My understanding is that pros who do classical and jazz have a mouthpiece for each. I personally use one piece for EVERYTHING and just change how I play to get different sounds. If I play along with a Getz record, I sound like Getz. If I play along with Sanborn, I sound like Sanborn. No equipment changes, just practice.
I also don't believe the material makes any difference whatsoever. I can make my hard rubber Morgan sound exactly like my metal Berg if I want. So I wouldn't discount hard rubber entirely.
Personally, I think you should find a flexible piece you like, then learn to change your sound with your embouchure and technique without changing mouthpieces. You'd be surprised how big a change you can get just by taking in more or less mouthpiece, using more or less lip area, subtone versus playing full. I've tried that Theo Wanne of yours and think you could do just about anything you want with it if you work at it, although it does take some effort to dial the brightness back.
The fact that technique changes are more effective than equipment changes dawned on me very early on, back in the late 70's when I was on my first big mouthpiece quest. I was after a Brecker sound at that time and ended up with a Berg. I ended up sounding exactly like him in terms of tone quality. Then my high school buddy who had that typical high school sound tried my Berg. Guess what, he sounded EXACTLY like he did on his Selmer C*. At that moment I realized 90% of your sound comes from how you play, not what you play. As time went on, I'd witness the same thing over and over with colleagues and students. I stuck with the same piece for decades, and my own sound changed as my tastes changed over time, without changing any equipment.
A player who hasn't mastered their own sound and learned flexibility is going to sound about the same regardless of the equipment. That's not to say there's no difference among mouthpieces. There are huge differences. But these differences only change the limits on a window of possibilities. For example a very bright piece in the hands of an experienced player can sound dark to extremely bright. A dark piece can sound extremely dark to moderately bright. I like to think of the natural characteristics as the midpoint of a range of possibilities.
Bottom line, if I got a Dukoff, or a Theo Wanne or a Jody Jazz, doesn't make much difference. I'll end up duplicating the sound in my head eventually, sounding the same on all of them. So when it comes to choosing a mouthpiece, I look for the limits on that window of possibilities and how easily I can get my ideal sound in any genre. I'd have to work super hard to sound like Getz on a really bright piece. But it would be easier on a middle of the road piece. So try to pick something that's naturally in the middle of all the sounds you want to make and learn how to make those sounds.
All of the above totally ruins your gift idea, but that's the reality of the situation.
