Re: Reply to Isabelle: re Clarinet

[Marvin <physchem...>]

Very well thought out and written.  I take part on more than a dozen
NewsGroups and two MailLists on the Web.  Just as interesting as the topics,
I find fascinating the personalities that people show in their postings, but
I never forget that I don't REALLY get to know them so I'm careful about
making  comments about them personally rather than about their postings.
Unfortunately, not everyone is careful in that way.

We do need to respect each other's views, whether or not we share them.  I
enjoy several kinds of music, but not all.  I dislike grand opera, though
I've tried to understand why it appeals to so many and I have enjoyed
musicals that are quite operatic.  I never criticize the tastes of my
friends who enjoy grand opera.  If they ask why I won't go to an opera with
them, I just say that I personally find it dull, without criticizing opera
as a form of art and music.

----- Original Message -----
From: Daniel A. Singer <dasinger (at) umich(dot)edu>
To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2000 5:51 PM
Subject: Re: Reply to Isabelle: re Clarinet


> Dear Friends,
>
> Please let me begin by apologizing if I've sounded arrogant or conceited
in
> my email.  I have just been perturbed by the closed mindedness of the
> American music world.  Any references to pop, rock, klezmer, or other
> styles weren't meant to be negative towards those styles.  It was negative
> towards the closed mindedness of the average American listener.  Like I've
> said in other words, the world is becoming smaller and our tastes should
be
> getting broader.
>
>
> I was making a comparison between orchestral clarinetists and klezmer
> clarinetists in the same way someone earlier was comparing operatic
singers
> to klezmer singers.  I was NOT trying to tout one over the other or
> demonstrate any "western european, classically trained, ethnocentricity
> about [my] comments vis a vis what to consider the standards for
> excellence."  I never made any judgments against either style of playing
> and I am always listening to rock, pop, rap, country, opera, and klezmer,
> especially the older recordings.  I listen to a broad spectrum of music
and
> never hesitate to learn different styles from different cultures.  I play
> Sephardic music on my guitar and sing using my real voice, operatic in
> quality, which I happened to have been born with.  I've composed Latin
> music, I play jazz, rock, and blues guitar as well as classical, accompany
> our Kids Klezmer band at the synagogue on the piano, teach music to Head
> Start children, and sing broadway repertoire even while I'm paid to sing
> with various local opera companies.  It really saddens me to hear comments
> like yours coming from someone who doesn't know who their talking to.
I've
> never been called ethnocentric, and anyone who knows me well would think
> otherwise.  It's true I'm classically trained, but at least I'm open
minded
> enough to realize that excellence is not based on what style you are
> playing or where the music is from, but rather on how much potential it
has
> to move it's audience.
>
> Please allow me to point out an obvious contradiction among klezmer
> clarinetists:
>
> "I think you need to listen to a little more klezmer clarinet, pal. We
only
> crack and kvetch if someone is getting on our nerves." -- Margot
>
> "But guess what - he said that it took him a long time to develop
> the proper tone for klezmer on the clarinet. As for kvetches, krechts etc.
> there is quite an art to these, and room for a great deal of subtle
variation"
> -- Matt
>
> You two can discuss your own klezmer clarinet techniques and get back to
me
> once you decide what it is exactly that you do.  From the performances
I've
> heard, I would agree with Matt.
>
> However, I believe it takes UNtraining for a classically influenced
> musician to get the klezmer style.  That's why Perlman had the problems he
> had (I believe you were referring to the tv special on him where he was
> learning from a klezmer violinist.)  A person who is born into the klezmer
> culture probably doesn't need to do extensive training to get the
kvetches,
> krechts, etc.  For the European klezmer musicians it was probably as
> natural as their singing, lamenting, or laughing.  They didn't attend
> klezmer school, did they?  I could be making assumptions.  I'm definitely
> not a klezmer expert and I've never claimed to be one.  I just love the
music.
>
> When it comes down to it, no matter who is singing or playing the music,
> whether the musician is well trained or not, whether the music kvetches or
> not, if it is felt from the heart, the audience should enjoy it.  Perhaps
> we should try listening to the honesty or intention of the interpretation
> rather than its authenticity.  Neshama moves me, no matter whether it's
> coming from a blues singer, opera singer, klezmer singer, violinist,
> clarinetist, or whatever.
>
> Let's get over what is authentic in style and start listening to the
> authenticity of spirit in every form of music.
>
> Dan
>
> P.S.  If anyone remember's Peter Shickele's (P.D.Q. Bach) quote from his
> national radio program, he says something that summarizes what I feel.  I
> just can't remember what he said.
>
> At 03:04 PM 2/18/00, you wrote:
> >To Dan Singer,
> >
> >Since you are a singer, and I'm not, I will assume that you know what you
> >are talking about with respect to vocal tone production. However, I don't
> >agree with what you said about clarinet playing:
> >
> ><<Comparing the untrained voice to an operatic singer is like comparing
the
> >tone of the clarinet in klezmer to the clarinet in a symphony>> etc. etc.
> >
> >I'm a violinist, but I study with Kurt Bjorling, a fairly well known
> >klezmer clarinetist. Kurt not only has the professional training to play
in
> >a symphony, he continues to take lessons from a member of the Chicago
> >symphony. But guess what - he said that it took him a long time to
develop
> >the proper tone for klezmer on the clarinet. As for kvetches, krechts
etc.
> >there is quite an art to these, and room for a great deal of subtle
> variation.
> >
> >I have experienced the same thing on the violin. Having spent the better
> >part of my life cultivating methods of classical tone production and
> >ornamentation, I found it quite a challenge, to develop an idiomatic
> >klezmer violin sound. Actually, I think that most violinists who play
> >klezmer have difficulty with this, because there are not many who have
> >mastered it - one outstanding example that comes to mind of someone who
> >can't do it very well is Itzhak Perlman.
> >
> >Now back to song - I once saw on public television a recording session
with
> >John Denver and a well known operatic tenor doing a duet with one of
John's
> >popular songs. It sounded so out of place for the tenor to be using his
> >cultivated operatic voice ("natural" to him of course) in that context.
It
> >didn't fit with the music, and it didn't fit with the ensemble. There is
a
> >place for every vocal style, and some styles can be misplaced as well. I
> >haven't listened to Moni Ovadia, but the word "overwrought" could very
well
> >indicate a valid style not suitable for the context. Do I detect a little
> >western european, classically trained, ethnocentricity about your
comments
> >vis a vis what to consider the standards for excellence?
> >
> >Matt Jaffey
> >
> >
>
>
> ***********************************************************************
> Daniel A. Singer H: (734) 397-1950  W: (810) 238-1350 ext. 4253
> 1713 Glenshire Dr. Flint Institute of Music, Temple Beth El
> Canton, MI 48188 Bass Voice, Guitar
> ***********************************************************************
> "If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
> If I am for myself alone, who am I?
>    If not now, when?"
>
****************************************************************************
> ***
>
>
>

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