Selmer Recital Bb/A Clarinet - EVO

We affectionately call the Selmer Recital clarinet "The Log". Why? Because it is a huge chunk of wood. Selmer produced this clarinet with the idea that more wood = darker sound, so they increased the diameter of the wooden body by 2mm. Sounds like a minor change, but damn, you can really feel the difference in your fingers… and biceps. The timbral result is indeed darker (which I notice especially when playing quietly), but it opens up into a gorgeous French ping sound with a tight core with just a little more air. It's hard to describe — it has a tone that can really fill up a hall, but isn't ever "syrupy." You'd think that the Recital, with its extra wood, might be less responsive, or more resistant, but it really isn't. It plays like it's a welterweight, but sounds like a heavyweight. It's the Muhammad Ali of clarinets. The Recital launched in 1984 and is still in production — ushering in 40 years of disagreement. It doesn't blend easily; it's designed to anchor a section or dominate a solo. Some players find it heavy and inflexible; others won't play anything else. You've got to try it to understand how incredibly interesting and unique the Selmer Recital really is. (Fun tip: bore was actually the starting point for the Muse — Selmer's attempt at a "lightweight Recital.") Resistance: 5/10, Medium In general, more resistance in a clarinet design usually keeps the louder dynamic ranges from spreading; the clarinet "holds its core" and focus, but will provide a smaller dynamic range (on both ends, loud and soft) and smaller color palette. A less resistant clarinet typically provides a much wider tonal palette to choose from, but will require more control from the player to control pitch and sound consistency. When listening for how a clarinet responds to added air pressure and embouchure control, listen to the Weber example (wide dynamic range and color range), then the Berlioz excerpt (wide dynamic range, but narrow color range), and finally the Gershwin excerpt (narrow dynamic range and narrow color range). You will hear how these clarinets respond — for better or worse! — to my input as a clarinet player.