Come back with me 40 years ago to the New England Conservatory Orchestra and my first time playing in the orchestra.Yes, at that time, I was attending classes and coming directly to orchestra from class, I was playing bass clarinet, the orchestra was playing The Fairies Kiss, by Stravinsky, and the bass clarinet is heard early in the introduction. I got the horn together and wet the reed, which then looked like it had waves in it. I was trying to get it on the mouthpiece, when the conductor asked, “You need some HALP? I mumbled something about comng from class, (and yes it did play). Then later,  we were doing the Mendelssohn 4th, the Italian Symphony, and you all know the first movement. There is,immediately prior to the recapitulation a lovely little solo by the first clarinet, reminiscent of the returning first theme. I was playing first clarinet.Mr. Burgin, the Concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the time, looked at me and said,”clahnet, think of the most beautiful sound you can make when playing this solo” I looked up at him, started counting and listening and entered with the biggest CLAM anyone ever heard. (honk, honk, anyone ever do that?)
Naturally, there was dead silence. I think I finally got it right, but I have never forgotten his setup for that noise I made. This was my formal introduction to the music for orchestra by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. The Italian Symphony is a work filled with wonderful little places for the clarinet, as are all of the works of this incredibly gifted composer. The Salterello, the final movement is a wonderful exercise for the entire woodwind section to learn to play impossible things together, to share the joys of section articulation and to get into the orchestra in general. There are no better works than the Mendelssohn Symphonies, and of course, we have the Midsummer Nights Dream, written when the boy was about 17. Thought the Octett is perhaps his greatest masterpiece, and does not have clarinet, we will all listen to that any old time.(Let us not forget the Violin Concerto, perhaps the most famous of the Romantic Period))
Mendelssohn was in general a calm conventional guy, except for occasions wherein he would get so angry over something that he would have to sleep for perhaps as much as 12 hours. But, as I was saying, he was a conventional type of person, especially when compared to Schumann, Copin and Liszt, but a few of his contemporaries.
He also started the Lepizig Conservatory, did all that writing, spoke both English and German and was celebrated in the UK at an early age.
And then, there was Jenny Lind, the very celebrated Swedish Soprano. They worked together on many concerts, but there is very good evidence that he proposed to her, (she was unmarried, but he had 5 children with his wife Cecile) and asked her to elope with him and go to America. It is said that while there was “absence of evidence,there was no evidence of absence” of the affair.She, upon hearing of his death said that he was the most welcome person to her spirit, but that she had lost him after just finding him.
You know, he also was quite a fine painter as well. Amd all this in about 39 years. He died after having a series of strokes.
We listen to his music with such joy and ease.
But then, we have the music for the clarinet, aside from the orchestral music. We have the Sonata, not one of his best works, quite repetitious with nothing special about it, and there are the two Concertpieces, #113, and #114 for  Clarinet Basset Horn and Piano.
These, I have played many many tmes, but always with Cello instead of Basset Horn. An actual Basset Horn is only usually borrowed from an orchestra when they do the Mozart Requiem . so hardly worth the effort of trying to borrow them for these two works. Cello works quite well and both little pieces are terrific to open or even to close a concert. There are even examples of them on Utube, though not terribly well done, and there has even been an orchestral version made from them, which also sounds not well. But, perhaps I am spoiled from playing them so frequently. (I’ll get them on my site, when I learn how to do it.) Until then, if anyone wants to hear me play them in concert, send me a CD and I’ll copy them for you.
In closing I will say that Felix Mendelssohn-Batholdy, who was born Jewish and whose father renounced this religion, (Mendelssohn was baptised Lutheran) and his Reformation Symphony # 5, has the most beautiful clarinet parts, maybe even more than the Scotch(3) and the Italian(4), and one final little bit, it was he who ressurrected the Saint Matthew Passion of JS Bach, so many years after Bachs death, and indeed reinvented Bach (who had become out of fashion in Mendelssohns time.)
All this, and clarinet music, and Jenny Lind, in 39 years.
Get busy, everybody, and stay well, and oh yes, keep practicing.

Sherman

Dear Mr. Friedland
I’ve been reading your column for a long time and finally decided to go with it and try out Forestone reeds after all those recommendations!
I play a Selmer 10S with a C85 115 mouthpiece and usually a pretty soft reed (Vandoren V12 strength 2 1/2). I tried Forestone 2, 2 1/4 and 2 1/2 but even the 2 seems harder than I am comfortable with. It also seems to be a long way from the tip of the mouthpiece (ie a big gap). Is this just something you have to get used to? Or is a different mouthpiece
going to help (in which case what would be a suitable one?)
Thanks for any advice,
Jenny
Dear Mr. Friedland:

I have a question about comparing reed strengths. I want to get a Forestone reed but don’t want to spend money on one of the wrong strength. I presently play some Legere #4’s one of the normal, Quebec and Ontario. The Quebec seems just rite, but I am sure they are no longer as stiff as 4s because I have been playing them an hour a day for about 6 months. I play a different one each day for an hour, so I don’t know their strength now. What forestone reed strength would compare to a Legere 4? Do Forestone’s soften up much? Based on your experience with both what Forestone reed strength might compare to a softened up Legere #4? When the Legere reeds were new they were difficult to play, but after about a month they got softer ( or perhaps I got better). I bought a Ridenour C clarinet per your suggestion and it is great.

Sincerely yours
W E

First and foremost, I find it inconceivable for one to go to synthetic reeds  just for saving  money. It’s the same as going into clarinet for making  money. There has got to be, dear friends, something much more enduring than that.

Dear W.E., and J.

Thanks for all your notes and comments concerning synthetic reeds.
First and foremost, you should try synthetic reeds if you really have a mind to; not just because it seems to be some kind of trend. If you are satisfied with cane reeds, then by all means, continue with them. Satisfied means a couple of things, as when I first tried synthetic reeds so many years ago, it was out of absolute necessity. I just was dissatisfied with all the cane reeds I tried and I was in a professional situation. I felt I had no place to go, and so I tried synthetic, found them reasonably successful and used them for a month or so. I still remember my conclusion, simple as it was: I felt that the synthetic stayed the same , but I felt that I became fatigued by them, so I stopped, plain and simple, forever. ( I was unable to sustain long phrases with comfort)

But then, several years ago, I received a phone call from a fellow in Toronto or someplace near, asking me if I knew Legere, and would I like to try a few?   I said yes, and he sent me a half dozen or so, then some more with dots on the butts of the reeds, denoting what he said was “Quebec” cut, and a couple with three dots on the butt, denoting “Ontario” cut. That was all there was to it, except that I kept receiving calls.
To continue briefly, I started using a regular Legere, the number being 2.75 on my M13 Van Doren mouthpiece on my clarinet. I thought nothing of it. It seemed to play like cane, and people whom I trust told me they noticed no difference. That was that. But only for a while, beca1use as I got into these Legeres, they seemed to be different in miniscule ways, ways which became more important as I continued. Then, I was told to try them on a different mouthpiece, which I rejected, out of hand.(Changing a mouthpiece for a reed is liking changing your car when it is out of gas) Shortly thereafter, I noticed mouthpiece dealers starting to advertise that their particular mouthpiece was “Legere Friendly” By this time I had tried every reed they made, and while I was given several initially, I purchased hundreds of dollars worth . My attempt was to get six or eight which played the same. For a while it was Quebec cut #3, or 3.5, then it was back to ordinary Legere, 3.5. Once for a rehearsal for a concert, I purchased one 2.5 reed from Twigg Music in Montreal and used it for a rehearsal, which was on the A clarinet, this particular A (and most) having had a bit more resistance than the Bb.
I had no time to warm up because I had driven 100 miles to get to the rehearsal, so I played it, and it worked fine.( in an emergency, a synthetic in the case can help. But then, back to trying to get several that were duplicates of one another, just like I did with cane for seemingly forever. I just couldn’t do it, and gave up on Legere forever, especially since cane reeds from South America were proving to me to be much more consistent than the cane from France or Spain.
My frustration, not yet formulated was that synthetics were proving more vexing than cane. And I thought, what is the use of trying plastic when it was and is simply not consistent, which became my big question. My solution was in South American cane, highly available, not too costly which proved quite accurate. Specifically, I used Zonda Classic, finding quite a few in each box that played with little fixing, and most importantly, seemed to last longer. So, that was that, and it would still be if a friend hadn’t called me and told me he would send me a reed.(It was Forestone) Would I comment on it? I said that I would. It was too resistant for me. He told me that the company was working on the principle that most clarinetists prefer a hard #3 or harder. That may be the case, but not me. I have always played a #3, never more resistant. The friend mentioned that they were working on less resistance for players like myself. Time passed, and I received a couple of #3s, and perhaps 1 #3.5.
All of the #3s played, not not with consistency,  My wife, who has been listening to me play for 45 years was surprised that I was able to pick up the horn, and without my endless reed picking and warmups, play immediately, and to my standard.
It was at that time that I began to develop exactly what a clarinetists should expect from a synthetic reed.
It should be as good or better than any cane reed.
It should remain consistent through its playing life. (though the duration is not endless, the reed begins to lose its sparkle somewhere into the 5nd or 6th week.)
The reed should remain consistent from day to day, staying on the mouthpiece, (if that is your wish)
These should be the rules for any synthetic reed because if they are not, then cane will suffice. What is really of importance here is the first statement: that a synthetic reed should play as well as any cane reed. If one has not this experience of knowing which cane reeds play, then how does one discern the quality of the synthetic?

One doesn’t.

For instance , if I pick up six reeds of cane, each will play slightly differently   If a synthetic cannot be inconsistent in that manner, then,why play it?

That really is my story up to the current moment and my reason for my Forestone Mantra. They play not quite  the same, each #3 that I have, and they are gradually erasing almost 60 years of scraping before the goddess of donax.

So, these are my findings and my reasons for attempting to define the qualities that a synthetic reed must have. Legere plays, but not consistently, and never did. The Signatures are better, but still inconsistent.  Forestone F3 reeds are part of my music, my clarinet and my comfort in rehearsal and performance. They respond beautifully and mostly, equally.I hope that I have answered your many questions. Forstone consistency, though not perfect is better than any cane I have tried.

Stay well, and keep playing.

best regards, sherman

Dear Mr. Friedland

Thanks for reading this,

I recently inherited a Selmer Paris BT clarinet serial L7206 manufactured in 1936. It is currently being polished and the instrument repairman commented that it was in excellent shape.

I was curious about its value as I have no IDEA. The band rental shop said it was quite valuable so I thought I’d ask around to the experts what to ask for it.

Thanks for your consideration.
RT

Dear RT:
Thank you for your inquiry concerning the Selmer Paris BT or Balanced Tone clarinet made between 1935 and 1939. I have never owned one of these but have read considerable commentary on its playing characteristic, which generally be qualified as being quite free. The bore was a bit wider than the Centered Tone,with slightly different key work and without undercut tone holes. It was probably quite a good instruments, as all Selmer Paris instruments seem to be, key work and intonation being more amenable than other French brands.

Anthony Gigliotti attests to this saying, “The first time I went to the Buffet factory in France was in 1953 and I remember trying 55 Bb clarinets. After selecting the two best ones I then spent countless hours with Hans Moennig tuning and voicing them until I could finally try them in the orchestra. My reason for becoming involved with the Selmer Company was to make it possible for a student or professional to buy an instrument that didn’t need all that work and it has resulted in the series 10G which was based on my Moennigized Buffet which I played for 27 years.” This of course, explains his changing to a Selmer 10G clarinet.

Determining worth of a vintage clarinet is always interesting and highly subjective. The first consideration is the wood and its condition, cracks, scratches and other deterioration. Then of course, are the keys, and finally the pads, corks and springs, all of which can be replaced, the keys being the most difficult. If any keys are pitted, which is caused by wear, they should be replaced, the cost of which can be prohibitive. So,if your BT has this problem, you’ll know what to do. If not, and the wood is in good condition, and the keys are excellent as your repairperson says, you are in very good shape

Still, it is highly subjective. The best place to determine what it may be worth in the market of vintage clarinets is in the auctions sites. You’ll be able to match your instrument against other such models, and be able to get a reasonable idea of price, or what to charge, if you’re selling it.

Good luck with it.

best regards, Sherman

The message of Forestone is repeated playability…..almost

After playing these new synthetics for several months, the message is very simple and is unique concerning any reed whether it be cane, plastic or a combination of the two, plastic covered, or any.

Forestone mostly play equally,near clones of each other. They emulate the characteristics of the finest cane reed exactly, and then they repeat it. Almost. Of late, I have found discrepancies, though they still lead the others.
How, I think can be answered by their refinement of the technic of injection molding the entire reed including the tip to exacting thinness. So we are never dealing with a machine that cuts each reed, making them each a trifle different. This molding technic was originated by Forestone and has not been experienced within the industry.

To express the shortcuts given to me as a clarinetist is to express a much easier setting up each time I play or practice.

We try in all phases of reed making, passage executing in the orchestra or in chamber music; our attempt is consistency. If we buy the reed machine for 225 bucks, it essentially copies the reed. In all boxes of ten or 5 or even in the old days of 25, when we get one that plays, we tried to get two, or even five, or more, and if we “scored”, so-to-speak, we considered it a great day indeed.

Once, at a Christmas Concert, I had to play Peter and the Wolf three times in an a two hour period. That meant the cadenza three times in a row. A good opportunity. What do I try for? Play it the same each time? Play it differently each time? I was happy to have played it at all three times in a row.

When I studied with Gino Cioffi, that great and unique clarinetist, he tried to sell me his crystal mouthpiece. I played his, then asked him if the one I got would be similar? He said, “Hey! Dey alla play da same”

All of the above relates to the Forestone synthetic. They have found the way to make each and every reed play almost the same as every other of the same strength.

The CEO of Legere sent me two “signature” reeds, their finest. Nice reeds. Each played differently. It was a no-brainer, he should have sent only one. As soon as inconsistency is a factor, little sense is to be gained from making a bunch of different playing synthetics, no matter how wonderful the new cutting machine may be.

I can list  the many synthetics out there, the covered plastic, the fibre babies, all of them. They do share qualities with cane: they are all different.Presently, they are only making reeds for Bb clarinet, though they sems to have plans for saxophone. I think  that for those who double on several clarinets and/or saxophone, or double reeds Legere may be a better choice,though they are not able to  produce any double reeds. My experience has only to do with reeds for Bb clarinet and reflects my attitude and experience of a lifelong career of playing the clarinet, mostly in chamber music and trained to play in Symphony Orchestras. Yes, I do play both bass and Eb and have had much experience in performing on these clarinets as well, including those little-known works of Hindemith, Opus 30 for Bb and, Eb clarinet,and string quartet. That’s is the one that has the Eb in only the second movement, (but a gigantic part), and is also the one where the last movement is the exact opposite of the first, yes exactly, not for note, backwards. (I have a live recording of the work, which I am willing to share, however until I get my works on the site at will, send me a disc and will send you a copy) And the other Hindemith , Bass clarinet and woodwind quintet. Also Pierrot Lunaire,Bb and Bass doubling.

But basically, I’m a clarinetist, and not a doubler. My experience with Legere has been unsatisfactory, the reason being they share with cane the attribute of each playing differently.My heart is into a substitute for cane, and the Forestone reed works unusually well.

Stay well, and keep practicing.

Sherman

Dear Mr. Friedland,

I am 67 yrs old, and beginning to play again after a 20+ year layoff. I played in jazz groups (saxophone) and concert bands (clarinet) locally for many years prior to that. I now have the time to do some practicing again, and am having a great time getting back into it again…partially through your encouragement to elderly players from your web page.

My question is quite simple. What do you recommend on doing on days when the practice session is not going particularly well. For example…I had a great session yesterday when I felt I had made significant progress on some difficult (for me) passages. I was therefore very anxious to get in another session today…only to discover that I couldn’t even begin to get back into the groove I had established yesterday. When this happens, do you recommend just keeping at it…or would it be better to just put the horn away and try again tomorrow?

Regards,

RD

P.S.–I am playing vintage horns. Selmer Centered Tone clarinet (1954), and a Conn 6m Alto Saxophone (1942)…and love them both.

Dear RD:

Thank you for your note and question concerning practicing.
There are many answers to the question of practice. Certainly one of them can be classified as “getting in a groove”, as much as “a session not going particularly well.” It all depends upon what you set out to do during a practice session, which is I think, perhaps a problem for anyone who practices. What does anyone set out to do when practicing? For myself, it has always varied. At present, it is in keeping “in shape”, so-to-speak with all elements of playing. At other times it was preparing for a performance. These are two different modes for me. In preparing music to perform, I always go over the complete piece, even counting rests to determine where the difficult passages are or will be. When I find one, I put it in brackets, go through the entire piece determining difficulties and bracketing them , for individual practice. This, through the whole piece or concert, counting all rests and breaks ,trying to determine what the state of my mind and my “chops”will be, comes the actual performance, which is always a bit different. Ordinarily, I will not leave anything to chance, mostly because actual chance cannot be determined in practice, but frequently comes out only in the stress of performance. In that area, I have been always as sure as practice will make me.

In another context, I will practice to select reeds, or to work on specific aspects of sound and dynamics. But it is always an excellent idea to determine what it is that the practice is all about. I seldom ever practice without specific reason, or passages, or the various playing problems.
If endurance is a problem, I practice for that: to determine exactly where the breath should be to make the most sense out of the phrase. Sometimes it is necessary to practice a specific attack on a note, or the amount of crescendo or diminuendo you will make, or most practicularly, the movement of fingers or the hands in a certain passage presenting difficulties.

I guess I might sum all of this up by saying that practice is, always making specifics better, improving. It also has a lot to do with how we judge ourselves, and in the final analyses, how we improve.
I hope this has been of some help to you, and wish you well in your continuing sessions.

best wishes,
Sherman

For the past several months I had been hearing about this name, specifically with regard to a bass clarinet going to low C for a price around $1500, which is, as all know, an extraordinarily low price. I did receive a note from an acquaintance concerning this instrument, and that he was going to buy one. I’ve never heard since except that he had found a use for it in some ensemble. As time as gone by, I have been hearing about more clarinets of this name.What attracted me initially was the statement in their ad that it has silver plated keys, which is impossible. I wrote them concerning the combination of rubber and silver producing sulphuric acid and they have now made their ad “under construction”.

Finally, I ordered one and received it this week.
This clarinet is made of hard rubber, comes with two barrels of different lengths.(The longer barrel produces a throat Bb, and  is a bit low.) mouthpiece, a ligature, a tube of cork grease and a reed.
It looks similar to my Ridenour Lyrique Bb clarinets.

Reading about it, there is a striking resemblance to the kind of thing which is written describing the seamlessness of the Ridenour clarinet, it imperviousness to climate change and of course, the fact that the material doesn’t grow from trees, it oozes from them.
The package I receives looked good, perhaps even very good. In some ways, there is a similarity with the Lyrique.

The only thing in common is the material, ebonite, (hard rubber) and the similarity in shape and look. It plays easily and evenly.
It plays; Only the chalumeau is  well in tune. The clarion is uneven and the altissima, starting with high C begins to sound rather sharp, and it gets sharper as we go higher. This was all tested with three excellent mouthpieces.
I have and play the original, the Ridenour Lyrique, and also his A clarinet.
Switching to  the Ridenour clarinet made me feel as if I had been in some kind of  similar situation, save for the tuning, Ridenour being unaproachable on that score.
The horn looks good, the keys work and she blows well , however compared to Tom Ridenours Lyrique clarinet and in fact, the 447, and the Arioso, the Orpheo 450, there is not a lot of  comparison. Finally, the clarinet is listed at about the same as the Lyrique; the comparison ends there , but not a bad instrument at all, and they offer a good year or two garanty. (Hint, I prefer it to a Greenline)

By an economical package, I mean that, while listing for much more, I wasI was able to purchase this sweet playing instrument for very much less and with no shipping charges, making it a best buy.

Stay well, and keep practicing,

sherman

Dear Mr. Friedland:
I have a Selmer Centered Tone clarinet I got when I was about 10, probably around 1956 or so but not played for many years. Picking it up today it seemed to have a number of squeaks which I assume result from loose/leaking pads. Also, the ring on the bell has not been tight for perhaps 40 years. How do I tighten the bell? Can I put it back in playing shape with the kits that are sold for re-padding and lubricating? Is it reasonable to take it apart carefully for cleaning? It has a metal ring at one of the joints but is otherwise wood.

Is it possible to produce a shorter barrel joint so that it will actually play in C, so I can play with my son who plays the flute, without having to transpose?

When I was in high school another student had a clarinet which supposedly had fingering the made the break easier to cross but I can find no info on that system. I think it was a buffet clarinet. Are those better than the Selmer? I have no idea what the quality of my instrument is/was but I think it might have cost around 600 or so back then … is there a way to find out?
Thanks – J W,

Dear JW:
Thank you for your note concerning your “Centered Tone” clarinet. This was at the time, the best Selmer Clarinet; in fact I owned a set (Bb and A) for many years. To determine its value now would be fairly easy, since it is in demand and considered a clarinet good for playing Jazz because it has a slightly larger bore. Its reputation is excellent. To determine what it may be worth, look at an auction site that sells musical instruments and simply compare prices.
Of course the condition is crucial for these 50 year old clarinets.

I would suggest that you have it overhauled by a competent repair person. The pre-packaged kits are not something I would recommend at all.
The keys have to be stripped and the clarinet soaked in oil. All springs and pads and corks should be replaced and any cracks repaired. There should be competent technicians in the Boulder area. They will also tighten the ring for you, which takes a special tool. Replacing the pads is a precise job and requires someone who knows what they are doing, preferably with experience to which you can refer. There are many people who advertise, and when the horn is returned, all looks well, but it will have all kinds of small problems, which will not seem small at all.

It will cost you several hundred dollars, but for the clarinet you mention, it is well worth the price. But do get a reference.

As far as playing in C is concerned there is no barrel that is short enough, for it would take several in use at the same time to get your Bb to play in C and it cannot work. You are best advised to buy a C clarinet, as they are not terribly costly and you are ready to go with the same mouthpiece you use on the Bb.. Transposing to clarinet in C is something which is not difficult to do. For starters. if the key signature is in flats, take away two of them, and in sharps, add two. After that you simply play everything up one step, observing your new key signature and you will be fine.
Most clarinet students learn to prepare their lesson in both the key written and in the key of C, and in fact, sometimes other keys as well. Now, I am not advocating that, but if you can purchase a C clarinet, you will like it as it is fun to play, or you can learn to transpose.

As far as “the break” is concerned, that is basically a misconception, however there was a clarinet which made negotiating between registers much easier. I t was a Selmer clarinet designed by Rosario Mazzeo. There are still many of these for sale, but they must be adjusted carefully.

Finally, as to the squeaks you seem to be experiencing, they may be loose pads, or perhaps something closer to home.

Kind regards,
Sherman Friedland

Dear Mr. Friedland:
My daughter has a pre-WW2 Penzel Muller DynaTone.
It is in great condition now, but I was told by our local music shop to start looking for replacement parts or a parts clarinet “just in case”.
He says it will be difficult to repair if something should ever go wrong with the instrument without the appropriate parts.

I have been unable to find another DynaTone or Dynatone parts online.
I was wondering if you know of a good resource for these things or if you are familiar with another manufacturer that may be comparible and could be used for parts if need be.
We think the clarinet is from the 30’s but cannot pinpoint a year. I have not found any serial numbers to verify an exact date of manufacture.

Any suggestions or advise you could offer would be greatly appreciated.
It has a fantastic tone and sound quality and she would hate to shelve the instrument out of fear of being unable to maintain it…
Thanks very much.

S G

Dear SG:

Thank you for your note on your Penzel Mueller Clarinet. I have known of PM for as long as I’ve been a player, but never played one or investigated the name. So, for your interest, this instrument company was founded in New York City in 1899 by two German Immigrants with the same names and I believe was manufactured until 1950. It was not a German Company though the workers hired by Penzel Mueller were of German descent. While in Boston studying in the 50s and 60s, the clarinet was considered to be a medium priced instrument with the same playing characteristics. However, since I never played one, I can’t attest to those qualities. Here is a quotation from a fellow who had a music store in New Orleans in the 60s: George Lewis, mentioned , was a famous early Jazz Clarinetist who did play Penzel Mueller. The article seems to imply that many Jazz Clarinetists used them, including Woody Herman, who played a Boehm System Penzel Mueller.

“In the spring of 1961 when I had my record and music shop at 731 St. Peter St, New Orleans, I bought an Albert system (improved) Bflat L.P (Low Pitch) clarinet made by Penzel-Müller & Co. New York. I don’t remember exactly what I paid for it, or where I bought it, but it was probably some amount between $ 10 and $ 15, and it was possibly a store such as the used furniture stores on Magazine Street.
Not long after that George Lewis came in my store one night and I showed him the clarinet. He said he had wanted to own an improved Albert system Penzel-Müller for some time and asked to buy it.(Several New Orleans clarinettists in the past had used them, and I believe today Albert Burbank and Louis Cottrell have Penzel-Müllers)
So I sold him the clarinet for whatever price I had paid for it. He took it to Werleins music store to have new pads and adjustments made. I think he used it quite often during the following years and in fact used it on his last job, when he played with Kid Thomas’ Band at Preservation Hall on Fri. Dec. 13, 1968. The last numbers he played were “My Blue Heaven” and of course Thomas’ final “Theme” song – “I’ll See You In My Dreams”.
Shirley (Lewis) & Carolyn (Buck) said that George always called this Penzel-Müller his “Bill Russell Clarinet”, but I had almost forgotten about it.”
“Penzel-Müller clarinets had a world-wide reputation. Their preference by the most eminent soloists marked them as first class instruments of first class makers. “They combine in the highest degree the essential qualities of free and pure tone, perfection in scale and mechanism, ease of manipulation and execution”, as a Penzel-Müller ad of the 1920s put it.
The Penzel-Müller company was established in New York in 1899 as a partnership between the German immigrants Gustav Ludwig “Louis” Penzel (1855 – 1920) and Edward Georg Müller (1869 – 1956) and existed till 1950. The fact that Penzel & Müller were German-trained craftsmen and that they imported parts for their clarinets (finally marked with the American eagle) from their native place in Vogtland/Saxony a Penzel-Müller Albert clarinet looks slightly different to the common Albert clarinets made by most of other instrument makers: the design is more “German” than “French”.
Beside the classical trained soloists and above mentioned jazz clarinetists George Lewis, Albert Burbank and Louis Cottrell Penzel-Müller clarinets were played by other jazz greats like Sidney Arodin, Willie Humphrey and Woody Herman (the latter used a Penzel-Müller in the Boehm system which was common in big bands).

Finally, to answer your specific concerns, most clarinets can be repaired, including replacement of pads, springs ,cork and even keys by any competent repair person, so you should have no concerns about the longevity of your instrument.

Good luck and keep playing.

Sherman Friedland

The Requiem was written as Mozart lay dying in 1791. Though his death is still somewhat of a mystery, (and he was buried in an unmarked grave), the work itself is still as vibrant a piece that exists, especially being a Requiem Mass for the departed, it stands either alongside the other great Requiems, like Verdi, Berlioz and Faure, Brahms, and each morning I listen to it, it is a constant source of inspirational beauty.
There are many completions of the Requiem and completed by many as well, for Mozart died before its completion.

Further, this is a work of special interest to clarinetists for Mozart uses a low tessitura of wind instruments of the orchestra, his clarinet of choice is the Basset Horn, (not the Basset Clarinet which is somehow strangely in vogue presently.)
The Basset Horn is not a horn and really not a clarinet as such, nor is it an alto clarinet, but a rather strange looking cross between a boxwood clarinet and some kind of curved bassoon-looking instrument, played with clarinet fingerings and pitched lower, and with one of the most gorgeous of clarinet sounds, only up to the clarion and no higher.
The two basset horns begins this piece playing a reverential counterpoint to its main theme, which is strangely beckoning and obvious the work of difference and excellence. If you know the work, you’ll understand , and friends if you don’t, you’re missing a great work for both clarinetists, and by the most outstanding and original composer of perhaps the entire history of music. (here is the first section,played by two Basset Horns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d88xIIRDI9U&feature=related

And in addition, only a part of the work were left, sketches if you will, and still it towers above the repertoire of both Mozart and of Requiems.

What are some of the little-known facts about this incredibly well-known work?

Mozart was a happy man during this compositional tour de force of his last month alive. He was racing to fullfill commissions, two of them due in two weeks in two different cities, La Clemenza di Tito, his first Opera in 10 years, premiered in Prague, and the Magic Flute in Vienna, which had a stunning debut in Vienna, unlike Prague where the reviews were mixed.
(La Clemenza of Titio, has a gorgeous aria for Soprano, and clarinet obbligato., “Parto, Parto”) He finished the Clarinet Concerto in October and on November 18 conducted a new cantata for his Masonic Lodge.
He had one final work to complete, for in July, Count Franz Von Walsseg, through an unidentified emissary , had agreed to handsomely pay Mozart for a Requiem, half the fee in advance and half upon completion. There are mostly strange reasons why Von Walsseg anonymously approached Mozart, however the best is the fact that this fellow was in the habit of commissioning composers to write works which he would call his own. Von Walsseg intended the work to be played each year in memory of his wife, whom Mozart had known . The story goes that the emissary appeared dressed all in grey and had dark skin and a strange accent. Actually he was a servant of Walssep who happened to be tall and dressed in grey and had an accent because he was Turkish.

Mozart set to work on the Requiem in October, the previous month having being spent in illness, depression and thoughts of imprending death. Also his wife was recuperaing from a fall and was away.
What took Mozart? The most likely cause was a viral epidemic that swept through Vienna in November. On the 20th he was swollen and couldn’t write because of this edema, which spread through his entire body so much so, that he couldn’t even sit up in bed or turn his body, so it was impossible to even take up a pen.
Before he died he was able to complete only the Requiems opening movement, along with the Kyrie and portions of the Sequence, the Dies Irae and ending with the Lacrimosa. In the remaining sections he left either drafts or sketches half finished and for the concluding movements, nothing. It is said that Mozart summoned singers to his bedside to sing the parts he had already written.
Even though only the skeleton of the Mass was composed by Mozart, it remains one of his most enduring and most frequently performed works.
Despite his illness, Mozart really it is supposed, had no idea that he was dying.
But that too is conjecture.
(There are those  who believe that Mozart was placed upon earth to simply write music, a vessel of excellence, which when full, complete, then so too, would he be complete.)

Since much of the Requiem lay unfinished at his death , his wife Costanza in dire need of money, had to get the piece completed so she could rceive the rest of the commission. She had to do it anonymously, which is where Sussmayr, a former student of Mozart, enters.He finished the work. Though his work has mostly been criticized it is to him that we owe the thanks for the completion of the Requiem, which helped Costanza to pay her bills, and gave us this completely different work of Mozart. Actually though highly criticized, it was Brahms who stated that it was the best versions and the official one.

Ah, and why different. First, there are no similar works in his huge output except perhaps in his Masonic Choral Music.

And to listen to the work, we are immediately conscious of basically a work of the Baroque, full of contrast , counterpoint, and concertato. There are many contrapuntal section and varying tempi. It’s an exciting work for a 53 minute long Requiem Mass, and is constantly changing. Mozart was a Classical composer however this piece os loaded with tributes to Bach and the Conertato style.
How did he do it? We know that he corrected very little of what he wrote. It just came out, perfect. There is much more to be written about the Requiem, and I will, but in later pieces on this site.
If you don’t know it, please listen to it,for it is dedicated to theclarinet perhaps like no other of his works.

stay well, best regards, Sherman

Dear Sherman Friedland—

There is a set of Mozart Duets (six total) published by International Music, edited by Stanley Drucker. Were these originally written for two clarinets, or some other instruments? Can you tell me where I might find information on them I could use for program notes?

I would appreciate any help you may be able to provide and I thank you in advance for your time.

JW

Dear JW.

The duets that you mention are transcriptions  of Violin Sonatas and as such are not originally written for two clarinets.
This is an interesting controversy because Mozart was so very prolific. Anyone can take any duet for any instruments and frequently do, but I feel that these duets of which you speak are K 487, the Twelve Duets for ….well something. No one can decide if they were written for so-called French Horns, or for Basset Horns. There are 12 and the arrangement of which you speak could be of 6 of them. Neither International Music nor Stanley Drucker have any credence as conveyors of actual urtext(meaning totally historically accurate) concerning Mozart.
Here is the listing from his works:
12 Duos, K487 (496a)
AMA XV, no. 3; NMA VIII:21
Vienna, 27 Jul 1786 (autograph)
2 hn
No. 1: Allegro
No. 2: Menuetto (Allegretto)
No. 3: Andante
No. 4: Polonaise
No. 5: Larghetto
No. 6: Menuetto
No. 7: Adagio
No. 8: Allegro
No. 9: Menuetto
No. 10: Andante
No. 11: Menuetto
No. 12: Allegro
Of autograph MS only nos. 1, 3 and 6 survives (dated as above). On these pages Mozart makes no mention of instrumentation, but expert opinion now favors horns rather than basset-horns.

There is some really important information here, and that is concerning the wonderful Basset Horn, for which in my opinion, Mozart wrote these duets. They are not a clarinet, but are quite similar in sound toa clarinet in the alto tessitura. This is not to say alto clarinet, the kind one finds in bands. Thi is an instrumentfor which Mozart wrote only briefly, but wonderfully, in the Requiem.  They are beautiful in an almost unearthly manner. They look nothing like a clarinet, but like some kind of hybrid between a clarinet and a strange bassoon. I am going to put the address here of the first movement of the Requiem . Actually, it can be found on YOU Tube, complete, conducted by John Elliott Gardener in his youth and it is worth keeping, for the Basset Horns and the performance itself, which was filmed in a beautiful church in Barcelona. I know those interested will find this great work , and I think a great performance of same.

The performance(not to digress) is very Baroque in nature, and for me the best, with the Sussmayer completion. Check it out, clarinetists and music lovers.

The only other works for Basset Horn and Clarinet are the two Concertpieces for Clarinet Basset Horn and Cello, by Mendellsohn, which I’ve played so many times, but always with Cello.

I have played duets by Mozart literally all of my playing life, but almost always arrangements from any number of his works, including operas. These are the only actual duets written for two similar instruments and they had no designation as to specificity. Perhaps there is no real answer to your question.

I would suggest you look up the K487 and check them against your six as it could be that they are one and the same, or at least six of them are.
Mozart has been arranged to death, but these are the only actual instrumental duets with which I’m familiar. As you can see, they have been arranged for pairs of almost anything.

Let us say, he meant Basset Horns.
Good luck,
Sherman

The original Mozart Duets K 498 are as I’ve mentioned , written by Mozart for either Basset Horns or Horns. Not an arrangement or a transcription.

SF