Re: Klezmer Clarinet

[George Robinson <GRComm...>]

Owen Davidson wrote:
> 
> Hi, Typ and all.
> 
> I hope the Bierce quote doesn't betray an anti-clarinet bias.
> 
> As to the clarinet's predominance in what we call "klezmer," well, it just
> *had* to be.  For the same reason that it came to dominance in all those
> other ethnic musics.  It's just such a marvelously malleable voice.  What
> other instrument is capable of such human inflections?  True, the clarinet
> plays second fiddle when the gypsy primas makes his violin cry, but what
> other instrument can sob, laugh, chuckle, cluck, hiccup or wail the way the
> clarinet can?  If, as I believe to be the case, the voice of the klezmer is
> modelled on the human voice, how could the clarinet fail to rise to the
> heights?  And, for loud?  The clarinet just blew those fiddles off the
> bandstand!  By the time recording technology came along, the clarinet was
> king.  It supplanted its forebears because of its versatility, in the same
> way the accordion (my instrument) edged out the bagpipes (my ancestors').
> It just does a better job all around.  I'd look like a damn fool trying to
> play bagpipes in a klezmer band.  And, if you like disparaging instrument
> quotes,  "a gentleman is someone who can play the bagpipes, but doesn't."
> Though I'm sure many would say the same of the accordion.
> 
> Owen (this one's for you, Ilene and Sherry)
> 

I think that Owen has actually -- whether wittingly or not -- suggested
a partial answer to the clarinet question. In the instrumental makeup of
a contemporary klezmer band, the clarinet will generally be the loudest
instrument or, at the least, the one with the most penetrating sound.
The reason why clarinet fell out of favor in jazz was that in a combo or
big band dominated by trumpet, trombone or sax, the clarinet was
overwhelmed. By the same token, in a band composed of, say, tsimbl,
violin, string bass and drums, the clarinet is probably going to be the
dominant voice. Obviously, this goes by the boards if you have an
arranger who can write for the configuration of the band in such a way
that the voicings offer some parity to each of the instrumentalists
(listen to any Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn chart). 

Of course, this doesn't address the issues of whether the clarinet is an
appropriate instrument for klezmer (which I think is the question Alex
is raising) or of who is the best/better clarinetist. I don't want to
comment on either of those questions, other than to say that I don't
think there is a single answer to either. Everything depends on context. 

George Robinson