Klarinet Archive - Posting 001186.txt from 1997/08

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Weber Recordings
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 22:13:15 -0400

> From: MX%"klarinet@-----.68
> Subj: Re: Weber Recordings

> I have Emma Thompson's recording of the Weber, and while she takes some
> liberites (which didn't particullary please me) she does an overall
> fantastic job. I'm particularly interested in the First and Third
> Movements of Weber 1, though 2 is beautiful as well.

Craig, could you please explain what you mean by Emma taking
"liberties"? What kind of liberties did she tak and why
did they not particularly please you?

>
> Weber seems to have a real feel for the clarinet, and his orchestrations
> for the strings and supporting winds are wonderfully done! It's some
> really great stuff!
>

Let me share with you a different opinion having to do with
Weber's orchestrations. While I agree that he had a feel for
the clarinet, and in fact, almost every orchestral instrument,
his solo repertoire presents very dull accompaniments, dull in
the sense that the soloist is given all the work and the
accompaniment is excessively repetitive and simplistic. One
of the difficulties in playing the Weber quintet is to get
string players willing to play it, so deadly repetitive and
unimaginative are the accompanying string parts. I always found
that playing Weber's solo music was like playing second clarinet
in an early Verdi opera. There is little to do of any interest,
though the melodic lines are remarkable.

Contrast the string quartet of the Weber Quintet with the writing
for the string quartet of the Mozart quintet (or the Brahms
quintet). For what it is worth, I don't find the Weber
orcehestrations to be great stuff at all. That does not, of
course, mean he was a poor composer, just an unimaginative
supplier of accompaniments.

An opinion.

> --
> Craig Countryman
> cegc@-----.net
> http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/1711
> Visit my homepage now and boost my world
> ranking up from 185th!
>
> Quote of the Day:
>
> "A pint can't hold a quart -- if it holds a
> pint it is doing all that can be
> expected of it." -Margaretta W. Deland
=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================