Why does a cylindrical tube play a lower note than a conical tube of the same length? Why is it difficult to play the lowest notes on the saxophone softly? What is the influence of the wall material on wind instruments? An oboe goes to the octave, a clarinet goes to the fifth. But why?…
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Every musician knows that having good regular practice habits is the key to improve. If you’re a teacher, you have certainly noticed how difficult it could be for a student to practice regularly. Telling them about our own methods does not solve the issue. When I was a teenager, I used to wake up every…
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In a galaxy far far away… is Martin Fröst new album, Roots. His quest to “create new programmes which move beyond traditional concert formats” lead him to the roots of classical music, and to his own roots, too. Mission accomplished. Brilliantly. It’s like you were visiting sort of a museum, with alive, animated artworks. You…
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Smartphones have become increasingly popular in the last ten years. They are very useful tools for musicians, making it possible to combine the functions of several devices in a single machine. Here are my favorite apps: Pro Metronome : “The best metronome app. Period.” says the developer on itunes. Well, it’s true. It allows many…
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After Emilien Véret, Ismail Lumanovski & Inspector Gadje and Klarthe Quintet, all in various styles, here’s another great find! Watchdog’s debut album, “You’re welcome”, has nothing to do with any of the other albums I discovered lately, but it’s definitely worth listening. Watchdog is a duo, with Anne Quillier (piano, Fender Rhodes, Moog) and Pierre…
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Designed around four French composers of the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, “French Touch” is the debut album of Klarthe Quintet. It was released in October 2015 and if you were looking for a present for a lover of wind instruments, you just found it! Clement Dufour (flute), Marc Lachat (oboe), Julien Chabod (clarinet), Guillaume Bidar…
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Remember Ismail Lumanovski? I discovered him last spring in a video where he played with the “New York Gypsy All Star” balkanic music with amazing energy. He is now in a new partnership with “Inspector Gadje” Brass Band (what a joke!). A series of concerts in the next few days in L.A. and the recording…
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Here it is! Émilien Véret’s debut album “Clarinettes urbaines” is now available: iTunes amazon deezer The videos of “Quartier Est” and “La ville” made me think that the whole album would be interesting, as I said in this post. And I wasn’t wrong! But the incredible variety of styles of the album was something I…
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Carl Stamitz Carl Stamitz wrote 11 clarinet concertos, but only a few chamber pieces featuring the clarinet. However, his Trio in G, which calls for two flutes and a violoncello, is a lovely piece that fits the clarinet perfectly once transposed a third lower. My arrangement for clarinet trio (2 Bb clarinets and a bass…
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Joseph Haydn The first london trio was written in 1794 during the second journey in London. Joseph Haydn wrote it for 2 flutes or violins and a violoncello. This simple yet beautiful piece would be perfect for a chamber group of intermediate level. My arrangement for clarinet trio (2 Bb clarinets and a bass clarinet)…
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