Klarinet Archive - Posting 000543.txt from 1995/05

From: Neil Leupold <Neil_Leupold@-----.COM>
Subj: RE>Re- favorite recordings
Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 06:41:26 -0400

ntouch Memo 05/18/95
Subject:RE>Re: favorite recordings 8:54 AM
John Baetens posted a message about Neidich's release of the Weber Concerti
along with the Concertino and Rossini's Intro, Theme, and Variations. I bought
the same album a few months ago and returned it the following day. I did find
some of the improvisations very interesting, but I also found that Neidich's
ridiculously fast tempi detracted greatly from the making of music. Truly,
what musical point was he making by triple-tounguing the final section from the
third movement of Weber's Second Concerto? Fast & impressive, yes, but it
didn't really sound very good. Much of the album is like that, almost
performed with the soul intent of impressing his audience with technical
prowess instead of musical sensitivity.

Ironically, Neidich has what I consider to be the very best recording of the
Mozart concerto I've ever heard. It's probably out of print by now, but was
released on DG with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He performs it on basset
clarinet and plays simply wonderfully. What a gorgeous sound he gets from his
instrument. He improvises on this performance as well, and I found his
treatment of phrasing and dynamics to be with tremendous sensitivity, as well
as creativity. For those of you interested in recordings by other
instrumentalists, Orpheus also recorded the Mozart _horn_ concerti with their
principal hornist, David Jolley, also on DG. I was told he just happened to
have a good day when they made that recording, but that certainly doesn't
diminish the artistic triumph that this recording constitutes. Don't we all
just wish that all of our days could be that good!

- Neil