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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.

( It is helpful to record your lesson on an electronic device at the end of episodic work...
.long tones, scales, etude, excerts and solos for out term end comp[rehensive review.
Keep those files in a safe place.....jg)

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.




                                                                    37

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.#