Klarinet Archive - Posting 000403.txt from 1995/11
From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU> Subj: Jarle Brosveet's comments on clar/sop/piano music Date: Thu, 23 Nov 1995 08:06:27 -0500
I very much enjoyed reading Jarle's comments on clarinet and soprano
music and it reminded me of a recording that I have that has not
yet been mentioned.
The title of the recording is "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Unbekannte
Arien Fur Sopran und Concertierende Instrumente," which translates
as "Unknown arias for soprano and obbligato instruments." The
recording is Acanta, and the record number is LC 43 470.
The artists are Dieter Klocker, HelenDonath (and several others who
play on arias where the clarinet is not used). The orchestra is
the Suk-Kommerorchester, conducted by Klaus Donath.
I have spent a modest amount of time trying to find out where Klocker
got these remarkable arrangements and all to no avail. I don't know
if he wants to keep the info secret or is waiting for publication,
but not much is available about them.
The works themsevles are real mysteries. Each consists of an extensive
solo work for soprano which has had an obbilato part inserted into
the performance. The text of the original, has been reset to a very
formal and stilted Latin, invariably taking out any reference to
romance, sex, love, etc. The arias that employ an obbligato clarinet
are given in their Latin titles only and if you don't know the work,
there has been no effort made to tell you what it is you are listening
to. For example, the first of the five works with clarinet is
entitled "Cor sincerum". But what it really is is an arrangement of
a very extensive and well-known concert aria for
solo soprano, piano, and orchestra entitled "Chio mi
scordi de te" with the piano part altered subtantially to fit on
the clarinet (and which Klocker plays magnificently). I believe
he uses a C clarinet throughout.
Each of these works presents the clarinet with an extraordinarily long
and complex solo far more difficult than any of the standard works
including Parto, Parto!
Klocker writes in the very modest program notes, "It was by
pure chance that I was fortunate enough, a few years ago, to
stumble on the arias by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart presented here while
browsing through various collections - mainly in Eastern Europe -
of arias in which the voice is partnered by an obbligato instrument...
I discovered that about 60% of the compositions were written for
soprano and clarinet."
Other than saying that the works are of unusally high quality and
that he found them in Eastern Europe, Klocker is very circumspect
about them.
I was absolutely bowled over the first time I heard all of these
very familiar arias (from Figaro, from this work and that) in
completely new settings with Latin text (invariably religious
in nature), with an obbligato clarinet part that would put one
into three weeks of cardiac arrest, and from a source for music
that was quite unknown to me.
None of these works are, as far as I know, available in piano
reduction. Klocker's recording was made with full orchestra.
One more thing with respect to Jarle's comments. I don't agree
that Parto works very well in the piano reduction. Jarle said
that he believe it to be the best of the repertoire and that is
a difficult statement to disagree with. But, in the piano
reduction it loses so very much character that I perceive it as
a ghost of its real substance. This also happens with the
partner aria from Titus, "Non Piu di Fiori" which has a basset
horn obbligato.
I'd love to find out if these works of Klocker's discovery
have ever been published or otherwise made availab.e
Anyone know?
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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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