Klarinet Archive - Posting 000012.txt from 1995/01

From: Timothy Tikker <tjt@-----.ORG>
Subj: Re: Stoltzman and Shifrin
Date: Mon, 2 Jan 1995 12:57:16 -0500

On Sat, 31 Dec 1994, ELAINE THOMPSON wrote:

> Stoltzman--ugh. Unless you are talking about his jazz. I saw him
> perform a series of Monk tunes and the jazz was fantastic. As for his
> classical playing, I find it tacky beyond belief. I have a recording of
> him playing the Mozart concerto, and it sounds as though he couldn't
> decide on a consistent articulation, so he just used as many patterns as
> he could. And where he wasn't sure of what to do with the phrasing, he
> threw in some vibrato for effect. The overall effect of the recording is
> that of a clarinettist that is trying to do something different, but has
> to rely on tricks instead of musicality.

Yeah... he's sort of the James Galway of the clarinet, right?

Speaking of which, years ago on the radio I heard a recording of Galway's
transciption of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto... for flute! The outer
movements were transposed to G, though the middle movement remained in
D. As if the standard-range clarinet version weren't enough of a compass
truncation from Mozart's basset original, just try to imagine the
constrictions of fitting this piece onto the flute! It was a disaster!