Klarinet Archive - Posting 000477.txt from 1997/10

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Grand Partita!
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 1997 15:41:10 -0400

> From: MX%"klarinet@-----.92
> Subj: Re: Grand Partita!

> In a message dated 97-10-12 01:44:04 EDT, Dan Leeson wrote:
>
> << It is still the "Gran Partitta" whether we like it or not. Not "Grand
> Partita"
> G R A N P A R T I T T A!!>>
>
> Dan,
>
> While we have no reason to doubt your pronouncement, perhaps we might be able
> to put this thread to rest -- and win bets in bars at chamber music workships
> -- if you would be so kind as to share the reason why K. 361 is misnamed by
> everyone but yourself.

The most popular alternate name for K. 361 is derived from the belief
that Mozart wrote those words (i.e., Grand Partita) on the first page
of the autograph.

An examination of that page shows that the text, in red crayon, and added
a number of years after his death judging from its placement just below
the trimmed edges and the fact that it is not in his handwriting, states
exactly the following: Gran Partitta.

That "Partitta" is a contemporary misspelling of "Partita" is no more
a forceful argument that "Grand" is a contemporary misuse of the 18th
century term "Gran."

In the negotiations with Barenreiter prior to the publication of the
new edition as part of the complete Mozart begun in 1956 and finished
in 1991, I made several suggestions about the term. My first suggestion
was to drop it entirely since Mozart had nothing to do with it. My
second suggestion was to spell it properly (i.e., as it is spelled
on the autograph since that is the reason for using a similar term
in the first place).

Barenreiter agreed to the second position, but by that time the material
was published. With the recent publication of performance parts and
study score, a ghastly error took place. An editorial assistant
presumed that all references to Gran Partitta were an error, changed
them all (but one) to Gran Partita, that one exception being Gran
Partitta.

That everyone else uses "Grand Partita" is no more right than for
me to use "Gran Partitta" since neither term is authentic. But if
one is going to use this appelation at all, then use the one from
which it is derived exactly as it appears.

In 25 years, if I have anything to do with it, you won't see Grand
Partita any longer. Already I inflenced several record jackets and
two papers in the Mozart Jahrbuch.

I can't think of any group as more suitable for getting the name
correct whenever it is incorrectly stated. After all, the piece
is a clarinetist's commission. Therefore, clarinetists, above
all other musicians who perform this glorious work, need to be
able to refer to it with authority, and that includes the correct
version of the incorrect name.

>
> Don Gross
> La Canada, California
>
>
=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================