Klarinet Archive - Posting 000499.txt from 1997/01

From: Gregory Andrew Seigel <gas11@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Woodwind Quintets - Boring? (fwd)
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 17:10:07 -0500

I played through my undergraduate years in a scholarship quintet.
Without a doubt, it was the highlight of those four years.
Unfortunately, we were the only student quintet, so I can't speak much
about listening to them. (There was always a sense of awe that biased
listening to the faculty quintet).

I don't think that anyone can argue that there is plenty of "trash"
out there for WWQs. For the most part, I agree that most "good" WWQ are a
(small) step down from "good" clarinet chamber music. But rarely, if
ever, do I get bored listening to them. I often find that I get bored
listening to homophonic ensembles - brass quintets, string quartets, even
clarinet quartets. WWQs, in the hands of good composers, are a great
vehicle for exploring different timbre possibilities. I think Barber's
_Summer Music_ and Harbison's _Quintet_ are exemplary in this regard.
Ligeti's _Sechs Bagatellen_ as well (perhaps even more so as that's an
arrangement from one of his piano works).

Nielsen and Hindemith do some exploring as well, but I find that their
works are just fun to play and listen to period - well written, great
solos passed around, neat interplay, etc. Certainly there are others
like this that just escape my mind right now.

I sympathize with audience members listening to most of the works by
Reicha and Danzi (though there are some gems in there), but I don't think
I could find myself truly bored listening to them (and I've found that
watching them perform can be equally, if not more, interesting).

Just some thoughts -

Andrew Seigel
California State University, Fresno
gas11@-----.edu

On Fri, 24 Jan 1997, Daniel A. Paprocki wrote:

> I have two views of woodwind quintets. They differ depending on which side
> of the reed I'm sitting on.
>
> If I'm playing in a ww quintet, I like quintets (some more than others).
> Granted you don't run into works that are comparable to some of our chamber
> works that include strings (Mozart Quintet, Brahms Quint., Bartok
> Contrasts, etc). There are some ww quintet works that come close (Barber,
> Hindemith, Nielsen).
>
> If I'm listening to a ww quintet, I get bored quickly. I've talked to
> other woodwind colleagues (not just clarinetists) and they feel the same.
> I think it's something to do with just having the single colors (as
> compared to a wind octet of instrument pairs) and no string instruments.
> The different tonal colors (to me of course) don't blend as well as if
> strings are present or other like colors. Also, there is just not a great
> wealth of high quality music (Danzi - yeah, right. maybe the Rossini
> quartets - isn't Pop goes the Weasel arrranged for WW quintet?).
>
> I know I'm going to get flamed on this one.
>
> Dan P. (Packers 56 - Patriots 6)
>
> ******************************************************************************
>
> Daniel A. Paprocki
> Instructor of Clarinet
> Malone College
> Kent State University - Stark Campus
> dap@-----.us
>
> ******************************************************************************
>