Klarinet Archive - Posting 000092.txt from 1994/09

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Jay and the Bruch pieces
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 1994 10:06:25 -0400

I don't know beans about the origin of the Bruch pieces but he wrote many,
many works (perhaps even these works) in a quasi-Jewish manner, though he
himself was not Jewish. He appeared to have been fascinated with various
ethnologies(Scottish, Jewish, etc.) and attempted to create music in
imitation of whatever it was he heard of the the ethos of that music. I
suspect that in the clarinet/viola pieces one would have to know what ethos
he was interested in at that juncture of his life in order to figure out what
the message was that he was attempting to deliver.

Do I detect from your note about Beethoven 7 that you found it in printed
form and that it costs $200 to purchase?? If that is so, tell me who the
publisher is that makes it available so I will know the next time around.

Incidentally, it is (from my point of view, I should say), a lousy
arrangement. First it is a screamer, a long hard blow, and the clarinet
parts are in C throughout. In addition, the key of the piece is not
A major (as the original is) but transposed to C major to make life easier
for the clarinet players (I presume) and, as a result, the horn keys are
awful. When I was first made aware of the existence of this octet, I went
mad with joy, until I played it. I doubt if I will ever get up the energy
to play it again, so dreadful is it.

If you want a really great arrangement, try the Fidelio, also published by
Musica Rara but you MUST do it with 9 players including a contrabassoon. It
does not work without the 16 foot bass. There is a problem with the
arrangements. There is a measure missing someplace in the overture and I
never figured out where it was. All the other movements are OK and the
canonical quartet is a masterpiece!! It is also recorded.

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
(leeson@-----.edu)
(dnl2073@-----.edu)
Any of the above three addresses may be used. Take your pick.
====================================

   
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