The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-01-11
Master of Clarinet
Pleads for instrument

1.-THE clarinetist of today does not re-
spect his instrument This from
Henri Leon Leroy, solo clarinet of the
Philharmonic orchestra, in talking to
representative OF Musical America,
Comfortably seated in the japanese
room at the Won Ende School of Music,
where Mr., Leroy Is at present teacher
OF the clarinet, he enlarged upon his first
statement. 50 am trying to make the
clarinet respected Hero is an instru-
ment, acknowledged King of the Wood
by the greatest masters, remark
able for its beauty and variety of tim
Der, yet scarcely better understood or
loved than the bassoop.' Further dis
cussion proved such statement to be
sheerly typical OF the man. Heart and
soul IS bound up in his instrument and
as he later admitted, if frankly, yet
nevertheless somewhat apologetically.
~ could discuss it all day long" Yet
he 10 an ardent lover Of music In gen
eral, man with broad ideas far re-
moved from the 'conventionalized beings
that wind-instrument performers are
thought to be. Refined and sensitive,
happy to be understood, charming con-
versationalist-it is not difficult to real.
ize that Henri Leroy stands in the very
front rank among the present-day clari-
netists. For him 1t is not enough to
blow into his instrument and to play
the printed notes. His melody is liv-
ing line, a contour full to overfowing
Of this "warm COLOR or depending
on it's register) that "cool tint" His
duty is to soften that contour, to blur
that line if need be, to blend the clar-
met IS own particular tint into the mass
of surrounding orchestral color.
For he is broad-minded enough to
realize that the clarinet is bappiest with
other instruments, either to set of or to
borrow for the moment that touch Of
lusciousness which only this instru-
ment's middle register can convey, that
sense of hollow mystery which the chalu-
with enthusiasm about Hector Berlioz,
who was the first to introduce the sor,
dino, or mute for clarinet. This is ac-
complished by enveloping the instru-
ment in bag of cloth or leather -
"Here (in 'Le Retour dc la Vic Ber-
lioz' s effect is one Of poignant sadness.
The melody leaves the instrument like
an impercePtible shadow and goes
straight to the heart. Tho impression
previously heard in a totally different
timber, is one of profoundest melan-
eholy One wants to die he conclud-
ed quantity. "And yet, I always try,
in America especially, to show the pco.
pie that it is fine solo instrument,
/ have used IL III that way many tunes
and always with success. I frequently
think with keen delight about the
ada gio Of Brahms q quintette for clar-
met and strings, Here-he has used
tho upper tones just as Weber (whom [
feel understood and loved the instru-
ment best OF ally did in Der Frei-
schultz /. e., against tremolo in the
ouartette. The effect Is marvellous. /
am glad to say TINT whcrever I have
played that it has been redemanded,
glad indeed that so many people can
appreciate this movement that I love
so thoroughly The mention of Web
er's name elicited an earnest eulogy
from Mr., Leroy.
"I am convinced that his Sonata for
clarinet and piano is tho finest work
extant in the too diminutive realm Of
clarinet literature. ] played this So
pata with Camille SaintSaeus in Paris
a few years ago and he has subsequent.
iy written mo TO say that he regrets
sonIv one thing: that il cannot be con-
venient for us to play that wonderfully
beautiful Weber sonata together in
America,
In Mr.. Leroy's opinion there are alto
eefher too many indifferent clarinetists
and not enough good ones. "They
neither study their instrument serious
" nor do they respect it,. ne declared
Indignantly. "What do they think it
"a ncnnv whistlc?''