Akoka: The Clarinetist Who 

Premiered Messiaen’s Quaret 

for the End of Time,” The 

Clarinet, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Dec. 

2004): 59; and Rischin, For 

the End of Time: The Story of 

the Messiaen Quartet (Ithaca, 

New York: Cornell University 

Press, 2003), 61–70 and 

Figure 1. 

2 

Compare the translation in 

Rischin, For the End of Time, 

129–131. 

3 

Rischin, For the End of Time, 

83 

THE CLARINET

“ 

He’s 

Gone 

Away 

” 

(My continuing report on the life of 

Artie Shaw) 

by Nigel Hinson 

Front of house 

Driveway to house 

Tower and driveway 

The 1950s marked a new chapter in 

Artie Shaw’s life. From 1949 Artie 

had been living at “Picardy Farm,” 

a 240-acre dairy farm near New York and 

there is evidence to suggest that at this 

time he was very happy enjoying the country 

lifestyle. It was there that he penned his 

novel, The Trouble With Cinderella, which 

was eventually published in 1952 by Farrar, 

Straus and Young. 

This idyllic life was rudely interrupted 

in May 1953 when he was called to appear 

before the House Un-American Activities 

Committee in New York, suspected of having 

Communist sympathies. Artie was not 

the only one in the entertainment business 

to be interrogated. Despite this hanging 

over him, Artie still managed to record two 

sessions in July 1953 with his orchestra 

in New York. These sessions included: 

“These Foolish Things,” “In The Still of 

The Night,” “That Old Black Magic,” 

“They Can’t Take That Away From Me” 

and “September Song.” 

The last three sessions were with his 

Grammercy 5 in December 1953, February–March 

1954 and June 1954. These last 

recordings represent to me some of his 

finest playing, and to this day display a 

contemporary feel. Included were the 

much beloved “Besame Mucho,” “Tenderly,” 

“Stop and Go Mambo,” “Sunny 

Side Up” and “Don’t Take Your Love 

From Me.” 

With his marriage to Doris Dowling not 

working out and a rather large tax bill, 

Artie was forced to sell his beloved farm in 

1955 and decided to leave America. He 

moved to Bagur, a small village in Spain, 

and it is here that he had a house built on a 

mountain with breathtaking views. Artie 

put all his energy into designing this dream 

home himself. 

Recently I have acquired a number of 

slides Artie took of his house in Spain and 

the views around it. One of the slides (the 

one with Artie in it) must be the earliest 

shot because the house was obviously not 

finished. The slides are entitled “From Entrance 

And Around” with individual handwriting 

on each. It is here he spent time 

View from terrace 

Artie with contractor 

with Evelyn Keyes, although she doesn’t 

feature in these shots. 

Eventually, despite his anger at having 

been labeled a “controversial figure” by 

the American authorities which had initially 

inspired his move to Spain, he simply 

missed the pace of life back home 

and returned for good with Evelyn in 

1960. These slides must have been developed 

on his return as they are all dated 

October 1960. 

These slides taken by Artie show us a 

snippet of time that is little known or recorded 

and, although this period was musically 

unproductive, Artie was indulging his 

personal passions for fishing, writing and 

pursuing his newly developed interest in 

astronomy, trying to escape a life that had 

hounded him. 

In the end, maybe Artie discovered that 

as an American out in Europe he felt, “All 

Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go” which 

stirred a strong desire to go back to “The 

Old Stamping Ground.” 

March 2006 Page 83

MUSIC REVIEWS 

by Himie Voxman 

Christian Rummel. Andante Varié Theme 

and Variations-Polonaise, edited by 

Georgina Dobrée, for basset horn and 

piano. Emerson Edition (U.S. agent 

Theodore Presser), 2004. 

John P. Newhill’s The Basset-Horn 

and Its Music (1983) reports that the first 

edition of the Rummel was published by 

Schott in 1818–1819 and that it included 

parts for a string trio. Christian Rummel, a 

German composer and conductor, was 

born in Brichsenstadt, November 27, 

1787, and died in Wiesbaden, February 

13, 1849. He was a performer on the piano, 

violin and clarinet and was the municipal 

conductor in Wiesbaden from 1815 

until 1841. Among his numerous compositions 

were a clarinet concerto and pieces 

for military band. 

The solo consists of a “Theme Sostenuto” 

(no tempo indication) followed by 

five variations. In the last one the basset 

horn is tacet and the solo piano part is virtuosic. 

The work concludes with a Polonaise 

for both instruments. The solo part is 

of only medium difficulty. There is only 

one high F, and, of course, a number of 

low Cs, which might create some difficulty 

for B ♭ clarinet players. 

I can recall that not too many years ago 

the scarcity of basset horns (the spelling 

varies) in the professional world of music 

obliged some symphony performers to 

borrow from one another when, e.g., obliged 

to perform the Mozart Serenade, K. 

361, the Requiem, and his two Adagios, all 

of which require the instrument. I have no 

information regarding the volume of the 

basset horn sales, but there has been a 

sizeable increase in available music for it. 

In addition to the Rummel, Emerson publishes 

Gaspard Kummer’s Adagio and 

Variations, Op. 45, Mendelssohn’s Four 

Songs Without Words (clarinet or basset 

horn and piano) and his Concertstücke, 

Op. 13 (score and parts for orchestra), all 

edited by Georgina Dobrée. 

by Joseph Messenger 

New Publications 2005 

Included in this section is a listing of 

new books and music received for review 

Page 84 

THE CLARINET 

in The Clarinet during the past year. 

Reviews of some of the material have already 

appeared in print and more will appear 

in forthcoming issues. We are grateful 

to the publishers for providing the 

music for our consideration, and to the 

I.C.A. members who have written reviews 

for the journal. 

All of the books listed are interesting 

and useful. For those who teach the clarinet, 

volumes by Anthony Marks and 

Michèle Gingras will be invaluable as pedagogical 

aids. Albert Rice’s second book 

on the historical development of the clarinet 

and its music is scholarly (as his works 

always are) yet easily readable, and along 

with Gingras’ book, should be in every 

clarinetist’s library. 

G. Henle has published additional Urtext 

editions of the clarinet music of Mozart, 

Schumann and Debussy, and the edition 

of the Première Rhapsody includes 

commentary regarding the confusion 

about some of the notational differences 

between the piano and orchestral versions. 

(International also has a new edition of 

the Rhapsody edited by Stanley Drucker.) 

Other significant solo publications include 

the Rochberg Concerto, handsome new 

editions of the Devienne Sonatas (including 

a CD), and the Ghidoni Concerto. 

Also to be found are excellent new arrangements 

of Ibert Histoires, Malcolm 

Arnold English Dances, Brahms Intermezzo, 

Op. 118, no. 2, and yet another version 

of the ever-popular Histoire du Tango by 

Astor Piazzolla. For the bass clarinetist, 

there is Simon Proctor’s challenging Lyrical 

Concerto. 

There are a number of substantial 

chamber works, both original and new 

transcriptions. Major original compositions 

include Tempest Fantasy by Paul Moravec 

(winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize), Quintet 

by Anthony Iannoccone, Samuel Baron’s 

Rhapsody on a Chassidic Tune, and 

two new pieces from Libby Larson. There 

are new Urtext editions of the Mozart 

Quintet and Serenade, K. 388 from Henle 

and an excellent new edition of the Parto, 

Parto aria from La Clemenza di Tito from 

Emerson Edition (which has also brought 

back updated editions of several out-ofprint 

works). In addition to his original 

composition, Samuel Baron has transcribed 

the Brahms Quartet No. 1, Op. 25 

for piano and wind quintet. Clarinet choir 

enthusiasts will find Leonard Salzedo’s 

Canzona (with percussion) intriguing, and 

Paul Harvey’s delightful The Young Person’s 

Guide to the Clarinet Choir will entertain 

audiences and players alike. 

The extensive series of graded ensemble 

pieces and the Jazz Program series 

from the Associated Board of the Royal 

School of Music are worthy of examination 

of everyone who teaches the clarinet, 

for both beginning and advanced students. 

Jean-Marc Allerme’s Jazz Attitude books 

are also useful and include accompaniment 

CDs. Younger students will benefit from 

Melodic Etudes by Ted Hegvik and the Ich 

spiele Klarinette books by Jorg Fehr, although 

in German (an English edition is in 

the works), are well thought-out beginning 

methods. More advanced students will find 

Ruben Greenberg’s Melodic Finger Twisters 

intriguing. JB Linear Music has taken a 

somewhat different approach to etude 

material with John Gibson’s Advanced 

Clarinet Technique, a book of studies 

based on orchestral literature. 

This music is available from the publisher 

or from the dealers who advertise in 

The Clarinet. 

Books 

Beeching, Angela Myles, Beyond Talent, 

Oxford University Press, 2005. 

Gushee, Lawrence, Pioneers of Jazz, Oxford 

University Press, 2005. 

Gingras, Michèle, Clarinet Secrets, Scarecrow 

Press, 2004. 

Marks, Anthony, ed., All Together! Teaching 

music in groups, The Associated 

Board of The Royal Schools of Music, 

2004. 

Pinksterboer, Hugo, Tipbook Clarinet, The 

Tipbook Co., 2001, $9.95. 

Rice, Albert R. The Clarinet in the Classical 

Period, Oxford University Press 

2003.

Music 

Advance Music 

Curtis, Mike, 5 Huapangos (2 cl), 2005. 

_____, 5 Huapangos (cl, bcl), 2005. 

_____, Suite Nayarit (2 cl), 2005. 

Alry Publications 

Brahms, Johannes, Serenade, op.11, 

mvmt IV, arr. Mark Popkin 

(fl, ob, 2 cl, 2 bssn), 2001, $15.00. 

McMichael, Catherine, Eclectic Trio 

(fl, cl, asax), 2004, $19.00. 

Robertson, Donna, arr. Three American 

Folk Hymns (fl, ob, cl), 2005, $11.50. 

Schwarz, Ira-Paul, Rondo Caprice 

(fl, cl, bcl), 2002, $12.00. 

Wheeler, John, arr. Legend of the Birds 

(picc, 3 fl, afl, bfl, 3 cl, bcl), 2004, 

$18.50. 

Associated Board of the Royal School 

of Music (U.S. agent C.F. Peters) 

Clarinet Exam Pieces 2004–2007 Grade 8 

CD (cl, pf/pf without cl), 2004, $42.00. 

Caprioglio, Gene, coordinator, Jazz Program, 

Jazz Clarinet Syllabus, text, 2004. 

_____, Jazz Program, Jazz Clarinet Scales 

Grade 1-5 (cl), 2003. 

_____, Jazz Program, Jazz Clarinet Tunes 

Grade 1 (cl, pf, CD), 2003, $19.95. 


Grade 2 (cl, pf, CD), 2003, $24.95. 


Grade 3 (cl, pf, CD) 2003, $24.95. 


Grade 4 (CD), 2003, $14.95. 

Scaife, Nigel, ed. Clarinet Ensemble Pieces: 

Copper (2–4 cl), 2004. 

_____, Clarinet Ensemble Pieces: Bronze 

(2–4 cl), 2004. 

_____, Clarinet Ensemble Pieces: Silver 

(2–4 cl), 2004. 

_____, Clarinet Ensemble Pieces: Gold 

(2–4 cl), 2004. 

_____, Clarinet Ensemble Pieces: Platinum 

(2–4 cl), 2004. 

Breitkopf & Härtel 

Schmitz, Manfred, Pop Collection, Two 

volumes (1–3 cl, pf), 2005, Vol. 1, 

$14.50, Vol. 2, $18.50. 

BRS Music 

Debussy, Claude, Jimbo’s Lullaby, arr. 

Bruce Smith (cl choir), 2005, $20.00. 

Marcello, Bendetto, Sonata, op. 1, no. 6, 

arr. Bruce Smith (bcl, pf), 2005, $5.00. 

C.F. Peters 

Klassik Highlights (cl, CD), 2004, $19.95. 

Ross, William, arr. Danny Boy (cl, pf) 2003. 

Camden Music 

(U.S. agent Theodore Presser) 

Wilson, Jeffery, Colour Studies (cl), 2002, 

$11.95. 

Doblinger 

Klaschka, Martin, Fortunes (4 winds), 

2003. 

Wolfgang, Wernot, Reflections (vn, cl, pf), 

2002. 

Edition Kunzelmann 

(U.S. agent C.F. Peters) 

Blatt, Franz Thaddeus, 3 Duos Concertant, 

ed. Fritz-George Höly (2 cl), 1996. 

Brahms, Johannes, Intermezzo, Op. 118 

Nr. 2, arr. Nicolai Popov (cl in A, pf), 

2004. 

Höyl, Fritz-Georg, ed. Zugaben und Stücke 

für Klarinette und Orgel (cl, organ), 

2002. 

_____, arr. Festliche Weihnachtsmusik 

(cl, pf or organ), 2004, $29.00. 

Editions Combre 


Colles, Jean-Bernard, Le Bohneur des 

Oiseaux (cl), 2002, $20.95. 

Gartenlaub, Odette, Pour rêver et Pour 

rire (cl, pf), 2002, $17.95. 

_____, Trois Estampes (cl, pf), 2002, 

$17.95. 

Pascal, Claude, Bleu (cl, pf), 2002, $19.95. 

Petit, Jean-Louis, Souffle III (cl, pf), 2002, 

$21.95. 

Emerson Edition 


Greaves, Terence, A Garden of Weeds 

(sop, cl, pf), 2003. 

Jacob, Gordon, Music for a Wedding 

(fl, cl, va, vc), 2004. 

Mozart, W.A. Parto, Parto, ed. Chris 

Allen (cl, pf, voice), 2003. 

Reinecke, Carl. Fantasiestücke, Op. 22, 

ed. Georgina Dobree (cl in A, pf), 2004. 

Ridout, Alan, Octet (cl, bssn, horn, 2 vn, 

va, vc, db), 1988. 

Rummel, Christian, Andante Varié, ed. 

Georgina Dobrée (basset horn, pf), 2004. 

Salzedo, Leonard, Canzona, Op. 106 

(cl choir, perc), 2004. 

et cetera publications 

Hegvik, Ted, Melodic Etudes (cl), 2004. 

G. Henle 

Mozart, W.A. Concerto, K. 622, ed. Henrik 

Wiese (cl/basset cl, pf), 2003, $34.95 

Mozart, W.A. Klarinnetenquintett K. 581, 

Quintettfragment K. Anh. 91, ed. 

Henrik Wiese (cl, 2 vn, va, vc) 2005, 

$13.95 score, $25.95 parts. 

Mozart, W.A. Serenade K. 388, ed. Henrik 

Wiese (2 ob, 2 cl, 2 hn, 2 bssn), 2005, 

$21.95 score, $40.95 parts. 

Schumann, Robert, Fantasiestücke, op. 73, 

ed. Ernst Herttrich (cl, pf), 2005, $19.95 

Debussy, Claude, Première Rhapsodie and 

Petite Piece, ed. Ernst-Gunter Heinemann 

(cl, pf), 2004, $29.95. 

Gérard Billaudot 


Dais, J. B. Petite Fantaisie sur Le Carnaval 

de Venise (cl, pf), 2003, $14.95 

Gold Branch Music 

Pinkston, Dan, Arise and Dance (cl, pf), 

2005. 

Steinke, Greg, Memories of Chief Joseph 

(cl, marimba), 2004. 

_____, Memories of Chief Joseph (cl, pf), 

2004. 

Heldegard Publishing 


Potes, Alba, Tres Miniaturas para las 

Mariposas Ausentes (cl, bssn, pf), 2004, 

$8.95. 

Henry Lemoine 


Allerme, Jean-Marc, Jazz Attitude Book 1, 

Book 2 (cl, CD), 2002, $46.95 each 

book. 

Devienne, François, Première Sonate 

(cl, pf, CD), 2002, $55.00 including CD 

of all three sonatas. 

_____, Deuxième Sonate (cl, pf), 2002, 

$31.95. 

_____, Troisième Sonate (cl, pf), 2002, 

$31.95. 

Didier, Yves, Regard (cl), 2002, $37.95. 

Piazzolla, Astor, Histoire du Tango, arr. 

Dmitriy Varelas (cl, pf), 2005, $45.95. 

Hunt Edition 


Greenburg, Ruben, Melodic Finger Twisters 

for Clarinet (cl), 2004. 

Taggart, Hilary, Rock ‘n’ Pop Scales 

(cl, CD), 2003, $32.95. 

March 2006 Page 85

Innovative Music 

Fehr, Jorg, Ich spiele Klarinette…! 

2 volumes (cl), 2000. 

International Music 

Debussy, Claude, Première Rhapsody, ed. 

Stanley Drucker (cl, pf), 2003, $18.00. 

Schumann, Robert, Fantasy Pieces, op. 73 

(B ♭ clarinet part). 2004, $7.00. 

JB Linear Music 

Gibson, John, Advanced Clarinet Technique 

(cl), 2003, $12.00. 

Lazarus Edition 

Spaeth, Andreas, Alpenlied, Op. 167, No. 7 

(voice, cl, pf), 2004. 

Leduc (U.S. agent Theodore Presser) 

Coiteux, Francis, Chant des Clarines 

(cl, pf), 2004, $15.95. 

Ghidoni, Armando, Concerto (cl, pf), 

2003, $47.95. 

_____, Nocturne & Sicilienne (cl, pf or 

harp), 2003, $21.95. 

Ibert, Jacques, Histoires, arr. Guy Deplus 

(cl, pf), 2004, $39.95. 

Lengnick (dist. Faber Music) 

Arnold, Malcolm, English Dances, 

arr. Paul Harris (cl, pf), 2004. 

Malcolm Music (dist. Shawnee Press) 

Beethoven, Ludwig van, Allegretto from 

Sonata No. 9, arr. Harry Gee (3 cl, bcl), 

2005, $15.00. 

Media Press 

Henry, Otto, Three Serial Duets (fl, cl), 

2004 

Karlins, M. William. Just a Line From 

Chameleon (2 cl), 2004. 

Merion Music 


Hodkinson, Sidney, Three Little Pieces 

(cl, pf), 2003, $10.95. 

Noetzel Edition (U.S. agent C.F. Peters) 

Heger, Ziwe. Strassenmusik à 3 (3 cl), 

2004. 

Oxford University Press 

Baron, Samuel, Rhapsody on a Chassidic 

Tune (fl, ob, cl, hn, bssn), 2005, $37.50. 

Brahms, Johannes, Quartet No. 1, Op. 25, 

arr. Samuel Baron (fl, ob, cl, hn, bssn, 

pf), 2003, $120.00. 

Page 86 

Larsen, Libby, Black Birds, Red Hills 

(cl, va, pf), 2005. 

_____, Yellow Jersey (2 cl), 2005, $23.95. 

Long, Zhou, Dhyana (fl, cl, vn, vc, pf), 

2005, $49.95 

Peer Music (U.S. agent Theodore Presser) 

Bermel, Derek, SchiZm (cl, pf), 2003, 

$23.95. 

Kitzke, Jerome, She Left In The Crow- 

Black Night (cl), 2004, $7.95. 

Reynard Music 

Harvey, Paul, The Young Person’s Guide 

to the Clarinet Choir (clarinet choir), 

2004. 

Robert Martin 


Stucky, Steven, Meditation and Dance 

(cl, pf), 2004, $12.95. 

Southern Music 

Proctor, Simon, Lyrical Concerto (bcl, pf), 

2004, $17.50. 

Subito Music 

Moravec, Paul, Tempest Fantasy (cl, vn, 

vc, pf), 2003, $60.00 score and CD, 

$65.00 parts. 

Tenuto Publications 


Iannaccone, Anthony, Quintet (cl, 2vn, 

va, vc) 2003, $65.00. 

Skolnick, Walter, Sonatina (cl, pf), 2004, 

$13.95. 

Theodore Presser 

Beethoven, Ludwig von. Ode to Joy, 

arr. Daniel Dorff (cl, pf), 2004. 

Hailstork, Adolphus, Three Smiles for 

Tracey (cl), 2003, $7.95. 

Rochberg, George, Concerto (cl, pf), 1996, 

$22.50. 

Tritone Press 


Karlins, M. William, Improvisations (bcl), 

2004, $8.95. 

Universal Edition 


Rae, James, Easy Blue Clarinet (cl, pf), 

2005, 15.95. 

_____, Introducing Clarinet Duets (2 cl), 

2005, $11.95. 

_____, Introducing Clarinet Trios (3 cl), 

2005, $15.95. 

THE CLARINET 

_____, Introducing Clarinet Quartets 

(4 cl), 2005, $19.95. 

_____, Style Workout (cl), 2005, $19.95. 

_____, arr. Claude Debussy Clarinet 

Album (cl, pf), 2005, 24.95. 

Wehr’s Music House 

Cooman, Carson P. Four Sunsets, Op. 567 

(cl), 2004. 

Ehle, Robert. Clarinet Quartet No. 2 (4 cl), 

2005, $7.00. 

Hilfiger, John Jay, arr. Christmas Carol 

Suite (cl, pf), 2004, $7.50. 

Miserendino, Joe, The Brook, The Bear & 

The Bird (cl, bssn, harp), 2005, $11.50. 

COMPACT DISC REVIEWS 

by Michèle Gingras 

The American Chamber Ensemble 

Plays Peter Schickele. The American 

Chamber Ensemble: Naomi Drucker, 

clarinet and co-director; Blanche Abram, 

piano and co-director; Marilyn 

Sherman Lehman, piano; Eriko Sato, 

violin; Deborah Wong, violin; Lois 

Martin, viola; Chris Finckel, cello; Kurt 

Muroki, bass; Braden Toan, bassoon; 

and Eva Conti, horn. Clarinet band: 

Stanley Drucker, Mindy Dragovich, 

Mitchell Estrin, Jess Gross, Amy Shapiro, 

Lawrence Sobol, Peter Weinberg, 

and Robert Yamis. Peter Schickele: 

Serenade for Three for clarinet, violin 

and piano; Quartet for clarinet, violin, 

cello and piano; Monochrome III for 

nine clarinets; Octet for clarinet, bassoon, 

horn, string quartet and bass. 

ELYSIUM RECORDINGS GRK 725. 

Total time 59:40. (Available from Mid 

America Productions, Web site: and from Qualiton 

Imports, Web site: )

To mark their 40th anniversary, The 

American Chamber Ensemble released a 

remarkable recording featuring clarinet 

chamber music composed by Peter Schickele. 

Better known as “P.D.Q. Bach,” 

Schickele was born in 1935 in Ames, 

Iowa. He became a household name by using 

satire to make classical music more 

accessible to general audiences. He is recognized 

as a serious conductor and educator, 

and has his own syndicated Public Radio 

International music program called 

Schickele Mix, where his music is performed 

by leading symphony orchestras in 

the country. 

Peter Schickele’s list of achievements is 

enormous, including a handful of Grammy 

Awards, numerous commissions from organizations 

such as Walt Disney Pictures, 

the Verdehr Trio, the Chamber Music Society 

of Lincoln Center, the Boston Pops, 

and the Canadian Brass. Schickele’s music 

is rich in sound, uncluttered in texture, gorgeous, 

graceful, fun and tasteful. 

The American Chamber Ensemble is a 

long established New York organization. 

Three of the compositions feature its clarinetist 

and co-director Naomi Drucker. Her 

playing is full of fire, and she is surrounded 

by an array of superb musicians. Naomi 

Drucker is a well-known clarinetist with a 

busy career as a soloist, chamber and orchestral 

musician, and educator. She performed 

for many I.C.A. conferences and as 

a member of the New York Philharmonic. 

She and her husband, Stanley Drucker 

have released three other recordings: New 

York Legends, Naomi Drucker and 

Stanley Drucker Play Meyer Kupferman 

and Music for Doubles. 

Written in 1993, Serenade for Three is 

a relatively short piece for clarinet, violin, 

and piano, one of Schickele’s favorite instrumental 

combinations. The work is perfect 

for the concert hall with exciting rhythms, 

whirling unisons, minimalist and 

mysterious interludes, folk flavors, and 

fantastic country fiddling fun. 

Quartet for clarinet, violin, cello and 

piano (1982) is as masterful as a work can 

be. Naomi Drucker and her colleagues 

give a virtuoso rendition of this intricate 

and technically challenging four-movement 

piece. 

Stanley Drucker leads a clarinet nonet 

ensemble in Monochrome III (1974), with 

his sparkling musicianship and trademark 

vibrato. The first part of the work contains 

a little bit of jazz influence, and the 

second part revolves around a simple 

waltz melody. 

Schickele wrote a series of pieces for 

groups of a single instrument. Even though 

it is labeled third in the series, this is the 

first recording of any piece from the collection. 

While a few isolated parts are a little 

out of center tonally, the entire ensemble is 

extremely tight, precise and electrifying. 

The Octet for clarinet, bassoon, horn, 

and strings is yet another of Schickele’s 

masterpieces. It is scored for the same 

eight instruments that Schubert used in his 

own famous Octet, and it has an interesting 

birth story. Schickele wrote the octet in 

honor of his mother’s birthday when she 

turned 80 on 8/8/88. The work contains 

elements reminiscent of all kinds of music 

ranging from Ravel’s Bolero to a Mozart 

divertimento, to Dionysian dance music. 

Of particular note is Eva Conti’s microscopic 

precision of staccato on the horn. 

The composer was present during the 

recording sessions, although it is said that 

he had to drive through a huge snowstorm 

to attend a rehearsal for the recording. 

The sound engineering is excellent, and 

the CD liner notes include interesting personal 

notes from the composer, as well as 

a wealth of information about the works 

and performers. 

I wholeheartedly recommend the acquisition 

of this recording. It deserves multiple 

spins, so I give it my very top four-reed 

rating for amazing repertoire and virtuosity 

from Naomi Drucker and The American 

Chamber Ensemble, plus one horn mouthpiece 

for the whiz precision of hornist Eva 

Conti in the Octet. 

by David Shea 

Walter Boeykens — Clarinet Master 

Class, Vol. 1. Walter Boeykens, clarinet; 

Jan Gruithuyzen, piano. Henri 

Rabaud: Solo de concours, Op. 10; 

Niels Gade: Fantasy Pieces, Op. 43; 

Malcolm Arnold: Sonatina; Leonard 

Bernstein: Sonata; Robert Schumann: 

Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73; Gabriel Pierné: 

Canzonetta, Op. 19; Francis Poulenc: 

Sonata. ET’CETERA KTC 1282. Total 

time 66:48. (Available from Amazon: 

) 

Over decades, the Belgian clarinetist 

Walter Boeykens has established himself 

as one of the great clarinetists and teachers 

of our time. After leaving the BRTN Philharmonic 

Orchestra in 1984, he has enjoyed 

a career as a soloist and has played 

all over the world with many of the leading 

orchestras and conductors. He has an 

extensive list of recordings that includes 

most of the masterworks for the instrument. 

Currently, Boeykens teaches at the 

Royal Flemish Music Conservatoire in 

Antwerp as well as other music academies 

in Rotterdam, Nice, Paris and Turin. 

In 1995, he was appointed Cultural Ambassador 

of Flanders and was knighted by 

Belgian King Albert II in July of 1997. 

The opening selection on this CD is 

Rabaud’s Solo de concours. Right away, 

one experiences the best of Boeykens’ 

artistry. The beautiful sound, virtuosity, 

artistry and and musical expression instantly 

grab one’s attention. Furthermore, the 

recording quality of the CD is one of the 

best I have heard involving solo clarinet 

and piano. The recording is very clear, and 

the wonderful blend between piano and 

clarinet is very engaging. One looks forward 

to hearing the rest of the CD from the 

first moment. 

Niels Gade’s Fantasy Pieces is a good 

contrast in musical style to the opening 

solo. Boeykens does a beautiful job presenting 

these pieces in a simple and expressive 

style. Every phrase is clearly articulated 

and there isn’t a moment of flat expression. 

He successfully presents these 

pieces as the charming and wonderful 

miniatures that have made them so popular 

in recital. 

The Sonatina of Malcolm Arnold is the 

next work on the CD. Usually performances 

of this piece take the tempi to the brink, 

resulting in an exhilarating but sometimes 

unsatisfying musical experience. It is a 

delight to hear tempi on the performance 

that made musical sense. The first and last 

March 2006 Page 87

movements have great drive and are very 

exciting. Yet, Boeykens also manages to 

squeeze a bit more music out of the score 

while keeping the fast paced virtuosity one 

comes to expect from this piece. 

The performance of the Bernstein Sonata 

is the best I have ever heard of this 

work. The interpretation is not eccentric or 

out of the mainstream, but it is the subtle 

details of the performance that give the 

piece a fresh and wonderful life. The connection 

between the contrasting sections 

and the way in which the music is delivered 

flows effortlessly. There is almost a 

narrative quality to the work. All of the 

pieces on the CD are like this. However, 

this particular performance, compared to 

other fine performances of this work by 

other artists, seems to stand out as something 

special. 

The Fantasy Pieces of Robert Schumann 

showcases the talents of pianist Jan 

Gruithuyzen and the chamber talents of 

both artists. All three movements are pure 

music from beginning to end. The phrasing 

and ensemble is clear and concise. One 

hears this performance and concludes that 

this performance really works and is truly 

successful in capturing the style of Schumann’s 

chamber works. 

The final two works on the CD feature 

the music of French composers Gabriel Pierné 

and Francis Poulenc. Pierné’s Canzonetta 

is a short one-movement work 

which is light and very tuneful. The music 

is simple, the character charming, and 

Boeykens does a wonderful job capturing 

the essence of the piece. This French set is 

balanced with the Sonata of Poulenc, 

which is played with great flair and virtuosity. 

Boeykens uses the corrected edition 

of the work, so those who are familiar only 

with the other edition will enjoy the corrections. 

The opening movement is performed 

with the energy and contrast that 

define its form. The middle movement is 

played with great expression and captures 

the introspective and sad nature of its content. 

“Con fuoco” is the title of the final 

movement, and the performance doesn’t 

disappoint. Both Boeykens and Gruithuyzen 

perform it with great style and flair, 

and it is the perfect closer for this CD. 

This CD is truly a wonderful production 

and should be a staple in the CD collection 

of any serious clarinetist. The title 

of “Master Class” is very appropriate, as 

the repertoire selected includes many of 

Page 88 

the standards that conservatory and university 

students study. There is a good mixture 

of standards that have been recorded, 

and standards that are performed frequently 

but recorded less frequently, and are difficult 

to find. This title also reflects the quality 

of the performances, in that any listener 

can hear how these pieces come to life 

when beautiful clarinet playing is combined 

with an experienced artist’s mind. I 

truly look forward to this series being continued 

and will be one of the first to place 

an order as future titles are made available. 

by Ani Berberian 

The Clarinet Trio — Ballads and Related 

Objects. Gebhard Ullmann, bass 

clarinet; Jürgen Kupke, clarinet; Michael 

Thieke, alto clarinet and clarinet. 

Gebhard Ullmann: Déjà Vu (Variation); 

Seven 9–8; Almost Twenty-Eight; 

Variations On a Theme by Claude 

Debussy; 29 Shoes; Verschiedene Annäherungen 

an den Ton Ges; Déjà Vu 

(Theme); Desert … Bleue … East; Déjà 

Vu (Variation 2); Kupke-Thieke-Ullmann: 

Collective No. 9 (Part 1–4); 

Collective 10 (Lines); Collective No. 11 

(Hohe Objekte); and Collective No. 12 

(Ballad). LEO RECORDS CD LR 415. 

Total time 52:26. (Leo Records Web 

site: , or e-mail: 

) 

THE CLARINET 

Recorded in August of 2003 and released 

by Leo Records, Ballads and Related 

Objects is the third compact disc 

recording by The Clarinet Trio. This versatile 

and innovative, improvisational trio 

from Berlin is comprised of Jürgen Kupke, 

Michael Thieke and Gebhard Ullmann. 

Described as one of the most prolific composers 

and performers in experimental 

jazz, Ullmann composed and produced all 

of the works on this recording exclusively, 

with Kupke and Thieke collaborating with 

Ullmann on four collective pieces. An impressive 

feat, this is Gebhard Ullmann’s 

30th CD recording, which marks the 20th 

anniversary of his debut album, Playful, 

catapulting him to the top of European jazz 

circles. All of his compositions are performed 

as one long suite which takes the 

listener on a journey through various musical 

styles, including references to such jazz 

concepts as swing, the blues and the ballad. 

This “suite” showcases his purposeful 

yet daring and free-spirited compositional 

style. His compositions keep the listener 

engaged by unpredictable compositional 

directions and ever-changing textures. The 

calculated placement of these works on the 

recording also maintains the interest of the 

listener by vacillating between contemporary 

and jazz styles mentioned above. The 

use of various colors and contemporary 

techniques, such as multiphonics, flutter 

tonguing, guttural noises and growls, intentional 

squeaks, key clicks, reed and lip 

smacks, and the use of the extreme altissimo 

register, contributes to the unpredictability 

of these journeys. 

Ullmann comments on the contents and 

relevance of this recording: “The group on 

this album is a working band and continues 

my exploration of woodwind music. I 

used some of the aesthetics of composed 

chamber music from the 20th century. I 

like to think of my albums as musical paintings 

that may create different associations 

for everybody — like short movies to listen 

to.” Generally speaking, the term ballad 

may be defined as a narrative poem or 

popular song of a romantic or sentimental 

nature, often of folk origin, consisting of 

simple stanzas and usually having a refrain. 

However, the term ballad, as indicated 

in the recording’s title, has different 

meanings for the trio and should not be 

taken in the literal sense. Even the ensemble’s 

name, The Clarinet Trio, is a “freeform” 

title and can imply many things. 

This is extreme clarinet in every sense of 

the word! 

What I first noticed about the recording 

was the sound quality. One word can 

describe this quality: organic. With little or 

no reverb present, the recording quality is 

very clear and provides the listener with 

a pure concept of sound, exposing every

idiosyncrasy of each instrument’s tone 

quality. This is something which I find 

very refreshing pertaining to European 

recordings in general. Excessive editing 

and added reverb can take away from a 

spontaneous performance, making it in 

some way, sterile, and also not a true representation 

of sound. Of course, every 

recording contains some edits and this is 

no exception. There are some audible edits, 

especially in the work, Almost Twenty- 

Eight. However, these edits almost become 

part of the compositions themselves by 

ceasing or shifting the direction of a work 

through the creation of black noise, or a 

total void of sound. 

The tone quality of each instrument 

within the ensemble is not homogenous, 

which lends each instrument its own individualistic, 

independent voice. Furthermore, 

the organic recording quality clearly 

accentuates variances in tone color produced 

by the contemporary techniques, 

which hold equal importance with actual 

pitches in Ullmann’s compositions. As 

heard in the Déjà Vu and Theme and Variations 

(which interestingly enough begins 

with “Variation 1” and not the “Theme”), 

the Trio experiments with other variances 

in sound, such as fuzzy or airy sound quality 

and differing speeds of vibrato. These 

techniques provide a sentimental feel, perhaps 

correlating with the concepts of “Déjà 

vu” or “Ballad.” They are not afraid to produce 

an “imperfect” sound, which is another 

example of their courageous and innovative 

spirit, which I admire very much. 

There is a discrepancy on the CD liner 

notes regarding the location of where the 

CD was recorded. In the notes, Ullmann 

states that the CD was recorded in the 

beautiful old chamber music hall of the 

RBB Radio in Berlin. However the back of 

the liner notes indicates the location to be 

the SFB Studios in Berlin. Could it be the 

same place? 

Throughout this recording, each of the 

performers displays technical virtuosity, 

tremendous flexibility between varying 

styles and registers, and an insightful understanding 

of the compositions themselves. 

Furthermore, each of the performers 

is featured equally on improvisational 

solos, which gives each of them the opportunity 

to display his technical prowess. 

Ullmann’s improvised bass clarinet solo in 

29 Shoes is especially impressive, depicting 

the swirling of energy surrounding the 

29 shoe stores found in Berlin’s central 

district. All multiphonics and other contemporary 

techniques are executed by 

every performer with such masterful control 

and grace, especially at the softer 

dynamic levels. It is clear that these techniques 

are a natural part of who they are as 

musicians, just as if executing a C major 

scale (as one would hope)! This recording 

provides the music student with an extraordinary 

example of how these techniques 

should sound when performed. 

The Clarinet Trio is an extremely wellhoned 

ensemble. At any given moment, 

each of the performers is aware of what 

role he plays, whether as a soloist, an equal 

voice, or as a supporting role for the soloist. 

The supporting roles allow the improvisational 

soloist the freedom to explore 

unique directions and sounds. This is especially 

true in the composition Seven 9-8, 

where the alto clarinet, played by Michael 

Thieke, emulates the colors of the trumpet, 

the saxophone and the rock guitar, which 

for me was reminiscent of Scott Mac- 

Allister’s work for clarinet, Black Dog. A 

reference to the Big Band era in this work 

can be found in the repetitive bass clarinet 

riff which provides rhythmic support to the 

improvisational solo above it. The opening 

bass clarinet solo in Desert Bleue, performed 

during their U.S. West Coast tour, 

is a reference to both the blues and jazz 

ballad concepts. Some of the works follow 

(very loosely, I might add!) some semblance 

of form: an introduction, followed 

by an improvisational solo section, then in 

some way, returning to beginning material. 

In Collective No. 11, subtitled High Objects, 

the use of extreme altissimo notes 

perhaps emulates the frequencies of planets, 

stars and other signs of life. It reminds 

me of taking a listening test! In Variations 

on a Theme by Claude Debussy, featuring 

Thieke and Jürgen Kupke on clarinet, the 

improvisational solos and multiphonics 

performed most resemble the flute in tone 

color, or the Syrinx, on which this work is 

based. The performers’ versatility and experience 

on other wind instruments aid in 

producing these imaginative soundscapes. 

In summary, Ullmann and the The Clarinet 

Trio strive to push themselves to the 

outer limits of experimental music, and as 

Ullmann states: “I was searching for new 

ways to express myself as a soloist and 

composer and I am continuing to search on 

these albums. I will always be searching.” 

We will be searching for your next album! 

If you are interested in learning more about 

Gebhard Ullmann’s compositions and 

recordings, please visit his Web site at: 

. 

by Gregory Barrett 

Áfangar. Sigurdur Ingvi Snorrason, clarinet; 

Sigrún Edvaldsdóttir, violin; Bryndis 

Halla Gylfadóttir, cello; Anna Gudny 

Gudmundsdóttir, piano. Leifur Pórarinsson: 

Áfangar — Stages; Jón Nordal: 

Ristur — Carvings; Páll Pampichler 

Pálsson: Tre Notturni; Áskell Másson: 

Sónatína; Atli Heimir Sveinsson: Plutôt 

blanche qu’azurée — Rather white than 

azure. SMEKKLEYSA SMK 43. Total 

time 76:41. (Available from the label 

Web site: or 

the Icelandic Music Information Centre) 

Clarinetist Sigurdur Ingvi Snorrason 

has lovingly assembled a recording of five 

poetic chamber works with three of his 

longtime musician friends by their composer 

acquaintances. According to Sigurdur 

(“d” pronounced “th” as in English 

“the”), all the composers represented in 

this impressive recording are well known 

not only as composers but also as teachers, 

performers, conductors, and leaders in 

Icelandic musical circles. 

Sigurdur Ingvi earned his diploma from 

the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna under 

Rudolf Jettel in 1971. Since 1973 he has 

been a clarinetist in the Icelandic Symphony 

Orchestra and an active chamber 

music performer. Four of the works on this 

CD were written for him. They date from 

1979 to 1999. There are sections of great 

beauty, fresh combinations of sounds, and 

musical surprises. 

Inspired by travelers in the paintings of 

Kristján Davidsson, Leifur Porainsson’s 

March 2006 Page 89

(P pronounced like “th” in “thing”) Áfangar 

(Stages) for clarinet, violin and piano 

covers a lot of ground as it agreeably moves 

from one idea to another in unanticipated 

ways. During its 14 minutes many images 

formed in my mind. The delicate opening 

writing reminds me of slowly falling snowflakes. 

The following section was faster, 

often dissonant, but with alternating episodes 

of simple triads. All of the performers 

are strong communicators in both the 

slow expressive music and in the dancelike 

rhythmic sections. Several times Leifur’s 

music comes to a brief halt before it 

resumes. Pianist Anna Gudny creates clusters 

of sound that are brilliant and radiantly 

beautiful. Clarinetist Sigurdur Ingvi plays 

very smoothly. Full of contrasts, Leifur’s 

music includes a percussive slap on the piano 

followed by a mouthpiece squawk from 

the clarinet and then a Bach-like solo violin 

passage. The music turns into a thoughtful 

late night conversation before a quiet 

ending where it dissolves into silence. This 

is an outstanding pluralist work that I highly 

recommend. 

Páll Pampichler’s writing is more conservative 

and neo-classical. The first of the 

Tre Notturni is without clarinet. This is 

easy going, agreeable music. The second 

Nocturne includes the entire quartet of 

clarinet, violin, cello and piano. An accompaniment 

thread of running 16ths 

sounds mock-classical á la Milhaud’s 

Scaramouche opening. A touch of jazz 

inflection is heard in this very witty and 

enjoyable movement. The third Nocturne, 

for clarinet, violin and piano, begins with 

solo clarinet. Pampichler’s music for this 

trio of instruments is sonically beautiful. 

Thematically based on an old melody 

from the north of Iceland, Áskell Másson’s 

Sónatína for clarinet and piano has many 

effective and attractive qualities. More 

than 13 minutes long, the three movements 

are played without pause. Sigurdur Ingvi’s 

playing is widely expressive, ranging from 

sensitively legato to wild and rough. The 

somber, dark opening is ominous, even terrifying. 

Timbral trills and flutter tongue are 

used in the clarinet. The third movement is 

notable for the stasis from which it begins 

and the timelessness with which it ends. 

Sigurdur Ingvi sustains one note for 45 seconds 

at the beginning as the piano chords 

change around his constancy. Sigurdur 

Ingvi plays two more long timeless notes 

at the end of the Sónatína. 

Page 90 

In addition to Áfangar the other remarkable 

work on this CD is Atli Heimir Sveinsson’s 

24-minute Plutôt blanche qu’azurée 

— Rather white than azure for clarinet, 

cello and piano. Written on a summer holiday 

at Danish composer Per Nørgard’s 

summer house, “It describes a long, bright, 

warm, and sunny summer day on a small 

faraway island from sunrise to sunset.” In 

this trio, Atli Heimir has given form to an 

entire day through a wide range of textures 

and moods. Imitative dialogue is written 

for clarinet and cello. Shimmering effects 

are created by tremolos in the piano — 

long sustained harmonies are played. Toward 

midday the music becomes more outward 

looking, searching and expressive, 

growing louder with sustained notes in 

the clarinet and cello while the piano continues 

its tremolos. Overtly tonal, the triadic 

harmony simplifies further, suggesting 

the end of the day. A few snippets of 

romantic sounding phrases are played as 

the music slips away. A performance of 

Plutôt blanche qu’azurée would be a nice 

way to end an evening concert. 

This CD is highly recommended for 

excellent performances of original and 

effective repertoire. 

by Eric Mandat 

born to be off-road. Duo Stump-Linshalm: 

Petra Stump and Heinz-Peter 

Linshalm, clarinets. CD I “ClarElectriC” 

— Bernhard Gander: Mr. Vertigo 

(2003); Judit Varga: Strictly Ballroom 

III (2004); Gerald Futscher: Hufeisennasen 

(2004); Christoph Herndler: im 

Schnitt, der Punkt (2003); Jorge Sánchez-Chiong: 

trópico tránsito (2004); 

CD II “unplugged” — Beat Furrer: 

APOKLISIS (2004); Salvatore Sciarrino: 

Let me die before I wake (1982); 

Claudio Ambrosini: CAPRICCIO, 

detto: “l’Ermafrodita” (1983); Bertl 

Mütter: nushu (2005). EIN_ KLANG 

RECORDS 015/016. Total time CD I 

label Web site: ) 

The Austrian clarinet duo of Petra 

Stump and Heinz-Peter Linshalm has committed 

itself to working closely with composers 

to generate new works for various 

combinations of clarinets with or without 

electronics. Both artists studied at the University 

of Performing Arts in Vienna, where 

THE CLARINET 

they both studied with Johann Hindler; 

later they also both studied bass clarinet 

with Ernesto Molinari. Each has been an 

active proponent of new music, and they 

have performed at many festivals in Europe 

as soloists and chamber musicians. 

This double CD features many of the 

works written for the duo. The first CD, 

“ClarElectriC,” features all new works for 

clarinet or bass clarinet duo with various 

types of electronic sounds; the second CD, 

“unplugged,” includes two new bass clarinet 

duo works and two solo works from 

the 1980s. 

Several of the new works on the “Clar- 

ElectriC” disc owe a certain sonic allegiance 

to the moment form tradition as 

espoused by Stockhausen, although the 

generative sources and ultimate structures 

of the works themselves are diverse. In 

Judit Varga’s Strictly Ballroom III for two 

clarinets and prerecorded sounds, close 

micro tones are the starting point from 

which the clarinetists gradually explore, 

venturing out from the sustained center 

with short staccato and slap tongue gestures. 

A second section introduces more 

space with interludes of vocal sounds 

through the instruments or of minimalistic 

melodic fragments. Together with the prerecorded 

clarinet sounds, a quartet is effectively 

created which floats, drifts, and 

eventually fades. 

Gerald Futscher’s Hufeisennasen 

(Horseshoe Noises) begins with bubbly 

synthesized sounds, coupled with a scurrying 

motive which runs back and forth 

between channels. Understated comments 

from the two clarinets give way to more 

bravado flourishes in quasi-canon; eventually 

a plaintive solo sets up a long winding 

ascension to the final climax. The sampled 

“musique concrete-like” sounds give a

classic old school flavor to this nearly 20- 

minute long work. 

im Schnitt, der Punkt (On average, the 

point) by Christoph Herndler, is based on a 

graphic score, printed in the liner notes, 

consisting of nine crossed lines, with different 

arrays of blackened and open circles 

at the termini of the lines. The realization 

is of slowly pulsing undulations and tremolos 

in all parts; the circular breathing by 

the clarinetists contributes to the concept 

of a piece without beginning or end. Later, 

an eerie disembodied voice appears and 

the CD part finishes with high sparkles. 

trópico tránsito by Venezuelan-born 

Jorge Sánchez-Chiong features industrial/ 

train station-like sounds combined with 

turntable needles working away on vinyl. 

There’s a certain sense of nostalgia hearing 

the pops and hiss of a record: it’s like sitting 

in front of the fireplace on a quiet winter 

evening. Eventually a low buzzing enters; 

at first it sounds like bad interference 

on Grandpa’s old short-wave radio, but 

soon becomes apparent it’s a bass clarinet 

playing low C. The second bass clarinet 

soon joins and before long their distorted 

low fundamental sounds produce a “Honey, 

I think we’ve angered the killer bees” 

sound world. The work grows into an evermore 

intense fervor which abruptly ends. 

The second CD, “unplugged,” begins 

with Beat Furrer’s APOKLISIS for two 

bass clarinets, in which the two performers 

trade short high-note gestures in a sparse, 

austere environment. There are also some 

extremely delicate fifth partial multiphonics 

for both players. The CD concludes with 

Bertl Mütter’s nushu for two bass clarinets. 

The two instruments remain closely connected 

gesturally throughout the five movements, 

from long quiet held notes to delicate 

lines, to short declamatory outbursts. 

The two solo works sandwiched between 

are from the 1980s and highlight the 

individual artists’ solo skills. Both Salvatore 

Sciarrino’s Let me die before I wake 

for solo B ♭ clarinet (performed by Linshalm), 

and Claudio Ambrosini’s CA- 

PRICCIO, detto: “l’Ermafrodita,” interestingly 

sound like variations on “homage 

to the tremolo.” In the hands of lesser composers 

or lesser performers, such a concept 

could get tedious after relatively few undulations, 

but the subtlety of speed variations, 

dynamic and breath control of both artists, 

and the strength of the compositions make 

these engaging contemplations on shimmering 

pulses. It is unfortunate that Sciarrino’s 

work requires an instrument with the 

low e ♭ key, and because of the constant 

multiphonics throughout cannot be merely 

transposed to the A clarinet, nor can “ossia” 

passages á la the Berio Sequenza IXa be 

substituted at the appropriate moments 

without seriously damaging the music. 

The Duo Stump-Linshalm is very much 

at home in this complex and steely sonic 

environment. They are completely sympathetic 

to each other and to the demands of 

the works, and their complete dedication to 

their art is constantly on display throughout. 

Don’t buy this CD looking for hummable 

tunes, “neo-tonality” pap or peppy 

dance beats. Do buy this CD if you’re looking 

for serious, intellectually challenging 

music performed intelligently and seriously 

by this excellent duo. 

by Justin O’Dell 

António Saiote and Michiko Tsuda — A 

Portrait. António Saiote, clarinet; 

Michiko Tsuda, piano. Béla Bartók: 

Romanian Folk Dances; Zbigniew 

Lampart: Fragment “H”; C.-M. Widor: 

Introduction et Rondo, Op. 72; Fernando 

Lapa: Nem tudo ou nada; Arthur 

Benjamin: Le Tombeau de Ravel; 

Takashi Yoshimatsu: 4 Pieces in bird 

shape. PAN CLASSICS 10 186. Total 

time 50:43. (Distributed by Qualiton 

Imports: ) 

A Portrait, the new release by Portuguese 

clarinetist António Saiote and pianist 

Michiko Tsuda, contains an appealing wellplayed 

program of music by several composers. 

The selections on this 50-minute 

recording are not bound by a common stylistic 

period or other cohesive elements. 

Rather, the collection of pieces serves as 

a recital program, one that successfully 

showcases the range of Saiote’s abilities as 

a performing artist. Most of his choices, 

however, are not regularly found in clarinet 

recitals. Indeed, one of the attractive 

features of this new recording is the originality 

Saiote shows in his selections. 

Saiote delivers a terrific disc. His playing 

is confident, assured, and virtuosic. 

Basic elements, intonation and technique, 

for example, are extremely solid, but Saiote 

accomplishes more than good fundamentals 

in his recording. His sound favors a 

pleasing, high-end ring, which he employs 

skillfully for expressive effect. Even better 

is Saiote’s devotion to phrasing; he always 

attends to the character of individual phrases, 

building upon these to create a cohesive 

whole. Pianist Michiko Tsuda, no mere accompanist, 

deftly supports Saiote by defining 

the character of the music while at the 

same time playing like a soloist herself. 

The duo’s tight ensemble bespeaks an ease 

borne of years of concertizing together. In 

the recording, sound engineer Koichiro 

Hattori preserves a welcome live presence 

on each track, achieving a good mixture of 

closeness and concert hall resonance. He 

succeeds in balancing the two instruments 

so they retain their distinction. 

Saiote commands attention right from 

the beginning of the disc with a bold performance 

of the Romanian Folk Dances, a 

set of piano pieces by Bartók (widely 

known in their guise as a violin transcription 

by Zoltan Székely, upon which this 

clarinet version is based). Already in the 

first dance, Saiote conjures up a strong 

spirit. Tsuda steps in on the second and 

plays convincingly with her rubato. 

Saiote’s clarinet rings with beautiful clarity 

in the third, easily evoking the harmonies 

in the violin version, and his color 

changes are impressive. Their expressive 

phrasing particularly shines in the fourth 

piece. Even in the high-energy moments 

of the sixth piece, Saiote manages to keep 

up his sound. 

Fragment “H” by Lampart is a somewhat 

unusual piece in that it is largely a 

piano piece with clarinet accompaniment. 

Tsuda weaves an attractive, melancholy 

effect, but on the whole the piece is not 

entirely successful. Its rather unattractive 

beginning leads the piece awkwardly into a 

dissimilar section, and the work ends without 

a unifying event. 

The Introduction and Rondo by Widor, 

the most standard and substantial work on 

March 2006 Page 91

the program, is not to be missed. Here the 

duo provides one of the most satisfying 

recent recordings to date. Saiote plays sensitively 

and brilliantly, and the style is 

more virtuosic and stylish than purely elegant. 

An occasional peckiness in articulation 

tarnishes some of the staccato passages, 

but it does not detract from this 

excellent performance. Tsuda’s work really 

shines in this piece. Her sensitivity and 

support are first-rate. When there is opportunity 

to come to the fore, she seems to relish 

the chance to show her pianism. 

The three pieces by Portuguese composer 

Fernando Lapa are worth a listen, as 

they represent an attractive recital option 

for clarinetists. At almost 10 minutes in 

total length, the work utilizes its material 

economically, and at the same time the 

composer’s ideas provide enough basis to 

support a substantial length. The first of 

the set, “quase tudo” (almost everything), 

forms the counterpart to the second piece, 

“quase nada” (almost nothing). Despite the 

polarity that the titles suggest, these first 

two pieces, nearly equal in length, evoke 

similar moods. Together they make lively 

and attractive movements conveying a singularity 

of effect. Only in the third do we 

get variation in texture and mood. Starting 

with clarinet alone, the composer suggests 

a cadenza, but he introduces the piano, 

and it becomes more recitative in nature. 

A cadenza does eventually emerge, forming 

a bridge to faster music, and the piece 

winds down to an end, recalling the movement’s 

beginning. 

Saiote provides relief to the gravity of 

his program with the popular set of waltzes 

by Australian-British composer Arthur 

Benjamin. Saiote infuses Le Tombeau de 

Ravel with a lighthearted character, a playfulness 

made all the more impressive by 

his dexterity in each of the variations. 

The 4 Pieces in bird shape, by Japanese 

composer Takashi Yoshimatsu, nicely 

rounds out the program. It is full of colorful 

effects, resonance trills, frullatto, multiphonics, 

and bird-like rhythmical articulations. 

The performers do a good job of giving 

the piece life and are clearly devoted to 

it. The most striking movement of the set 

is the fourth, “Divertimento,” containing 

birdcalls over ostinato in the left hand. 

Saiote and Tsuda’s A Portrait, with its 

representation of some new music, provides 

inspiration to those seeking to diversify 

their standard clarinet recitals. The 

Page 92 

disc is also notable for its excellent performance 

of the Widor, a work that deserves 

more attention from clarinetists. Finally, 

this release would enrich the library of 

anyone interested in hearing well-performed 

new pieces. 

by Jane Ellsworth 

French Recital Favorites for Clarinet 

and Piano. James Jones, clarinet; 

Karen Bauman Schlabaugh, piano. 

Eugene Bozza: Fantaisie italienne; 

Gabriel Grovlez: Lamento et Tarantelle; 

André Bloch: Denneriana; Gabriel 

Grovlez: Concertino; Philippe 

Gaubert: Fantaisie; Marc Delmas: 

Fantaisie italienne; Pierre Gabaye: 

Sonatine; Louis Cahuzac: Variations 

sur un Air du Pays d’Oc; Jules Mazellier: 

Fantaisie-Ballet. CENTAUR 

RECORDS CRC 2738. Total time 

65:37. (Available at retail outlets and 

from the label Web site: ) 

James Jones is well known to many 

I.C.A. members. He is the principal clarinetist 

of the Wichita Symphony and 

Professor Emeritus of clarinet at Wichita 

State University. Jones has recently released 

a CD of clarinet music by French 

composers who were all associated (either 

as students or as professors) with the Paris 

Conservatory in the early to mid-20th century. 

The recording was made over a period 

of about two years, between 2002 and 

2004. It should be noted that the title given 

above is that originally intended for the 

CD, but due to a mistake in the publication 

process, it has actually been released as 

Recital Favorites for Clarinet and 

Piano. Those looking for the CD should 

search under the latter title. 

THE CLARINET 

The repertory on this disc includes 

works that will be familiar to most clarinetists, 

at least by title. But it strikes me 

that some of these works are (unjustly) 

falling out of fashion as teaching and 

recital pieces, and many of them have 

earned little if any space in the commercial 

clarinet discography. In making this CD 

Jones has done a real service in preserving 

and promoting an important collection of 

music. “Themed” recordings — those that 

contain works of a single genre or nationality, 

for example — can sometimes be too 

mono-stylistic to retain the listener’s interest; 

but this is not the case here. The music 

chosen is diverse in style and makes for a 

varied listening experience. I found the 

Bloch Denneriana and the Gabaye Sonatine 

to be particularly enjoyable. 

Some of the works included on the recording 

(those by Bloch, Gaubert, Delmas, 

and Mazellier, as well as the Grovlez Lamento 

et Tarantelle) were used as solos de 

concours, that is, contest pieces used to 

test the clarinet students at the Paris Conservatory. 

All of the works are virtuosic, 

and require real technical mastery as well 

as musical sensitivity on the part of the 

clarinetist. Jones invariably plays with 

great musical expression, with fine attention 

to dynamics and phrasing and, at appropriate 

moments, a lovely vibrato. He is 

always faithful to the style and spirit of 

the music. 

Listeners might experience some discomfort, 

however, with the technical 

aspect of Jones’ playing. Much of the time 

he copes with the formidable difficulties of 

this music well, but in spots his finger 

work loses clarity and smoothness. Articulation 

is not always consistently clear, and 

note entrances are unpredictable in quality. 

His basic sound is pleasant, but tends to 

spread at dynamics above mezzo-forte. 

Intonation is in general good, with the exception 

of the altissimo register and occasional 

flatness in the throat tones. These 

flaws are present to a greater or lesser degree 

throughout the recording. It should be 

said that they are balanced by passages of 

playing that are clear, clean and beautiful. 

One example among many is the famous 

opening of the Cahuzac, the big warhorse 

on the program, which Jones executes with 

great facility. Jones is ably accompanied 

by pianist Karen Bauman Schlabaugh, and 

their partnership produces many wonderful 

moments.

As I listened to this CD I was struck by 

how much we, as listeners, have come to 

expect an extremely high level of technical 

perfection in recorded music. We anticipate 

that every facet of the performance 

and the recording will sound pristine, with 

absolutely no rough edges. I am not sure 

that this is a good thing, since it all too 

often results in recordings that are technically 

brilliant but have no heart; it is, nevertheless, 

the way of the world. This CD 

sounds much more like a live recital than a 

commercial recording, and I believe that 

listeners will have a more satisfactory experience 

if they approach it with this in 

mind. It presents a repertory of music that 

is not only significant but enjoyable; and 

the performances are well worth listening 

to for their many good features. 

by David Niethamer 

Swing Low Sweet Clarinet: Reginald 

Kell & His Quiet Music. Reginald 

Kell, clarinet; with various orchestras. 

W. Mourant: Swing Low Sweet Clarinet; 

Blue Haze; The Pied Piper; Ecstasy; 

R.C. Raybould: The Wistful 

Shepherd; F. Kreisler: Liebesleid; Stars 

in My Eyes; Schön Rosmarin; Liebesfreud; 

Caprice Viennois; C. Debussy: 

Le Petit Berger; La Fill aux Cheveux de 

Lin; Rêverie; La Plus que Lente; Arr. 

Kell: The Gentle Maiden; S. C. Foster: 

Some Folks Do; Gentle Annie; J. Robinson: 

The Snowy Breasted Pearl; Traditional: 

Has Sorrow Thy Young Days 

Faded?; S. Yradier: La Paloma; A.F. 

Harrison: In the Gloaming; M.W. Balfe: 

Killarney; R. Porter-Brown: Dance 

of the Three Old Maids; G. H. Clutsam: 

Ma Curly Headed Babby. CLARINET 

CLASSICS CCOO49. Total time 

73:59. (Distributed by Qualiton and 

also available from Clarinet Classics 

Web site: ). 

In the summer of 1939, Reginald Kell 

played principal clarinet at the International 

Festival of Music in Lucerne, 

Switzerland, under the baton of Arturo 

Toscanini. Toscanini invited Kell to move 

to New York to become the principal clarinet 

of the NBC Symphony, an offer that 

Kell declined. During the previous year, 

the BBC had contracted with a number of 

outstanding British players, Kell among 

them, to begin playing as the BBC Salon 

Orchestra in the event of the outbreak of 

war. When World War II did begin, this 

orchestra was sent to a secret location 

where they broadcast light music for the 

next three years. Much of this music was 

arranged by their director, Leslie Bridgewater, 

and other pieces were composed 

especially for the ensemble. Many featured 

Kell as soloist. 

Two of these works are presented on 

this recording, transferred from BBC acetate 

recordings of 1942 — Raybould’s The 

Wistful Shepherd and G. H. Clutsam’s Ma 

Curly Headed Babby (not a typo!), a “plantation 

song” originally published in the 

U.S.A. during the 1890s. While these 

transfers are noisier than the other tracks 

on this recording, it is a minor annoyance, 

and the quality of the playing comes 

through nicely. 

The subtitle of this CD comes from a 

series of recordings made between January 

and June of 1948 by the Chalumeau Ensemble, 

which consisted of Kell, a string 

quartet, guitar and celeste. The Chalumeau 

Ensemble (renamed Reginald Kell & His 

Quiet Music for these recordings) was one 

of several names under which Kell had 

broadcast and recorded during the war. 

These commercial recordings preserve 

some of the music from that earlier time. 

The recordings consist of popular and folk 

songs, mainly from the 19th century, given 

new and somewhat more sophisticated harmonies 

and solo parts by various arrangers, 

including Reginald Kell’s father, 

Frederick Kell. Examples of the songs 

found here are Gentle Annie and Some 

Folks Do by Stephen Foster, La Paloma, 

Killarney and In the Gloaming. The transfers 

from the original 78 RPM recordings 

are very quiet. In spite of a variety of arrangers, 

the sound of the arrangements 

retains a certain unity of style. 

March 2006 Page 93

Also heard on this CD are 13 recordings 

from three LPs issued between 1953 

and 1955, mostly on the American Decca 

label. The music consists of original works 

by Walter Mourant and Reginald Porter- 

Brown, and transcriptions of famous violin 

works by Fritz Kreisler as well as short 

piano preludes by Debussy. All of these 

works are also found on the Deutsche 

Grammophon release Reginald Kell: The 

Back Issues 

of The Clarinet 

Back-issue order forms for The Clarinet 

may now be downloaded from the I.C.A. 

Web site: . Copies 

may also be requested by contacting: 

James Gillespie 

College of Music 


P.O. Box 311367 

Denton, TX 76203-1367 

E-mail: 

Complete American Decca Recordings 

reviewed by William Nichols in the previous 

issue of The Clarinet. These performances 

are from recordings Kell made 

with Salvatore “Tutti” Camarata. 

After World War II, many musicians 

made their living playing for radio, theater, 

studio and dance recordings, and Kell 

was no exception. He was often heard on 

late-night broadcasts like those he had 

played during the war. Kell even had his 

own program, “And So To Bed.” The first 

track of this CD, Swing Low Sweet Clarinet 

(1947), was made with the Ambrose 

Orchestra. It was through this sort of playing 

that Kell met Salvatore Camarata, with 

whom he made the Mourant, Debussy and 

Kreisler recordings. 

In comparing the dates of these recordings 

with the Deutsche Grammophon listings, 

there is a discrepancy in the dates, 

though the LP recording numbers are the 

same. Perhaps this is due to a difference of 

release dates in the U.S. and the U.K.? 

Because of his use of vibrato, Kell was 

a controversial player, especially in the 

U.S. But heard in this context, his vibrato 

is entirely appropriate to the material, and 

is, to my ears, completely unobjectionable. 

It’s amazing to contemplate that Kell only 

saw the Mourant compositions when he 

got to the studio for the recordings. Kell 

also synchronized second clarinet parts 

for two of the Kreisler tunes six months 

after the original recordings, and reported 

that he was amazed at how hard it was to 

synchronize with himself after that passage 

of time! 

Clarinet Classics has provided us with 

compilations of the notable recordings 

from the beginning of the phonograph era 

that help us to understand the evolution of 

clarinet playing, and give helpful insights 

into how pieces were played in that era. 

Even if you have already purchased the 

Deutsche Grammophon set, this CD from 

Clarinet Classics is worth having for the 

additional material. The sound of the two 

recordings is similar, at least on my admittedly 

non-audiophile equipment. This recording 

fills a gap in the recording history 

of Reginald Kell that helps us to understand 

his later approach to playing the clarinet — 

the approach that we hear in the DG set of 

his later classical recordings. From another 

point of view, it is also a very beautiful and 

soothing recording that is very pleasant to 

hear. I highly recommend it. 

Page 94 

THE CLARINET


2006 ORCHESTRAL AUDITION COMPETITION 

Eligibility: The competition is open to clarinetists of all ages who are not employed full-time as salaried members of a professional 

symphony orchestra. 

Application: Send materials postmarked no later than Monday, April 17, 2006 to: 

2006 I.C.A. Orchestral Audition Competition • Michael Webster, coordinator 

Rice University, Shepherd School of Music — MS 532, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892 USA, 

Phone: 713-348-3602, Fax: 713-348-5317, e-mail: 

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. Nonmembers 

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 preferred, cassette acceptable) containing the following excerpts in this 

exact order: 

1. Mozart: Concerto, Movement I, exposition only 

First clarinet excerpts: 

2. Beethoven: Symphony #8, Mvt. III: Trio of Minuet, complete 

3. Tchaikovsky: Suite #4 “Mozartiana,” Mvt. IV: Cadenza 

4. Sibelius: Symphony #1, Mvt. I: Opening solo; Mvt. III: A–B (count rests accurately); Mvt. III: 6 after E to 6 after G 

(Do not count rests between E and F) 

5. Rachmaninoff: Symphony #2, Mvt. III: opening solo through 47 

6. Kodály: Dances of Galanta, Opening solo through 65 

7. Ravel: Daphnis and Chloe Suite #2, 155–158; 163–167; 212–end 

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 cassette) or case/box. There should be no speaking on the recording, such as announcing of compositions. 

Preliminary judging will be by taped audition. Semifinalists will be chosen by committee. Letters of notification will be mailed 

by Monday, May 22, 2006. Semifinal and final rounds will be held at ClarinetFest ® 2006 in Atlanta, GA, August 2006. 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 © 2006. Travel expenses will be the responsibility of the contestant. 

All recordings will become the property of the I.C.A. and will not be returned unless a stamped, addressed envelope is provided. 

(Use U.S. postage or International Postal Coupon.) 

Prizes 

First Place: $1,000 U.S.; Gregory Smith Custom Mouthpiece; The Reed Wizard by Ben Armato 

Second Place: Gregory Smith Custom Mouthpiece; PerfectaReed by Ben Armato 

The I.C.A. is grateful to Gregory Smith and Ben Armato for their sponsorship of the Orchestral Audition Competition. 

March 2006 Page 95

STUDENT… 

Alejandro Lozada, clarinet, D.M.A. Re - 

cital, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, No - 

vem ber 22, 2005. Concerto for Clarinet, 

K. 622, Mozart; Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, 

Schubert; Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, 

Op. 120, No. 1, Brahms 

Carol Maciel, clarinet, D.M.A. Recital, 

University of North Texas, November 14, 

2005. Introduction and Variations on a 

Swe dish Air, Crusell; A tour d’anches, Op. 

97, Schmitt; Moonflowers, Baby!, Kup fer - 

man; Etude, Op. 28, No. 2, Goedicke 

Angela Rose Maske, clarinet and bass 

clarinet, Senior Recital, University of Ne - 

bras ka–Lincoln, November 20, 2005. Den - 

neriana, Bloch; Sonata in E ♭ Major, Op. 

120, No. 2, Brahms; Sonata for Bass Clar - 

inet and Piano, Op. 40a, Kibbe; Trio in E ♭ 

No. 5, Op. 20, Vanhal 

Dmitry Perevertailenko, clarinet, as sist - 

ed by Anthony Allgeier, clarinet, D.M.A. 

Recital, University of North Texas, No - 

vem ber 7, 2005. Concerto, Copland; Fan - 

tasy Pieces, Op. 43, Gade; Sonata for Un - 

accompanied Clarinet, Denisov; Sonata 

for Two Clarinets, Poulenc 

Jeanette Rehberg, clarinet, Senior Re - 

cital, University of Mary, October 2, 2005. 

Grand Duo Concertant, Weber; Duo Con - 

certo, Bach; Vier Stücke, Berg; Four Char - 

acteristic Pieces, Hurlstone 

FACULTY AND PROFESSIONAL… 

Diane Barger, B ♭ and E ♭ clarinets, Uni - 

versity of Nebraska–Lincoln,”Shall We 

Dance?” faculty recital with UNL dancers, 

Page 96 

October 2, 2005. Dante Dances (Danzi 

d’Inferno) for clarinet and piano, Welcher; 

Dance Music (Mr. Mouse Dances and 

Dies), Dorff; Ballabile con Variazione aus 

dem Ballett, Panizza; Arlequin for clarinet 

solo, Cahuzac; Duet-Concertino for clarinet, 

bassoon and piano, Strauss 

Diane Barger, clarinet, with the Moran 

Woodwind Quintet, University of Nebras - 

ka–Lincoln, November 13, 2005. Tanz- 

Suite, Op. 53, Blumer; Wind Quintet No. 

4, Perle; Mississippi Five for Wind Quin - 

tet, Parker 

Marianne Breneman, clarinet, The 

College of Mount Saint Joseph, October 

21, 2005. Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 48, 

Weber; Sanctuary at 3AM, Sowash; Time 

Pieces, Op. 43, Muczynski; Sonata in f 

minor, Op. 120, No. 1, Brahms 

F. Gerard Errante, clarinet, Electri - 

Clarinet, Iowa State University, October 

14, 2005. Gerrymander, Pinkston; Grito 

del Corazón, Shatin; a light went out…, 

Errante; Chant/Songé, May; Gerry Rigged, 

Nelson; Swing Bridge, Weidenaar; Echoes 

of the Invisible, Terry; Sha, Lowenstern 

Mitchell Estrin, clarinet, University of 

Florida, September 24, 2005. Concertino, 

Tartini/Jacob; The Generation of Hope, 

Wasserman-Margolis; Pastorale, Op. 46, 

Busser; Sonata in E ♭ Major, Op. 120, No. 

2, Brahms 

Barbara Hankins, clarinet, St. Andrews 

Presbyterian Church, Kitchener, Ontario, 

November 16, 2005. Allegretto grazioso, 

from Trio, Op. 114, Brahms; Trio, Op. 11, 

Beethoven; Andante and Presto from Di - 

vertimento, Mozart (arr. Rothwell) 

THE CLARINET 

Michelle Kiec, clarinet, University of 

Mary, September 25, 2005. Capricho 

Pintoresco, Yuste; Moonflowers, Baby!, 

Kupferman; Meditatió, Ruera; King Fri - 

day, Lowenstern 

The Licorice Allsorts Clarinet Quartet, 

Gary Kidd, Lynne Milnes, Elaine Swee - 

ney, clarinets, Barbara Hankins, clarinet 

and bass clarinet, First United Church, 

Waterloo, Ontario, October 18, 2005. Rou - 

lade, Whitney; Quatuor, Vivaldi (arr. Lan - 

ce lot); Minuet and Rondo alla Turca, Mo - 

zart (arr. Renard); Two Cuban Dances, 

Cer vantes (arr. Wood) 

James Perone, clarinet, Mount Union 

Col lege, November 16, 2005. Deuxième 

Sonata, Devienne; Sonatina, Heiden; 3 

Min iatures, Penderecki; Sonatine, Mil - 

haud; Romance, Glière; Fantasiestücke, 

Schu mann 

Joseph Rutkowski, clarinet, Mannes 

Col lege of Music, October 9, 2005. Son a - 

tina in D, Op. 137, No. 1, Schubert/Si - 

mon; Sonata in F minor, Op. 120, No. 1, 

Brahms; Romanze (Die Verschworenen) 

for soprano, clarinet and piano, Schubert/ 

Spiegel; Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, D. 965, 

Schubert; West Side Story Paraphrase, 

Bernstein/Finkel; Downtown Blues for Up - 

town Halls for soprano, clarinet and piano, 

Gottlieb; Sonata, Bernstein 

* * * * * 

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 program 

information, please send a printed 

program and a summary of pertinent data 

(names of performers and composers, site, 

date and titles of works, etc.) in the format 

above. For student recitals, only solo de - 

gree recital programs (junior, senior, master’s, 

doctoral) will be listed. 

Visit the I.C.A. 


www.clarinet.org

UPDATE 

from the 

Board of Directors 

 

This brief update of I.C.A. information 

is appearing in lieu of the 

Pres i dent’s Message. 

The I.C.A. is pleased that So Rhee has 

joined the association’s professional staff 

as Executive Director beginning this past 

fall. Although a clarinetist by training, So 

has an extensive background in business 

operations, conference management and 

customer service. So is married to Brad 

Behn, a well-known mouthpiece craftsman 

and professional clarinetist. The as - 

sociation is fortunate to have such a con - 

s cientious professional overseeing our 

business operations. So Rhee re places 

Rose Sperrazza. 

Included in this issue are informational 

materials and the mail-in ballot for I.C.A. 

officer elections. Members may return 

their ballot by mail or cast their ballot in 

person at the meeting of the General Membership 

in Atlanta at ClarinetFest® 2006 in 

August. Members may only vote once, 

and election results will be an nounced at 

the conference. 

The Nominating Committee has put 

forward two names for President-Elect, 

Marguerite Baker Levin and Gary Whit - 

man. In considering nominees for the of - 

fices of Secretary and Treasurer, and also 

taking into account suggestions from some 

former board members that the learning 

curve for new officers is such that concurrent 

terms for these offices can be ad van - 

tageous to our organization, the No m ina - 

ting Committee endorses the single nomination 

for each office of incumbent officers 

Diane Barger (Treasurer) and Kris tina 

Belisle (Secretary). Members may write 

in the name of another candidate for each 

office if they so choose. The I.C.A. wishes 

to thank Nominating Com mittee members 

Caroline Hartig, Annette Luyben, D. 

Ray McClellan, Alan Stanek, Chuck West 

and Bob Walzel for their conscientious 

work on behalf of the membership. 

ClarinetFest® 2006 is shaping up to be 

another fantastic summer conference for 

the I.C.A. Conference co-artistic hosts Joe 

Eller and D. Ray McClellan have brought 

together an exciting line-up of some of the 

most wonderful clarinetists performing 

today. More information can be found in 

this issue in the article about the conference. 

Because rooms are somewhat limited 

in the Omni Hotel, site of CF 2006, all 

members and exhibitors are urged to 

make reservations early. Help spread the 

word to other clarinet enthusiasts that the 

place to be August 9–13 is in Atlanta for 

the greatest clarinet event in the world 

this year. 

Along with publication of this journal, 

the ClarinetFest® festivals are our association’s 

most important events, and your op - 

portunity to experience the finest in clarinet 

playing and opportunities for clarinet 

players anywhere. Being honored in At - 

lanta will be three individuals who have 

earned I.C.A. Honorary Membership be - 

cause of their significant lifetime achieve - 

ments as clarinetists and pedagogues. 

Clark Brody (retired principal clarinet of 

the Chicago Symphony and long-time faculty 

member at Northwestern University), 

Jacques Lancelot (renowned soloist and 

teacher from France), and John McCaw 

(retired principal clarinetist of the Phil har - 

monia and New Philharmonia orchestras 

in London) will be bestowed with the high - 

est honor given by the I.C.A. 

In making several transitions in membership 

data management in the past year, 

several members have not received membership 

renewal information. Membership 

renewal is now fully automated on the 

I.C.A. Web site at . 

If you know anyone who has not re - 

ceived membership renewal information 

and/or has not received their copies of 

The Clar inet, encourage them to contact 

So Rhee immediately. 

A quick reminder that opportunities 

for supporting clarinetists of limited 

financial resources are available through 

the I.C.A. Adopt a Member Program. For 

more in formation contact So Rhee at: 

. 

ClarinetFest® 2007 will be held in Van - 

couver, British Columbia, on the Uni ver - 

sity of British Columbia campus. Con fer - 

ence dates will be July 4–8, 2007. More 

information about CF 2007 and future 

con ferences will be forthcoming. 

The I.C.A. once again would like to 

extend hearty congratulations and sincere 

thanks to the Japan Clarinet Society for 

their efforts in hosting and presenting 

Clar i netFest® 2005 in Tokyo Tama City 

this past summer. Koichi Hamanaka and 

the entire support staff realized a clarinet 

event that will not soon be forgotten. Also, 

the I.C.A. is indebted to the Yamaha Cor - 

poration, who presented a new clarinet to 

the winner of the Young Artist Com pe ti - 

tion, as well as the other cooperating in - 

stru ment makers (Buffet, Leblanc, Selmer, 

and Rossi) who made financial contributions 

for prize money for the winners. It is 

through the ongoing commitment and support 

of these clarinet manufacturers that 

the I.C.A. is able to offer this wonderful 

opportunity to future generations of aspiring 

clarinetists. One of the most successful 

aspects of the conference in Japan was 

that there were a very large number of students 

attending and participating. As the 

Atlanta conference approaches, students 

of all ages and levels are encouraged to 

attend and be inspired by what is shaping 

up to be a great event. 

The Board of Directors sadly must an - 

nounce that current I.C.A. president Mi - 

chael Galván has resigned for personal 

rea sons. The board members wish to 

grate fully acknowledge his past contributions. 

According to association by-laws, 

President-Elect Lee Livengood will as - 

sume responsibilities of the presidency 

for the remainder of this term. 

Page 98 

THE CLARINET


STATEMENT OF CREDITS AND DEBITS 

SEPTEMBER 1, 2004—AUGUST 31, 2005 

Submitted by Diane Barger, I.C.A. Treasurer 

Revenue 

MEMBERSHIP DUES .................................................................................117,613.24 

BACK ISSUE SALES .................................................................................. 1,991.58 

COMPETITION FEES ................................................................................. 3,250.00 

INVESTMENT INCOME............................................................................. 1,441.77 

ADVERTISING REVENUE ........................................................................ 55,726.40 

MISCELLANEOUS INCOME..................................................................... 0.14 

Total Revenue ..............................................................................................180,023.13 

Expense 

Magazine 

PRINTING ............................................................................................... 88,386.32 

MAILING................................................................................................. 14,781.61 

PROOFREADING SERVICE ................................................................. 928.78 

COPYRIGHT EXPENSE......................................................................... 120.00 

MAGAZINE EXPENSE .......................................................................... 399.00 

Total Magazine..............................................................................................104,615.71 

COMPETITION PRIZES ............................................................................. 6,750.00 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES...................................................................... 5,400.00 

WEB SITE EXPENSE .................................................................................. 5,491.36 

OFFICE EXPENSE....................................................................................... 2,954.76 

POSTAGE..................................................................................................... 2,814.72 

COPY AND PRINTING EXPENSE ............................................................ 89.21 

TELEPHONE................................................................................................ 1,359.95 

TRAVEL ....................................................................................................... 13,678.80 

LODGING..................................................................................................... 6,805.67 

MEALS ......................................................................................................... 4,285.89 

CREDIT CARD FEES .................................................................................. 3,342.36 

BANK FEES ................................................................................................. 122.61 

MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSE ................................................................... 86.40 

GRANTS/CLARINETFEST® 2005............................................................... 5,000.00 

CLARINETFEST® 2004 EXPENSE ............................................................. 30,115.09 

CLARINETFEST® 2006 EXPENSE ............................................................. 65.00 

COMMISSION EXPENSE........................................................................... 7,500.00 

TAXES AND LICENSES............................................................................. 254.00 

SALARIES.................................................................................................... 40,920.00 

PAYROLL TAX EXPENSE......................................................................... 3,015.63 

Total Expense ...................................................................................................244,667.16 

Net Income ........................................................................................................–64,644.03 

Fund Balance August 31, 2003......................................................................$136,698.13 

Fund Balance August 31, 2004......................................................................$164,086.53 

Fund Balance August 31, 2005......................................................................$ 99,442.50 

Page 100 

THE CLARINET

Buffet Crampon's - International Clarinet Association

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