Re: In defense of the recorder

[Khupenikes <Khupenikes...>]

>I believe that the "German" fingering system was designed for teaching 
children to play recorder as a pre-band instrument, so that the fingerings 
would carry over to band instruments.<

This could indeed make sense. I don't remember the system -- when I was 
taught the recorder at age six, I found the lessons so boring that I used the 
instrument for anything but making music, and I was thrown out of class quite 
regularly... but I think that the fingering is in fact partly identical with 
the German/Austrian clarinet system (Oehler, or Albert). These instruments 
were also played in Russia, and many klezmorim learned to play this system. 
Most of them switched  to the more common Boehm system in the US, except for 
Brandwein and Tarras.
(Today it's more a question of (sound) taste: the French system is easier 
with Bb and the more "simple" keys, the German system is better with # keys 
and the rest. I happened to learn both of them and eventually went for the 
French clarinet, since the tone is more moldable.)

Christian

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