Klarinet Archive - Posting 000005.txt from 1993/06

From: James Langdell <James.Langdell@-----.COM>
Subj: Schrammelmusik from Vienna
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1993 18:33:41 -0400

I found a wonderful, inexpensive recording on the Naxos label
(8.550228) that should be of interest to other clarinet players:

Music From Old Vienna, performed by Thalia-Schrammeln

This provides 19th century dance music from Vienna as played
by an ensemble of high G-clarinet (yes, "G"), two violins,
and bass guitar (2 necks and 13 strings). Such an ensemble
is said in the liner notes to have been popularized in Vienna
by ensemble led by violinists Johann and Josef Schrammel, with
guitarist Anton Strohmayer and clarinettist Georg Danzer.
This group worked for six years until Danzer's death in 1890,
but established the genre of Schrammelmusik.

The liner notes mention that the musical manuscripts by
the Schrammel brothers were discovered in 1963 by Lois Bock.
Strohmeyer's father Alois also composed for this combination;
his manuscripts were found by Bock in 1971.

This recording by a modern group (the G-clarinet player is
Gerald Grunbacher) has a delightful sound, and provides a rare
chance to hear a G-clarinet. Judging from a photo on the cover
of the CD, the instrument looks slightly longer than a soprano
recorder.

So, has anyone played any Schrammelmusik? Seen any publications
of such arrangements?

--James Langdell jamesc@-----.com
Sun Microsystems Mountain View, Calif.