Klarinet Archive - Posting 000205.txt from 1997/10

From: Dee Hays <deerich@-----.net>
Subj: Re: clarinet works
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 13:54:46 -0400

I think I'll just throw in my 2 cents on this subject.

Although I like many composers (Brahms, Weber, and especially Mendelson), I
would pick Mozart's clarinet concerto as the quintessential clarinet piece. My
personal, purely subjective reasons are as follows:

1. Mozart's works were (I believe) the earliest to effectively showcase the
clarinet.

2. When well played by a true master, my reaction is "what beautiful clarinet
music" rather than "what great technique". In other words, it showcases the
clarinet itself rather than the clarinet player.

3. I find the adagio movement to be the greatest stress reliever in the
world. When I listen to it, I can feel all my tension just drain away and my
spirit is filled with a deep sense of peace.

4. In both the first and third movements, there is a light hearted
cheerfulness that I have always found appealing.

5. When I am playing the piece myself, I love the arpeggio runs that Mozart
used in this piece (that's because I just happen to like playing arpeggios in
general).

6. The adagio is probably the most difficult thing to play well. It is so
exposed and MUST have exquisite tone to really be effective. In fast pieces,
minor mistakes don't show but in something like the adagio there is no play to
hide.

True the work is probably played too often and recorded too much but still I
could listen to it fairly often without tiring of it.

Dee Hays
Canton, SD
deerich@-----.net