This interview with Sidney Forrest is one of five interviews from a volume
entitled, "the Seasoned Clarinetist". A complete bundle of the interviews
with Anthony Gigliotti, Stan Hasty, Stanley Drucker and Robert marcellus
is available from James Gholson, Prof. and Clarinet Principal with the
Memphis Symphony, at #293 Music, Memphis State U., Memphis, TN. 38152
***** email; ggholson@memphis.edu******901-678-3793 ***
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J. G.: Do you encourage students to keep journals?
S. F.: What do you mean by journals?
J. G.: Notebooks, that sort of thing. For instance, when I studied
with you, we always kept a notebook.
S. F.: Oh, definitely, I do that all the time, almost exclusively,
until post graduate work. Then particular studies, specific concertos--
you can do a whole lesson on a concerto. Or specific orchestra works.
And then maybe the only reason or use I have for a notebook is to, say,
well prepare this or that, all the way through the masters. And if a
pupil comes to me and has had his masters elsewhere, at least I'd show
him how to do this, so that he and I know what the lesson is for next
week. We don't have to guess then. And certainly through high school
and college. Absolutely then. I'm sure you have referred yourself to
your own. You had a notebook then. Now you have what? two or three
or four of them.
J.G.: Oh I have a lot--at least four!
J.G.: And you write exercises in these,--do you not?
S. F.: Absolutely! That's why I use music paper! I remember, I had
one student who said his father objected to my using music paper; he
said it is too expensive. So I had to explain to him why I use music
paper, because I wanted the music paper right there. Then I just
insisted after that. But he was a good student. Sometimes you get
some outrageous statements from students. I'm sure you know that.
J. G.: I won't give you one now!
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J. G.: Do you have a teaching syllabus and could you share it with
us?
S. F.: Now explain what you mean by syllabus. You mean grades?
J. G.: By syllabus I mean do you have a certain set of books that you
feel are absolutely necessary?
S. F.: Generally, but I don't treat each student the same. Each
student is an individual. And it depends on what I feel he needs in
the way of technique or style. I would say I have a basic or
fundamental group of books from which I expand. Is that what you
want? Right from the very beginning?
J. G.: Yes!
S. F.: Of course I don't teach any beginning students now, but I do
supervise. My assistants teach them. And I still like the old
Rubank. Rubank Elementary, but you don't turn page after page,
because it is set up very peculiarly. The student will learn all flat
scales up to three flats and then go into sharp scales, or keys, back
and forth through the book. There again, it depends on the student,
whether he needs rhythm exercises at the time, or technique or tone
exercises. Each student has to have it tailored to himself, so to
speak. And you tailor the method book. And then of course you work
along with the notebook. The two of them are very important. It's
hard to say exactly, but Rubank Elementary is very good. There are
many good elementary books on the market now. I must say in the way
of maybe a little bit of laziness on my part to do exploring of
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different books. There's a good book by Waln, formerly of the
Oberlin Conservatory; also there is a book by Ben Sciller that's very
good, Benjamin Sciller who used to be a friend of mine. However, I
must say something on the negative side now. I never use Klose Book
I. For the beginner, it just moves too fast. And I think it's
tailored to the European student who has already had a big background
in solfege. Which, unfortunately in this country, we do not have.
It's amazing to see how fast a student is supposed to go according to
Klose Book I. But if the student has had solfege and understands note
values and the names of the notes, I mean very elementary fundamentals,
then the teacher doesn't have to explain that the whole note gets four
beats and the half note gets two beats, and a quarter note and so on.
He doesn't have to have the student identify the notes. He already
knows that, which is the correct way, I think. Then you can use a
book like Klose Book I. To get away from that now, for other
beginning books. I use as a supplement to that the Vannhauser
solfege. I wonder if you had that? The Vannhauser is a book that
specializes in rhythm. And it's a book that is actually used in
solfege. It's called "Solfege des Solfege." Vannheuser, it's like
Tannheuser but it has a V. And it's very easily available and all
publishers have it. And I use the "pom-pom" system--I think I used
that with you, didn't I? Where the student will pronounce "pom" for
every note value. Say you have a quarter note and two eighths, that
would be "pom...pom, pom" or a dotted eighth and two sixteenths, "pom,
pom, pom, pom pom"--before he plays it. He doesn't have to do with
the pitch as he would in a true solfege class, but the rhythms. So
that "if they can't say it, they can't play it." From there on, let's
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say Rubank Elementary or something like that, then the Rubank
intermediate book isn't bad, depending on the student. Or I use the
supplementary book of Rubank, the Endressen. And along with, again it
depends on the student, Polatschek 24 Studies for Beginners--which is
a terrible misnomer. It is not a book for beginners at all. I think
they discouraged a lot of people. They said, "I'm a beginner and I'm
supposed to play that." It's not for beginners, it's another kind of
supplementary book. Did you have those? I don't remember. He
specializes in one figure (sings amsterdam rhythm) and gives you an
entire study in that. And he has rather interesting notes at the very
beginning of each of the twenty-four of them. Then as soon as
possible, I go to the Baerman, the second division of the Baerman.
Musically, of course, I don't think that there's anything that beats
that. In phrasing it is marvelous. And they are very enjoyable too.
And then soon we are coming into the Pares Daily Studies, Scales
Studies. I like particularly, there again, the Rubank publication of
this book. And I don't know a single soul at the Rubank company--in
fact, I don't think I've ever gotten a complimentary copy of their
books! But in Pares the scales are very good. You go into four
sharps and four flats, unfortunately. They are not fingered, which I
wish they would do. There again I guess you would get into lots of
people who are different. But they are very well set up. It's
something like the Stephenade Book of scales. Something on that
order. They are awfully good. In the back there are a couple of
drills, finger drills for the little fingers of the right hand or the
left hand. But they're set up very very well. Then for scales we go
to the Lazarus Book II. That's where you came in, I believe. And
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that is the Carl Fischer edition, which contains the Albert scales in
all keys and also has the harmonic minors. I am appalled and amazed
at how many "advanced pupils" come to me and have never heard of a
harmonic minor scale. The Lazarus does have it in the back of the
book. The harmonic minor and the melodic minor. And the Albert
scales are just first class. They are not fingered. I think it's up
to the teacher to finger them. And that's very important. Also in
that book are the famous Kroepsch studies, entertaining a style. The
Bellison style would be playing all through loudly and then softly,
then slowly and as printed. The finger technique is a very firm, hard
finger technique which is used strictly as calesthentics. Then also
included in that book of Lazarus are his own, ten etudes by Lazarus
himself, which are very, very good. Sort of advanced intermediate
kind of things. There are some scales set up by Bellison in triplet
form. Should we go on with methods?
J. G.: How about a digression?
You mentioned hard finger calesthentic. What are you listening
for when you do that kind of exercise?
S. F.: Well, I don't know if it is listening so much as the physical
motion to strengthen the musculature and the coordination of the
fingers. But I certainly wouldn't play a piece that way necessarily,
because then you get too much popping of the note down. We don't
want that. A striking, a disciplining, that's what that is. But then
you have to use your fingers in different ways as required. I mean
if you take the Rose studies, which I didn't particularly mention, but
I do use the Rose (and my favorite, which a lot of people use, is
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the Rose Forty Etudes.) In the first volume, the very first etude, in
C major, is done in an entirely different way. I think in the book
the quarter note equals seventy-two or something like that and use
that in eighth note is the unit to about forty eight to the beat.
Here the fingers are done in slow motion. I always use as an analogy:
"when you are watching TV baseball game or football and you get your
playbacks in slow motion, that's the way you should use your fingers."
There is no popping now of the tones; they sort of run together
without any specific pops. In legato playing, for instance in the
Mozart Concerto, the adagio movement, you play without pops. I mean
there is more than one way. It depends on the circumstances.
J. G.: You have mentioned several books that are not on the list
which I have presented to you. Would you share those with us?
S. F.: Well, I don't see the Thurston books, for one thing. He calls
those Passage Studies. You had those Frederick Thurston, in three
volumes. Unfortunately, they are prohibitive in cost nowadays. When
you studied they were a dollar and a quarter a copy. I think right
now they are twelve dollars and sixty cents a copy. I'm pretty sure
that's correct. Incredible! But they are marvelous, very, very
musical. And they give a certain style to the student as well as
bringing out technical problems. Frederick Thurston, published by
Boosey and Hawkes. I don't see here the Polatschek Twenty Four
Studies for Beginners. That's what I had referred to before, Oh, the
Uhl. Forty-eight Etudes! They are very explicit studies for very
advanced students. Really good--a tremendous challenge. The
unobvious thing happens. You don't know what's going to come--full of
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surprises as well as being very well done. These things are just
running through my mind at sixty miles an hour! Jeanjean, Twenty Five
Etudes--you had those. They should be the first ones. Again the
price is prohibitive. That book costs about seventeen dollars.
Twenty five Etudes...Technique and Melodique...just beautiful studies.
There was already something else which came to my mind...oh yes, the
Langenus part three. It comes in three volumes but part three is
especially very good. Published by Carl Fischer. Oh, the Jeanjean
sixty etudes also, which comes in three separate volumes. They come
in every key. They are published by Leduc. They are three very large
books and very extended, about twenty in each. In all keys, and of
course Jeanjean was such a beautiful writer for the clarinet.
Delecluse, Fourteen Grande Etudes--marvelous! You have Polatschek,
which is similar. Something just went through my mind. Of couse, the
Chopin-Sarlit. That is as much for style as it is for technique.
Paganini is excellent. Another thing I'll say is Bach etudes, and
there are three ways you can approach that. There's the Rubank
edition called Classical Studies by Voxman. Bach and Handel in that.
The only thing I don't like about it is that they try to put so much
in it that the music is bunched up. A beautiful edition of this is
the Delecluse. The Bach taken from the cello and violin unaccompanied
suites. And then there is the Italian edition of Ricordi, and I
believe it's Gambaro who did that. Those are very good too. It's the
funniest thing, one of them gives it to the clarinet in the original
printer version without changing the key, so the clarinet is really
sounding a tone lower, and the other one gives it in the original key
so that everything is a tone up from the original printed part. (Sings
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violin unaccompanied to demonstrate key difference.) Very often, I
will give the student the same thing (in both versions). I may xerox
one if he already has one and needs to prepare the other. And also, I
think I did with you, have him transpose especially. I think it's the
Italian that gives the original notation. So I have the student do
transposing. And if it's a good student, like you, I would have him
do the original, transpose up a step to C clarinet and transpose down
a step. And the same lesson, not one week here and so forth. There
is nothing which trains concentration more than transposition. That
is one thing that Bellison used to say, and it helps you in sight
reading to maintain concentration...improves so much. You can't
possibly think of anything else while you're transposing. I gave you
a lot of that. I must say that I myself never did have assignments in
transposition; that's my own innovation, to have the students do it as
a regular assignment. That brings me back to another book, Gabucci l6
Divertimenti. It's called Etudes for in the Italian Prima Vista,
first sight. I use those for a good intermediate student and also for
advanced students to keep them transposing. They have to prepare
those transposed and the accidentals there are chilling, there again
tricky. The melody isn't always the obvious. So that you can't just
transpose and say, "well this goes up a major third," or, to say, the
octave. No, because it's always the unobvious thing, so you have to
really read and concentrate. And he has interesting rhythms. This
book is beautifully illustrated. I never have to mark a thing. Every
single breath mark, every crescendo and diminuendo is in this book. G
Divertimenti...you did not have that? Well, as I told you before, I
feel my method of teaching is constantly evolving. I don't stick to
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one thing. I drop things and add things all through the years. I'm
sure you do the same thing. You have to. You become very stale, you
lose your interest. It becomes a bore.
S. F.: What mouthpiece did I use with you?
J. G.: B45--no, B*.
S. F.: I remember that. I was playing a B* then myself. I'm not
going to stick with it all my life because I found the B45 much
better. Now I use the 5 RV lyre, like it very much.
Do you want me to discuss orchestra studies? I'm sure you know about
the Strauss Studies. The three Strauss books and also the Eb and bass
clarinet books. There is a very good bass clarinet book out now--do
you know that orchestra book? I'll have to get you the name. It's in
my case. Very thorough. Do you teach any bass clarinet? The Strauss
"Death and Transfiguration." The reading in that is crazy. You have
to read up an octave in spots; you don't read normally. What I do
with bass clarinet students is make sure they know the bass clef. For
that I use, again, the Boner. It's published for bass clef. They
read that--it's tremendous and it becomes second nature to them
reading bass clef. Also, if they are unfamiliar with bass clef, they
have to call out the names of the notes, especially if they have not
had piano. Just like a beginner would. Then before you know it they
catch on to it; they do well. But bass clef is very important for
bass clarinetists. If not, then you can only play bass clarinet in
the band. Then everything is treble clef. And there are so many
different systems. The bass clef is a very confusing thing for bass
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clarinet--whether they go up in octaves or just seconds transposing
from the original. Then we go with the A clarinet--bass clarinet--
there isn't any trouble--bass clef and for A bass clef. Did you ever
see an A bass clarinet?
J. G.: No--an A bass clarinet?
S. F.: Yes, a bass clarinet in the key of A. There must be just a few
around and they are always out of tune. I think they were made for
European pitch, and it is so much higher than ours. It's pathetic how
they are out of tune. I see down here you have Stein's "The Art of
Clarinet Playing"--excellent, but along with that I think is the
Thurston Clarinet Technique, which is a part of a series, oboe
technique and so forth, published by Oxford University Press. You get
a lot out of that. It goes along with the Stein book. We miss Keith
Stein. A marvelous gentleman. And also I like the "Art of
Clarinetistry," you remember that book, by William Stubbins. Very
technically and mechanically oriented. A very cranial writer, but
very, very good. A very cranial writer--lots of brains--very, very
interesting.
J. G.: What part do you feel transposition plays in the development
of the young clarinetist? Whole steps, half steps, up and down.
S. F.: What do you mean by young clarinetist?
J. G.: Well, the developing clarinetist!
S. F.: It depends there again. If it's a very good clarinetist, in
high school or junior high, I give it to him just for the purpose
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of getting accustomed to it, the training, and as I said before, the
concentration. Certainly in college it is very important. As I
mentioned before, they should be able to transpose in the key of C
more importantly than in the key of A, I think. It's a much more
practical thing. I encourage them to play duets, play with flutists,
and with violinists, and to transpose their part. And there's a certain
way of teaching transposition that we go by, and making sure we do it.
You have to call out the notes in the transposed key. They find that,
generally, quite difficult at first. Here again, I say if you can't
say it, you can't play it! If you can't read out the notes, if your
brain doesn't transmit the names of the notes, how are you going to
play it? There again, no rhythm, just calling out the names of the
notes, going into transposition, doing it with others at those points.
Playing with the piano. Take some slower or more simple Bach things
or Handel things, sonatas, and play with the piano. Transpose the
original violin part or C part. As you know, nowadays, trumpet
players are using C trumpets; it's the style now to play C trumpet and
they transpose everything. Did you know that? Ask a trumpet player.
Because now they go for the more brilliant sound. I can't imagine
that ever happening to the clarinet. It would be like using C clarinets
to play Bb parts. But that's what the trumpets are doing. Because
that C clarinet is so miserably out of tune and the quality is so
radically different from the Bb clarinet. But I think that it is a
very important fact of training, and I think the sooner the better.
J. G.: Do you encourage the memorization of opera and orchestral
excerpts?
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S. F.: By all means. No hesitation there. By all means. Many times
I have taken an audition and the conductor would say, "Play the
Hungrarian Rhapsody". The Hungrarian Rhapsody? "Sure, play it. Play
the three cadenzas. Play the Sheherazade or play...let me hear, (this
is the conductor) the solos from the Pathetique Symphony." Just like
a violinist or a cellist does concertos, we are not required to know
that, but I should think that we be required to know orchestral
excerpts. Beethoven 6, Tchaikovsky 4, Sheherazade, Coc D'or, Strauss!
J. G.: How do you teach attacks?
S. F.: Hit 'em! I hate that word "attacks"--a bad word. I wish we
could find another word for the start of the tone. Because the word
"attack" connotes, "Sock it to 'em. Hit 'em in the face, bash him!"
That's beside the point, but I think the word "attack" is a terrible
word. Don't you think so? I was just thinking as in the Pathetique
Symphony (sings slow solo) if you attack, that's going to be the
effect (slaps first note). So how do you teach attack? First of all,
I tell them that "attack" is a terrible word. Well, mechanically,
you take a breath, and you have the embouchure set, the tongue against
the reed, before your note comes out, and when you release the tongue
from the reed, the note comes out. That's essentially the beginning
of the tone with the backup of the air behind you, very similar to
what happens when you walk over to the sink and turn the spicket. Of
course the water comes out, because there is pressure behind the
faucet. So its's that idea, that the tongue is going away from the
reed. At the start, the air not going to the reed to make the tone
come out. The tone air is released by removal of the tongue from the
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reed to begin the tone. And the rapid articulation is the tongue
going away from the reed. I will tell the student to pronounce it, to
actually articulate it away from the clarinet: "Ta," "Ta," "Ta"--and
get the feel of what the tongue is doing. Occasionally, I might do
anchor tonguing, because we all have different sized tongues and
different noses, ears, and lips. The tongue sometimes is long and the
mouth can't accomodate its length, so then the tongue just rests
behind the lower teeth just the same, moving away (to pronounce Ta).
Occasionally one has to do this. I've had students who have fooled me
and done everything--"ka, ka, ka" in the back of the tongue, and I've
tried to retrain them-- and have had some success, because I think you
have more control with "ta." One student I remember specifically, you
would think that this student could triple tongue, "ta-ka-ka" or
"ta-ta-ka," but he couldn't do that. It was either one or the other.
Frequently even walking down the street or driving a car, you can
practice tonguing, observing the mechanical or physical part of it.
Does that tell you enough? In fact, I didn't go into too much detail
but definitely it's "away." And you start very, very slowly. I've
evolved a system very similar to the Bonade method of going away from
the reed and returning to the tip of the reed. I believe I gave you a
whole series of those? I've had some very good results from those,
and some very good remarks. Recently I had one student who came from
an ex-student of mine and that ex-student said that he "had never seen
any better staccato studies than the Forrest." It does work, I know,
and specifically with metronome, because you have a mechanical thing
going on all the time. And the first thing, I don't speed at all--I
stress quality. That's the important thing. Because sometimes you
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get ridiculous things like the Willam Tell Overture in the band
version, like when I was in the Marine Band. When it gets terribly
fast, you do two slurred and two tongued. You should be good at that
and play that in scale studies, chromatic studies and things like
that. Really be able to do that very well--two slurred, two tongued.
Double tonguing is not impossible, but it takes so much time away from
other studies that I don't think it's worth it, unless of course one
has a particular propensity--a genius--for staccato that way.
Gallodoro could do that--"Ta ka Ta ka." But on the clarinet you can
just about ruin your tone and waste all the time you could be spending
learning literature, musicianship and other techniques that are
necessary. So I don't think it is worth it at all. But above all,
quality first and then speed. Speed will come with a lot of
perseverance. You have to have perseverance in everything when it
comes to learning a skill; certainly with the clarinet, it requires a
skill. For some people tonguing is slow; others take the tonguing
very naturally--but very few, I must say. Tonguing is a very
difficult art and more often than not, I think it's a skill that one
is born with, to a great extent. Then there is the quality of the
tongue--one could have a fast tonguing but with poor quality. One
kind of thing I don't like is (says hard staccato) their pronouncing
"TUTH...tuth, tuth, tuth"--coming back too hard on the reed. I don't
hear as much of that as I used to hear, but an awful lot of that used
to go on. I think that the shut off of the reed should be quiet.
"Ta, ta, ta." When you say it with "tuth, tuth, tuth," that's the
reason that it slows up the tongue. All that is discussed when I do
that with pupils and hand out about seven or eight pages of staccato
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studies that I devised myself, which I hope to publish someday for my
own method...who knows?
J. G.: How you you employ the tape recorder in your teaching?
S. F.: I do encourage my students to tape themselves when they
practice, if they can. But specifically in recitals. When the
student does recitals, tape them and let them hear the cassettes and
let them hear themselves. I give them the cassette to take home for
their leisure. I think it's a very instructive, sometimes destructive,
thing to hear happen. Shakes them up, wakes them up. I think with
the use of the marvelous tape recorders we get nowadays, I think we
should be getting into a super race of clarinetists in the next
generation, and possibly this generation too. The devices that exist--
you can xerox things. When I was coming along, for instance, all the
orchestra studies--I think you know about this--volumes that I hand
copied, I think must be all published by now, but I used to do every
one of them by hand. I was in school then and spent hours and hours
going up to the library. Still some of those that I have are not
published due to the copyright rules and so forth. But in those days,
I spent hours and hours making copies of excerpts. Which nowadays I
hand out to students xeroxing them gratis. I mean after I have copied
for hours, and there in one split second, it's kind of maddening. I
think that the current generation has an advantage. And years from
now with the computer and everything else going on! There is a whole
revolution in learning, and I'm sure it will extend to clarinetist,
clarinetistry and music in general. Does that answer your question?
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J. G.: What personalities do you consider to be landmarks in clarinet
teaching and why?
S. F.: Well, of course, my own teacher, Mr. Bellison, was a great
landmark becuase he was a great inspiration, and musically a fantastic
interpreter in style, and because he was so unique. I think, of
course, Bonade was a tremendous clarinetist in this country. I have
gained, myself, from reading his books. Naturally, you would admit
that it was gorgeous, and like some say, reluctantly. But I give him
lots of credit. I played with him and he was an entirely different
gentleman from Bellison. A little bit more on the gruff side, I would
say. Bellison was a very gentle man. I remember playing with Bonade
at CBS several times, and I was playing alongside him and I would be
practicing scales, and he would say, "You practice too much." He
would tell his students that he didn't practice at all. He was
apparently some sort of born genius because he didn't have to
practice, but that's hard to believe. But, of course, he had a
tremendous influence on students in this country. Polatschek, I
think, had a big influence through his books. Bellison, through his
books and through his revisions and editing and arranging of solos.
His ideas musically were just incredible--nothing sensational--just
beautiful stuff. And, of course, as far as teaching is concerned,
Keith Stein had a great influence. Stubbins. Unfortunately,
Lindemann didn't leave anything that I know of, did he? Not even a
revision or arrangement of anything. I know he was--speaking of
gruff--he was impossible, I understand, as a teacher. Terrible
temper, but a beautiful, beautiful sound, a magnificent sound. You
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know, we all have to have our own conception, goals, and ideas about
what we want to sound like. To me, between him and Lindemann and
Bellison, there were two sounds that were just incredible. Nobody has
sounds like that nowadays.
J. G.: Let me ask you a loaded question. What would you say would be
the difference in tone quality between Bonade and Bellison?
S. F.: Bonade and Bellison? Bonade was quite light. Bellison had
this dark, rich sound. Bonade's was a much lighter, much
easier-blowing sound. I think the closest that comes to the
Bellison-Lindemann school is still there in Germany with Karl Leister.
Very fine player with a beautiful sound. But he's playing the German
type reed with a German facing, although his reeds are, he tells me,
the Vandoren. It's the German cut Vandoren. But he uses it on the
German facing; and he uses the magnificent old Oehler system clarinet.
I would say that for quite a while Reginal Kell had quite an influence
on students; everybody started using wide vibratos. He was quite an
elegant musician, except that his style of playing the clarinet was
very peculiar. The tone, thank God, never took hold in this country.
He himself told me that he adapted that style to match Goosens on the
oboe with that vibrato. Reginal Kell--his recordings are still
popular, especially the Brahms Quintet. That above all, and also the
Mozart Concerto. I used to have kids coming into the studio imitating
this wide vibrato. But he was an influence, I would say. Of course,
Langenus was an influence on the older generation. I think people
went to Europe to study with Hamelin. Like Ralph Maclane. Maclane
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was a fine influence. Currently Gigliotti has been at Curtis many,
many years, and has produced many fine students.
J. G.: Do you use any of Tabeteaux's ideas in your teaching of
phraseology?
S. F.: One I especially like is the numbers. Not only crescendo on a
particular note, but whole phrases when you make sequential climbing
(sings using numbers for each sequence). l, 2, 3, 4, I think it
always goes over with students, works very well. I always admired
his playing, and I think that Delancie was a very logical successor
to his playing on that subject; I think one must not only listen to
clarinet playing and clarinet, but spread out to other people's ideas,
other than clarinetists. There's Kincaid and his rhythmical ideas
about moving ahead toward the next beat. That was his big thing. And
listening to performances of other players and other instrumentalists,
singers especially. I tell my students to listen to singers because I
treat the clarinet as a singing instrument, not so much solely fingers
and technique. If you can't necessarily make a portamento (sings
downward wide slur), then at least you can think that you make a large
interval going down or going up, as singers do. I listen to lots of
opera now and encourage my students to listen to opera and to vocal
recitals. There are so many good vocalists. Coming again to the use
today of recordings. Tabetaux and others. One must spread out to
other instruments. I love and recommend to all my students to listen
to the Bach unaccompanied pieces. There is one especially that I
adore, the Grumiuaux recordings--do you know those? It all goes back
to conception and ideas.
19
J. G.: What recordings do you feel are required listening in the
development of the young clarinetist?
S. F.: Well, let's see...how many recordings did I make?
J. G.: Can you still get your recordings and where?
S. F.: Yes. If you can't get them, they can be ordered. But some of
them are out of print. They sold out millions of them and couldn't
make anymore! Well, what do you mean--specific recordings or specific
works? Well, everything has been recorded nowadays, and I think one
should listen to all these things. And then of course the orchestra
things. It's very important to listen to orchestra recordings. The
Brahms Quintet, the Mozart Quintet, the Mozart Trio, everything else.
The Premiere_Rhapsody of Debussy, I think is the best recording still,
the very first one. Gaston Hamelin--everyone should listen to that.
The Mozart Quintet by Bellison--such bad recording in terms of high
fidelity, but beautiful interpretation. Modesty prohibits me from
talking about my own recordings, so I won't mention them! Another
outstanding performance is the Deplus recording of the Quartet_for_
the_End_of_Time--a stunning performance! In the old days the Kell
recording of the Brahms was a gorgeous recording, except for that
vibrato. But he was very fine. It's the funniest thing, people who
are not clarinetists admire and enjoy his playing but we clarinetists
in this country didn't like it. In England they do, but it's
peculiar. We may be lucky, but there is very little English-style
playing in this country. They must abhor our playing or something,
think it stinks, our playing in this country, because they use a
20
terribly wide vibrato--what they call the "bel canto" style of
clarinet playing. I have some recordings of Draper and Thurston and
they were very fine players. That was prior to the Kell style of all
this wild vibrato. Brymer uses a Buffet. Brymer is a very, very fine
clarinet player, and they did play very, very musically, no doubt
about it. And the Italian style too hasn't made much difference in
this country. It's just generally the French and German.
And Bellison was mainly the German style. There again, we are all
individuals. I always like to tell the story about Hamelin, as he
told me. I asked him about the French school of clarinet playing and
he almost got angry and said, "Listen, young man, here are fifty
million Frenchmen in France, and there are fifty million ways to play
the clarinet in France." So there are 250 million Americans and 250
million ways to play clarinet in America. That is quite a broad
statement. Brings out a very important aspect of music generally.
O.K!
J. G.: Do you play duets with your students?
S. F.: I play duets with advanced students, but I don't think it is
a very good way of teaching. I have them play duets with each other,
for sightreading. But as you know--did I ever play duets with you?
Never?
J. G.: You would demonstrate a lot for me!
S. F.: I have seen people give the entire lesson--duets? Not a word,
just play duets for half an hour or an hour and that is the lesson.
But I do have advanced students play with each other, sometimes at the
21
end of one lesson and at the beginning of the next lesson, we'll say.
Duets! Oh, I encourage it. I think it is very good especially for
sight reading.
J. G.: How do you teach staccato?
S. F.: I thought we mentioned that already. I have my own grade
studies as far as staccato is concerned. But there are good books,
the Stark Studies, and the Baerman IV, of which I hope my new revision
will come out with the staccato studies in there. There are six
beautiful staccato studies which were extracted. I hope to put them
back in a new edition. Also, some of these Rose Studies where there
is a complete page of slurring...you know among the Etudes --a
complete page of slurring--and I take those and convert them into
staccato studies and they work out very well. And conversely too.
Take a staccato study and convert it into a slurred study. One helps
the other.
J. G.: What kinds of long tones have you found to be most helpful?
S. F.: Well, that is a long story. I like to use twelfths. I
encourage students to listen to the low register and try to transfer
the fullness of sound from the chalemeau into the clarion, which has a
tendency to thin out, to encourage fullness there. And crescendi and
diminuendo of course. I tell students the reason for long tones is
for quality and improving quality, trying to improve the endurance of
the player, and also the pitch among other things. So long tones are
not be be played just to do one's duty, but there's a reason for long
tones. Also, there is the idea of crescendo--dimenuendo on a single
22
tone, there again for endurance and control and pitch. And I like to
employ the numbering of Tabeteaux's system, where you hold and sustain
____________________________
INSERT DRAWING HERE
____________________________
the last tone, the longer the better. Also I start with a loud sound
and continue diminuendo, diminishing as far as the endurance will take
you, and controlled. Also matching tones...very, very slow arpeggios,
mixed arpeggios; instead of "do, mi sol, do," "do, sol, mi, do sol, mi
do" but slower and as I am sure you remember the Bb, the very lousy Bb
throat without any auxiliary fingerings, just the plain raw Bb and
using that as a focus note for all the other notes. That, of course,
along with slow pieces. Anything else?
J. G.: Do you employ rhythms and why?
S. F.: Oh, of course, as you remember, I gave you whole sheets of that.
Why? For instance, you take a passage--famous Priemere Rhapsody
passage. There are so many ways you can play that. What happens is
that there are weak fingers and strong fingers, weak notes and strong
notes there, and by changing the rhythm instead of the straight four
notes (sing _____________________) you are strengthening and
emphasizing the first and the third note. When you reverse that
(_____________), then you really strengthen the weak notes two and
four. Then you take another (______________________) and if you
reverse that one, you get the weakest one of them all. The fourth
note then becomes the strongest beat, and that eventually evens out
23
the technique. It sounds like a theory, but it works. It is a theory
that does work. Yes, by all means, that, along with articulation.
And also I'll change a passage of fours into a passage of threes.
Sixes, instead of, let's say, you have a passage of "one and two and
three and four and five and six and." I'd change that to "one, two
three, one two three, one, two, three" (duple to triple meter).
Always works, never fails.
J. G.: What music and pedadogical volumes do you think should be
reprinted because of their value? In your experience, say for
instance as in the case of the Baermann, are there other things that
should be reprinted because of their value to you as a clarinetist?
S. F.: Well, I think we have a vast amount of music available to us
nowadays, a tremendous amount. What comes to mind is that Baermann
which would like to bring back to its original status, and what I'm
doing is to bring it back using modern fingerings. What we have to
have there, for the old Albert system, there are so many numbers you
can hardly see the music. And just an occasional left or right,
that's all that's necessary. I can't think of anything that's out of
print, can you?
J. G.: What literature for other mediums have you found helpful in
your teaching?
S. F.: Well, as I said before, the Kincaidiana. I love all the
techinique books out of that Oxford series, Clarinet Technique, etc.
I cannot recommend the Oxford books too highly. There is one on the
oboe, and that is written by Mrs. Barborolli--I forget her maiden
24
name; the clarinet one by Frederik Thurston; the flute is by Chapman;
the bassoon book is by Archie Camden with a good sense of humor; and
there is one on the French horn by Gunther Schuller. The one on oboe
is Evelyn Rothweld--she was a top flight oboist in England. Another
fine book is the book by Quantz about flute playing, which discusses
quite thoroughly the ornamentation of the baroque and early classical
period. There's a book of Theobald Boehm on the flute and flute
playing. Another one is called Embouchure. The Embouchure, which
discusses all embouchures and what I've gotten from that book is not
only the embouchure and the formation of the mouth, but it also talks
about breathing, the physical nature of breathing, the diaphragm, the
lungs and the rib cage, talks about the Groves dictionary. Not the
two thousand dollar one which is the latest edition, but the previous
edition. The Oxford companion to music is excellent. Oh yes, I found
this book on old music, Quantz, on playing the flute, Johann Joachim
Quantz. It's on ornamentation and things--tremendous. So we could
go on and on, but those are the important things, I think, in the
library. A book like this, Human Anatomy, discusses the whole
thorasic cavity and the use of the diaphragm. Another good book, as
far as history, is Clarinet Virtuosi, by Pamela Weston. So, there we
are--the Kincaidiana, as I said before, is excellent--first class.
J. G.: What volumes do you envision as being necessary to the library
of the developing clarinetist?
S. F.: You mean the printed word. I mention befor Keigh Steins' book
called The_Art_of_Clarinet_Playing. And then there is Thurston's book
called Clarinet_Technique, published by Oxford and the Stein book is
25
published by Summy Birchard and then there's the book by Jack Brymer
called The Clarinet--do you know that book? Part of the Yehudi
Menunin series, also the Stubbins book, "The_Art_of_Clarinetistry."
It's very good and published by Schirmer, and it's paperback.
Another one, oh, the History_of_the_Clarinet by Jeoffrey Randall,
it's called The_Clarinet. Also The Woodwinds--bring the tape over--
The Woodwind and Their History by Bates, Baines, and this one,
Kincaidiana, refers to flute mainly, and also this one, the Chamber
Music of Brahms. Now other books are the compilation of Opperman,
The_Repertoire_of_the_Clarinet, along with his book on reedmaking.
Now I mentioned the book by Jeoffrey Randall, and that is the
Philosophical Library. Also, I have--any good clarinetist should
have--dictionaries: a German dictionary, a French dictionary and
Italian dictionary. Not to mention, of course, a music dictionary,
which I insist that my students have. Another good book, which I
think--now this is a rare book--called The_Embouchure. He treats
the embouchure as everything except the fingers, so it's the lips, the
teeth, the throat--the whole thoracic cavity and the diaphragm-- that's
all embouchure. It's called The_Embochure by Maurice M. Porter,
published by Boosey and Hawkes. I've never seen it in this country.
It was a gift to me from a friend of mine in England, Eugena Fabrey.
Did you ever meet her? She's done some publishing. I also like the
Boande book, The_Compendium, I get that for all my students. I am a
Bellison product but I don't say that there is nothing else in the
world--I think that's stupid! I think that anybody who is a Bonade
product who may think that there is nothing in the world but Bonade--
I think that is stupid too. And of course you feel that way; you have
26
become very ecumenical and eclectic in your taste. Another excellent
book I have found is called The_Artistic_Clarinet by Gabriel Tose.
Very, very good, and of course in modern music. The_New_Sounds_for
Woodwind by Bartolozzi. There are many, many books on the 20th
century clarinet. And many other books...
J. G.: How do you teach embouchure?
S. F.: You mean the steps? There are three basic steps to forming an
embouchure. One is to shape the lips as though one is whistling, or
to shape the lips as though one is saying "oo," maintaining that
shape--the whistle shape or the "oo" shape. Then one must form the
lower lip over the teeth--not much, just enough to cover the teeth--
or half the red part in and half out of the mouth; and then the third
step: while still maintaining the "oo" with the lower lip over the
teeth, to pull back the corners of the mouth in a sardonic grin--or
a sarcastic grin. So that should result in a pointed and flat chin.
Those are the basic things...Actually, of course, "embouchure" comes
from the French word "bouche" and it means "formation of the mouth,"
but it goes further than that. One must consider the throat, lungs,
the diaphragm--everything, I think, besides the actual finger
technique, as far as I am concerned, is embouchure. A general term.
J. G.: My next question is please mark the following scales. I want
to change that a little bit to ask you about the left hand F#. Do you
generally employ the side F# or the double side F#?
S. F.: Well, that depends upon the key.
27
J. G.: What about in the chromatic scale?
S. F.: Oh. Well, in the chromatic scale, F# on the side--you're
talking about F# first space. Generally, not always. Not a one
hundred percent rule. For instance, I find it more convenient in the
Tchaikovsky Fourth (sings_____________________) that it is better
to keep the technique in one hand so I don't use the side, which employs
the right hand and the left hand. Also in the Scheherezade, where after
(Sings lyrical solo) and the trumpet plays (_________________________)
and then that little chromatic passage(________________________)
starts as b, g, d, f, I've found that to be much more convenient in
the left hand. I play that F# in the left hand. Things like that.
There are exceptions to every rule, of course, but going straight up
and down the chromatic scale, I use the side F#.
J. G.: This is kind of an aside, but in general would you agree with
the fingerings by Avram Galper in his book?
S. F.: Which book are you talking about? His Book_of_Scale_Studies?
I think so. Speaking of F#, you see Avram Galper and I were both
students of Bellison. He likes to jump. Let's say the F# on the
fifth line, he likes that F# chromatic to go with the five key to
jump down, but generally I agree with him.
J. G.: What is the role of solfege in your teaching?
S. F.: The role of solfege. I use a simple system when a person has
trouble with rhythm. I have a saying, "If you can't say it, you
can't play it." And the reverse, "If you can say it, you should be
28
able to play it." In saying, we use the syllable "pom." Or in some
cases, "ta" if we're talking about tonguing. But if we have, let's
say, the Beethoven seventh (_____________________), if we can't play
it, then we break it down into sixths, "Pom, pom pom," and that's the
way it is said when we play it. And then it comes to a hard rhythm,
you know a syncopation and complicated rhythms. For instance, in the
Bartok Contrasts, there is a l3/8, 8/8, 5/8 section, that is begun
with a Pom-pom sound. I am strongly in favor of solfeggio and the
solfege method. I think some solfege teachers go wild and crazy. And
then they drive our pupils nuts. But it's a very, very fine
technique for learning--absolutely!
J. G.: In what order do you evaluate fundamentals in problem solving
with semi-professionals? In other words, when a person is playing and
he comes to you and says, "I've got a problem; I've worked on it, and
I've been to several people, and I think that you can help me." Then
what do you do with that person--not a young student?"
S. F.: Well, that depends upon what the problem seems to be. If there
are rhythm problems then we might do the solfeggio style; if there are
reed problems, we talk about reeds; and if he is squeaking, then we
discuss mouthpieces and the clarinet.
J. G.: Would you say that you look at the equipment first?
S. F.: It depends upon the problem. If the problem is rhythm, I
certainly wouldn't look at the clarinet. If I look at the equipment,
it will be the equipment right here above the eyes! You have to give
me a specific problem.
29
J. G.: OK. I come to you, and I'm squeaking!
S. F.: Well then, we look at equipment first. Check out the reed and
the mouthpiece. Maybe your reeds are warped; maybe your mouthpiece is
warped. Maybe your clarinet has a key that doesn't close; maybe you
have a crack that you don't know about. Or maybe you have a broken
cork; that could be the problem. Then we go to the person, and
include the embouchure. Maybe the teeth suddenly shifted or something.
Or maybe he is playing too much and his lips are tired--cut his lip;
sometimes that can happen. So that would be the order of it, I would
say. It's so individual, every single problem is different.
J. G.: What is the reasoning clarinetist? Do you ask your students
to account for everything they do?
S. F.: There again, depending upon the student. The very first
question I ask is whether he practiced. It is as simple as that!
They say "No, I didn't practice, honest. I was studying my music
history," or "I was practicing my solfeggio or my minor piano." And
they think that they can maybe breeze through on the clarinet. If
there is a specific problem, then we work out. We try it with the
left hand, we try it with the right hand, and I show them how to
practice it. We change rhythms, changing articulations, and see which
one works best. And in the long run the pupil must decide for
himself, after I give him the suggestion. If I don't give him the
suggestion, he doesn't need a teacher. But there are many things that
they don't know about because of lack of experience and background.
So in cases like that, we eliminate possibilities.
30
J. G.: How do you teach legato fingerings?
S. F.: Ah, simply to start with. I would start with say "F" on the
first space and go down the F major scale and divide that scale into
half notes like this: "one, two and one two." After the second beat
the second beat you raise the finger and bring it down, but then you
do it absolutely without a stop into the tone hole. The "and" is the
preparatory motion of the finger--some would say a leverage. So I
would do that way. And then we start on "E, two lift "D", then "D"
two lift "C". Then I would do it this way: I would start again on
"F"--"F" two lift "E", "F" two lift "D". Then we do that later on at
the twelfth, which is high "C" and is more difficult. Does that
answer your question? And when a student does this, and I mention
this as a negative approach, this is what happens. "One, two, lift,
then plunk." Then it is brought back to the same point from which it
started. Then that is useless--why bring it back in the first place?
But not opening up like a great big flower. Some people lift their
fingers, very much exaggerated, and then bring them down.
J. G.: Well, how much is enough?
S. F.: Sort of open the hand a little bit, don't straighten it out so
that the finger goes straight out. There again, it depends on the
person. I watch as they do it! But not way out, because that is
actually a loss of energy and it exaggerates, and can actually work in
a detrimental way. Counterproductive.
J. G.: What is measured rubato and how do you teach that?
31
S. F.: Well, rubato means to rob from one note and give to another.
In other words, you shorten one note, and the value that you rob you
give to another. That's where rubato comes from, "to rob." It comes
out in the style of the piece that you are playing. What are saying,
of course, is like a theoretical, mathematical problem, the conductor
would conduct straight and you would take time and arrive two or three
measures later at the same spot. A measured rubato could be, for
instance, where the composer writes that way--like a metrical
modulation--written out ritard or accelerando.
J. G.: What about "coq_d'or"? Is there any way to practice that as
it should sound with the metronome?
S. F.: Well, I think you are better off if you play it metronomically
after the third group. Stick to the beat at about l20 for four notes.
Then in the end then you ritard. But the actual descending line,
straight. If you make a slight accelerando, you are going to fall
flat on your face! That is bound to happen. And the effect is just
fine. Straight and then towards the end you make a slight ritard.
All this is easier said than done! I must say! There are many, many
ways to practice that.
J. G.: When do you practice and how often?
S. F.: Ideally, the best time of day is to practice in the morning
because of the time of day. You get much more out of your practice in
the morning. And you ask how often; it should be every day, just like
you have to wash your face, brush your teeth, eat your breakfast, and
so on, it's another fundamental that has to be done every day. If you
32
are playing rehearsals, in an orchestra, part of that can be counted
as practice. What I tell my students is that a serious student has to
practice three hours a day, a minimum. And that all does not have to
be playing actually. Some of that can be studying music. Sometimes,
not enough of that is done. If everything is done on the instrument,
that is not very good practice, I don't think. You have to study the
music and find out what the composer is aiming at. How do I make this
sound musical and so forth? What is the period style? How do I
phrase this? Not only on the instrument, but with the mind itself.
Not always blowing on the instrument. That is not done enough, I
don't think.
J. G.: Do you use the metronome in your personal practice?
S. F.: At times, sure. I'm not ashamed of that, absolutely. At times
but not exclusively; and I tell the same thing to my students. They
must use the metronome. At times for the rhythm and other times for
the tempo, for the exact speed. Because the speed depends on how one
person feels, the weather, the mood of a person. But the rhythm
should be ironbound generally, unless you are playing kitchen music,
or game music or cadenzas, which are interpreted different ways. But
the metronome is a tremendous help.
J. G.: What importance do you assign to throat posture and vowel
sounds to achieve your concept of sound?
S. F.: Very important. That is where you get your flexibility there
in the throat. Especially conscious of the high notes. Generally
the throat should be open, not tense, relaxed. Especially, one has to
33
be conscious of the throat position for the high register, to get
the high notes produced, first of all, and to get them in tune. I use
the vowel "ee" generally. But you must be careful because you might
be closing up the throat. The throat must be open and relaxed with
the vowel "ee". In the lower register, it is "oo" or a combination of
"oo" and "ee," "eur." And then real low we have "ah" and in that
position you must open, basically an "ah," especially when you make
big jumps. "Tah-ee"-- this makes a tremendous difference. Actually
the glottis comes into play. The glottis helps nudge the note up or
down. We could go on about this--position of the mouth. Vowels are
very important.
J. G.: To what extent do you employ styles of vibrato?
S. F.: Just in a singing style, to emote a little bit, but nothing
conscious. I am of the school that thinks the clarinet has its own
beauty and does not need vibrato. If you play a flute without vibrato,
it sounds ugly, and the same thing with a violin, but the clarinet, no.
Unfortunately, I think some people employ vibrato on the clarinet and
do so much of it that they do more vibrato than the violin or an oboe.
To me it has a detrimental effect on the tone. I don't think you need
that on the clarinet. The clarinet possesses its own fullness and
richness. On the flute, the sound is a very pale, pale sound--same
thing with the violin; it demands the use of the vibrato.
J. G.: What are you willing to share with us regarding the bore
dimensions of your barrels?
34
S. F.: The Bb barrel, let me give you the top first. The top is .587
and the bottom is .580, so you have a spread of .007. Of course, I
believe very firmly that the bottom should be smaller than the top.
Now the clarinet--not too different, I don't think. The A clarinet of
course is smaller. The C clarinet barrel is .583 on the top and .576
on the bottom. These are Buffet barrels. Now the Selmer l0G on the
top is .586 and on the bottom is .575--there is a pretty big spread
there.
J. G.: What clarinet are you playing now?
S. F.: Both, I go back and forth. I find them quite similar.
J. G.: What are the general dimensions of your mouthpiece?
S. F.: All I can do there is give you the name of the mouthpiece. It
is the VanDoren 5 RV lyre, which is a medium length, medium open
facings, I would say the opening there is maybe ll2 or ll0. Very
comfortable. I am going to look into something I just heard--there is
a B45 point. I used to play B45. I found the B45 was essentially
more difficult and I was just a bit too open. I think maybe the B45
point may be just a 1ittle closer. I find the VanDorens, if they
would only make their reeds as consistently as they make their
mouthpieces, we'd be in just fine shape. I also wish on the VanDoren
that they would not have the shiny facing. To shine it up they put
polish on it, and I wish they wouldn't. I think they are covering up
the fact that they are made by machine. I have been to the VanDoren
factory, and I have seen them make them--they finish them by hand--the
insides, the baffle and the chamber, all done by hand. But they are
35
very careful, and they do a good job, and it is also reasonably
priced. You notice that one mouthpiece on the market now is two
hundred dollars. Extra super duper...fantastic mouthpiece!
J. G.: When you have mouthpieces refaced, who do you use?
S. F.: Well, at the National Music Camp, Robert Scott does a very
nice job. And, I don't use this man personally, but the man in New
Jersey, Everett Matson, has a good reputation, and I have seen his
work. It is very good. Of course, in the old days, it was Edward
Hoffman. If he were alive now, he would be one hundred and
twenty-five years old. He was in New York--Astoria, Long Island.
J. G.: What special considerations do you make regarding the
undercutting of your clarinets?
S. F.: I'd rather not if it doesn't need it. The circumstances that
require undercutting is if you have a fuzzy note or the pitch. But
it's a touchy thing because you can ruin the whole sound. You won't
ruin the whole sound of the clarinet, but you can ruin the sound of
that particular note. One has to be especially careful. Let's say
for instance on the low "C." If there is not enough undercutting
under that pad, the first pad in the lower joint, then that can make
the low "C" very fuzzy, and it can also affect the "C#." There again
the low "C#"--not so much nowadays, but not too far back, there was
always this bad, bad sound, and it lacked undercutting. In cases like
that, I would let an expert do that--an absolute expert, to be perfectly
frank. It's a very touchy subject.
J. G.: What combination of pads and corks do you use on your instruments?
36
S. F.: Well, mainly skin pads. But on the upper joint in the register,
it must have a cork pad, by virtue of the fact that it is sitting on
a piece of metal. Also the first and second trill keys, because they
get so much water. And once you have the cork pad, they can stay
there forever, I like cork pads on the throat "A" and throat "G#,"
but I don't like all cork pads. I had a very bad experience with
that once. Every pad was just gorgeous. I had a whole clarinet done
that way once, and it was no good. It was hard, very difficult
blowing and a lot of keys clicking and so forth. I don't like too
many cork pads.
J. G.: Who were your teachers?
S. F.: Well, my primary teacher was Simeon Bellison. I was
associated with him from l934 to l953 when he died, and we were very,
very good friends--close friends. Then I studied with Alexander
Williams who was his associate in the New York Philaharmonic. And the
reason I went to him without knowing the man was that he played the
same system clarinet, the Boehm system, whereas Bellison played the
Oehler system. But he also played a German type facing, mouthpiece,
and reed. He was very, very kind to me, and we are still very good
friends. And then I credit a lot to Mr. Otto Conrad, although never
with formal lessons. I played for him. He would make mouthpieces.
He made a very good mouthpiece for me and also he would fix my
clarinet and tell me all kinds of things. So those three men generally.
I started out with Geraldi Iasilli, who is famous for several books he
has written. But I must say that an awakening as a musician and with
music as an art was with Bellison.
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J. G.: How do you spell that?
S. F.: Iasilli. He was Italian trained, an Italian man from Naples
Conservatory
J. G.: What tools do you use for reed adjustment--files, rush and so
forth?
S. F.: The first thing that comes to mind is a trimmer with the
guillotine type mechanism. I have had this one now for about twenty
years and once you get a good one, that's it if you don't lose it.
It's hard to find a good one, and they are terribly expensive. Then
of course, I use a good knife, a heavy bladed knife and that is a
Boyse knife. And of course, rush, I use quite extensively, and plate
glass. I use my studio window--up to the light to get the profile and
so on. I use the rush, Dutch rush which we get at Interlochen so
much. I use some sandpaper, the wet or dry silicon carbide, numbers
320 up to 600, 600 being the finest. I use the 600 extensively for
polishing the reed. The 400 is the most useful. The 320 I use if I
want to cut down the sides and the width of the reed. Very often the
reed is wider than the mouthpiece facing and that's bad. Should never
be! So in cutting it down I use that kind of paper placed on plate
glass so you have an absolutely flat surface. I like to use it
sometimes as a handle to put the reed on while I work on it.
J. G.: Do you reface mouthpieces at all?
S. F.: Once in a while I will fool around. If I see a small chip or
something, I'll just use, say, 600 paper, and I will take a little slip
38
off, but I don't like to do this too much. I think that is an art in
itself.
That kind of ligature is a VanDoren--the black matte finish. Not the
plated finish, because the plating itself is much heavier. But the
VanDoren ligature is a very nice ligature. I used Bonade for a very
long time, but I think there is too much stress on the reed and it
tends to warp. I also like the Luyben ligature. There again I prefer
the black-colored one over the white; for some reason or other, I
think it is better. There are so many ligatures--as you know, there
are a lot of ligature nuts in this world. But actually the very best
ligature is still the string. Did you ever use that? You should--I'll
give you a piece. Then for a while, I was very enthusiastic about the
combination of plastic or metal with string. Put out by this one
fellow in Texas who uses black string, and then there was one in New
Hampshire who used the white string. Sounds of woodwinds. They are
not too bad. But somehow it is easier to string it around, to get the
string to adjust. I find the VanDoren very good. Some people like
the Selmer very much, where the screws are at the reed. There is
something about the density of the metal. Sometimes you get a metal
that is too hard. Also, the Bonade ligature with the screws in front
of the mouthpiece instead of at the reed and then cut it, that is not
bad either. But you must watch out not to put too much strain on the
reed. They warp less!
J. G.: What is the most prominent misconception that you find among
students in your teaching?
39
S. F.: It's what isn't taught, I think, about phrasing. The
relationship of phrasing to technique, which is so closely tied.
Technique depends on the kind of phrasing. And then phrasing in its
own right to make music artistically. Another thing--very frequently,
fingerings are not taught. Important fingerings for the high
register. Not only for technique but for quality and pitch. Students
don't know them, or maybe they forget a lot of times! I know that
students say, "I never learned that!" They'll tell me that myself,
and I'll say, "Show me your notebook," and there it is in the notebook
sometimes only two weeks ago. Then I really get them for it. I am
not amused. I get upset about that. So I have learned that when
pupils say, "Oh, well, I didn't learn that," even if it was another
teacher, I'm not so sure about that.
J. G.: Do you use inserts in your barrels?
S. F.: The moment you get past two millimeters, you had better put in
inserts or rings. Absolutely. Otherwise, the scale is out, and it is
very easily demonstrated that when you pull-out immediately, the throat
tones are bad, especially the current clarinet. With the older
clarinet where they change the scale, the bore, the "F" first space is
a very, very touchy note. Without pulling out too much, you put it on
the low side because the twelfth, from the "F" first space to the "C"
is a big twelfth, a large twelfth, and if you want to get the high "C"
in tune you are going to have to bring down the low "F." In the old
days the "F" was fine but the high "C" was sharp. Nowadays, the high
"C" is in tune, comparatively, and the "F" is flat. The moment you
pull out, it gets flatter and flatter so you have to put in rings, or
40
you have to put down an auxilliary fingering for that "F", like a first
trill key. So rings are very important. Any time after two
millimeters. I describe like a very thin dime. If you have to pull
out more than that which is allowable. You see the clarinet was made
that way, so that you can pull out, because if it was cold, you would
have to put the barrel all the way in. So it's a lot better after
that to use rings.
J. G.: What kind of clarinets do you use?
S. F.: I have a set of Buffets and a set of Selmers both. The Selmers
are l0 G and the Buffets are Rl3. And I've had those now since l956,
the A clarinet since about l95l, and they are both in good condition,
thank you.#