Buzzing Reed- Classical Music & Clarinet Culture

Beethoven 9 always sounds good. At least it makes everyone feel good, the way good music should.

The Columbus Symphony concert went well tonight. It’s one of the hardest pieces for an orchestra to play well. It challenges endurance, balance, ensemble, dynamics, you name it. We had our moments, up and down.

I had a real doozer, when I decided to try a new Forestone reed. (What was I thinking!? I’ve been playing Legeres all week and they sound great.) Soon after I put the reed on, we had to play the ultra-delicate march which comes from afar in the last movement. (it reminds me of the beginning of Sorcerers Apprentice) I POPPED the note out, and was jolted at the sound of it. Apparently I jumped so much that it almost caused one of my colleagues to burst out laughing. Oh well, the gremlins and tribulations of live music. No more Forestone reeds without playing a rehearsal on them. Bad 1st clarinetist!

Most of the rest went well, though I have to say, this piece is certainly more enjoyable to listen to than to play. The intricacies of balance, ensemble and tuning in this symphony in particular, are almost insurmountable. Let’s just say that even a good performance sounds quite “human”.

Maestro Gunther Herbig conducted from memory, as he usually does with war horses like this. It always amazes me when he does it, though, at his age. He was so into his music making that he barely conducted at times, which in a hall with fabulous acoustics, would be fine, because then we could play chamber music. But in the Ohio Theater, it’s a great challenge to hear intimately enough to play with little help from the podium.

Even more impressive was the CSO chorus (a volunteer group), which memorized the parts, and not easy parts at that, to the huge choral sections in the last movement. Bravo CSO chorus!

If you missed tonight, I hope you can make it tomorrow, or Sunday. Or, come again. It usually gets better and better…

The CSO chorus humbles me as a musician. They are so disciplined and full of musical and technical vigor that it embarrasses me that they do it for free.

This weekend’s concerts featured Chas Wetherbee playing the ethereal Lark Ascending of Vaughn Williams, with Ronald Jenkins conducting, and four excellent solo singers. But the real star of the show was the chorus.

I didn’t play the Hadyn Lord Nelson Mass, so I heard it from back stage. I could barely hear the orchestra, but the chorus came through loud and clear through the shell. (The chorus is packed up against the back of the stage, so they were closest to me backstage)

Throughout the piece, the CSO Chorus stayed at the front end of the beat, leading the rhythm forward, as they should. Their energy never ceased, their dynamics were always rich and varied. I’ve always known they were good, but I wanted to note it here for the record.

Of course, any mention of the chorus’s quality cannot be complete without mention of Ronald Jenkins, who for years has maintained and developed this world class group. In this concert, Ron was chorus master and conductor, and he succeeded in both commendably.

Although the Haydn would have been plenty of singing to satisfy anyone, the program included three other gorgeous works with chorus: Britten’s The Building of the House, Vaughn Williams’ Serenade to Music and as an encore, Copland’s The Promise Land. Their focus never let down. The music making was full of passion to the last note!

Thank you CSO Chorus, for your years of high quality and spirited music making. You keep my ego in check!