Klarinet Archive - Posting 000464.txt from 1997/05

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: Mozart Quintet issues
Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 02:05:53 -0400

> From: MX%"klarinet@-----.10
> Subj: Mozart Quintet issues

> The last time I did this quintet was before I discovered the Klarinet list.
> But I'm getting ready for a performance in a few weeks, and this time I
> can ask for your collective advice on a few questions.
>
> Issue #1: The trill for clarinet from A flat to B flat in m. 9 of the
> development, mvmt 1: Is there any better way to do this than use the third
> side key, which on my A cl. makes a noticeably flat B flat? (Trilling with
> the register key is even worse.) I've always assumed this is a clarinet
> design defect. Was/is this trill easier, or playable at all, on period
> clarinets? (As far as I know, this trill is in all editions, and it seems
> to be required by analogy to the 1st violin's trills, mvmt. 1, mm. 6 and
> 14; see also cl. trill at m. 123.)
>
> Issue #2: The trill for cl. from A to B in m. 4 of the Allegro at the end
> of the last mvmt.: Is there any better way to do this than with the fourth
> side key, which is in tune but awkward (for me) at a brisk tempo, even
> playing the preceding B with the same side key? I've tried using my right
> thumb on this but find that awkward too. Related to this is the question
> whether this trill should even be played: It's in some editions, not
> others, and I have no idea where it crept in (I know we have no autograph,
> so there's no touchstone for correctness here, assuming this trill COULD be
> played on period clarinets -- I'm asking about what makes musical sense).
> So: Do you play this trill, and if so, how? Was/is this trill easier, or
> playable at all, on period clarinets?
>
> Issue #3: Mvmt. 2 -- which strings have mutes? Different editions assign
> mutes to different strings, e.g. some to just the violins, some to all
> strings. My experience has been that unmuted viola and cello bury the
> violins and throw the balance way off. But my current cellist is fighting
> the idea of a mute. What do you folks do, to the extent you have any
> control over headstrong string players? (Again, I'm not asking what Mozart
> intended, which is an unanswerable question (isn't it?), just asking what
> makes musical sense to you.)
>
> One more general question: Is the earliest edition of this quintet (by
> Andre?) available in print anywhere?
>
> Thanks to all in advance for help. I hope my late-night writing isn't too
> jumbled to be intelligible.
>
> Gary Young
> Madison, WI

The fundamental problem with K. 581 is that there is nothing authoritative
about any edition. Even the earliest one from 1803 is highly suspect.

In effect, old does not necessarily mean good. And in the case of the
quintet, the earliest edition has the added burden of the fact that
whoever edited it for the printed edition was required to make
substantive changes to make the work performable on a clarinet of
traditional compass (i.e., ending at a low written E instead of
the instrument used by Stadler which descended to a low written C).

So the fact that you have difficulties with one or more points on
all contemporary editions is not surprising. In fact, it speaks
well for your musical intelligence and curiosity. You want to do
more. You think you should do more. But you don't know what to
do more.

Neither do I. Neither does anyone else, no matter how much they tell
you that they do. It is all guess work including the dynamics,
the articulation, etc.

With respect to the mutes in the slow movement, I can only offer
an opinion. I don't know the truth. It makes no musical sense
to have the two violins muted and the viola and cello unmuted.
They simply overpower the smaller instruments and the whole
movement goes out of balance. That is an opinion. It is not
necessarily what Mozart wanted. I don't know what Mozart wanted.
No one does.

The trill in the final allegro of the final movement is very
rational, but still speculation on the part of an editor. Look
at the passage. The two trills preceding the one that concerns
you appear to be enhanced and symmetrical to the third one.
It makes musical sense. But is it Mozart? I have no idea.

Now if you really want to open people's eyes, we must talk about
your duty to improvise when performing that work. And, contrary
to popular belief, classical improvisation take a great deal of
preparation, knowledge, courage, and skill. You have to know
where to do it, when to do it, and how to do it. A desire
alone is not enough.

It is a controversial topic, but on this point one at least has
considerable historical precedent to justify doing it. And that
is what you were looking for with respect to K. 581, wasn't it?

>
=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================