Klarinet Archive - Posting 000419.txt from 1996/03

From: thehat@-----.ORG
Subj: Rachmaninoff Second Symph
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 20:53:14 -0500

In a message dated 03-15-96 INTERNET: BAKERG01=TIGGER wrote to ** ALL **:
IB> Can anyone out there tell me if there was ever a recrording made of
IB> Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony (Op. 27 in e minor) by the Cleveland
IB> Orchestra during Robert Marcellus's time as principal clarinetist?
IB> The clarinet solo in the Adagio (thrid movement) is one of the best
IB> in the repertoire, and to hear Marcellus play it would be
IB> unbelievable! Any comments would be appreciated. Just post to the
IB> group, or send mail directly to me at:

IB> BAKERG01@-----.EDU

IB> Thanks a lot!

The simple answer is that there is no commercial recording of the
Rachmaninoff E minor Symphony with Marcellus. However, there is at least one
radio broadcast of him playing it and I have it somewhere. It was done in the
early seventies under the Sicilian conductor Aldo Ceccato, at the time the
Music Director of the Detroit Symphony. The tempo is extremely slow and the
playing is of a most beautiful character. As Marcellus aged his sound became
more open and "darker" if you will (that's how he put it), and this is a fine
example of his sound during this period.

Another example Marcellus's later playing is the Maazel recording of the
complete Romeo and Juliet of Prokofiev, Maazel's first recording with the CO
and Marcellus's last. This was on London/Decca, and it will probably be
rereleased again eventually.

If you live near Cleveland, the archive department will probably be willing
to play you a tape of the Ceccato performance, but they won't copy it for you.
I don't know where my copy is at the moment, perhaps at my parents house. At
least I hope so, as I would hate to have lost it.

It might interest you to know that a performance of the solo that Marcellus
admired very much has been transferred to CD recently. THe performance is by
the Minneapolis Symphony under Mitropoulos. It is on the Nickson/Hill label.
It was recorded in the 40's and the clarinetist is Walter Thalin, who at his
best had a beautiful tone, as on this recording. Those of you who have heard
Marcellus's recorded retrospective "toward a tonal concept" will note that
this recording is included in that collection.

Any other questions about who might have recorded what may be directed here.
There's a good chance I'll have the answer or know where to get it!

David Hattner
clarinetist-at-large, NYC

IB> Greg Baker, Saint Cloud (Minnesota) State University

Ciao,
DAVID
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