source file: mills3.txt Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 21:54:07 +0100 Subject: Re: Woodwinds for ATS From: Johnny Reinhard On Mon, 17 Nov 1997, Patrick Ozzard-Low wrote: > Dear Tuning, > Johnny Reinhard wrote: > > > I believe there should be enough evidence in Prague for the quartertone > > clarinets that the Czechs use for their annual performances of Haba's > > _Matka_. > > Sorry, I lost you. Evidence for what? That they are an improvement > for playing Haba or not ? On this topic I'd be very grateful if you > can give me any more details. The 4 quarter tone clarinets I'm aware > of (Digest 1230): Stein 1911 (built by Kohlert 1912), two > commissioned by Haba (Kohlert 1924 and 1931), and Schuller (1933). I do not have the contacts in Prague but the players of the enahnced clarinets would certainly have vital information. As I understand it, the players exchange their A and Bb clarinets for the quartertone ones. I'm sure they have importants opinions based on their personal experiences. Check with the Czech opera in Prague and talk to the clarinetists in the orchestra about who has experience with the extra-keyed versions. > > I guess the exploration of the standard instruments needs to be through > > before I would recommend changing their physical form. > > It will never be through! The idea of building new instruments > doesn't mean the old one's are going to be scrapped... Pardon me, I meant "thorough." The advent of keys to woodwinds has been a boon to expressivity. Certainly, it allowed for playing in more keys than those without. The fingerings on bassoon allow for absolutely any pitch frequency (except perhaps for the lowest tetrachord, which has the least available combinations of keys). > >Each offers so much more than present consciousness allows. > > ...they demand a degree of technique which will be > unnecessary with new and specifically designed instruments for a > given system (or systems). When asked which instrument is the hardest by a young, naive individual. The honest answer is that they are all equally hard in the long run. While a harp string is easy to pluck, this easy challenge is compounded later on by the rapidity of of multiple harp simultanaities, artistically rendered...and invariably by memory. I honestly think it's not that hard to learn microtonal playing on conventional instruments. And that if there is was even a little bit of emphasis on microtonal playing, as well as ear training, and historical development in the schools -- across the board -- it would be accepted right now as a mere matter of fact. Johnny Reinhard/AFMM reinhard@idt.net SMTPOriginator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu From: BUYO-BUYO-IGOR Subject: please join the PD file message board PostedDate: 18-11-97 01:10:05 SendTo: CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH ReplyTo: tuning@eartha.mills.edu $MessageStorage: 0 $UpdatedBy: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH,CN=Manuel op de Coul/OU=AT/O=EZH RouteServers: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=notesrv1/OU=Server/O=EZH RouteTimes: 18-11-97 01:08:40-18-11-97 01:08:41,18-11-97 01:08:50-18-11-97 01:08:50 DeliveredDate: 18-11-97 01:08:50 Categories: $Revisions: Received: from ns.ezh.nl ([137.174.112.59]) by notesrv2.ezh.nl (Lotus SMTP MTA SMTP v4.6 (462.2 9-3-1997)) with SMTP id C1256553.00026855; Tue, 18 Nov 1997 01:08:36 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA01235; Tue, 18 Nov 1997 01:10:05 +0100 Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 01:10:05 +0100 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA01233 Received: (qmail 8369 invoked from network); 17 Nov 1997 16:10:01 -0800 Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 17 Nov 1997 16:10:01 -0800 Message-Id: <34715629.43@db3.so-net.or.jp> Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu