Klarinet Archive - Posting 000360.txt from 1998/11

From: "L. BORCHERT" <lborcher@-----.Edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Mozart and a "new concerto"
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 18:14:00 -0500

On Tue, 10 Nov 1998, Note Staff Unlimited wrote:

> Hi Guys,
> Thanks for your messages which came in last night after I went to bed (Mi=
ddle European
> Time, you know...) This eve. I just looked thru the messages on this thre=
ad and realized
> that I'd sort of overlooked the claim in the original message that there =
was "scholarly
> research". So that's why you guys were getting hot about, right?
>=20
> This claim is puzzling to me and I am entirely sure that Dieter Kloecker =
himself did not
> make it. Please let me quote from his record jacket:
>=20
> <Let me begin by saying that I would not be so bold as to claim that the =
present Clarinet
> Concerto in E flat major was composed in full in this form by Mozart hims=
elf. Nonetheless
> I would not exclude the possiblility that large parts of the music derive=
from him and
> from a musician in his immediate circle. One thing is certain: the concer=
to is a doublet
> of the "Violin Concerto No. 6" from Mozarts's lifetime, a work whose orig=
in and existence
> the renowned Mozart scholar Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Plath of the new Mozart ed=
ition in Augsburg
> has termed "ominous.." Perhaps the clarinet version will contribute to th=
e solving of the
> riddles connected with it. Perhaps the clarinet version is the original v=
ersion, which
> would hardly be surprising, given its E flat major key and the B flat cla=
rinet. And if
> Mozart is not its author, then who was?>
>=20
> After describing the history of his findings, Kloecker goes on to say the=
following:
>=20
> <As someone who is not a scholar, I may enjoy the luxury of an opinion wi=
thout being able
> to marshal the final scholarly proof. Please allow me an assessment a pri=
ori--independent
> of the question of authenticity: I regard this clarinet concerto .... amo=
ng the most
> beautiful clarinet works of the 18th century, no matter who may have comp=
leted,
> transcribed, or faked it.> (translation by S.M.Praeder)
>=20
> >From the above, I think it is clear that Herr Kloecker is not the one cl=
aiming on any
> "scholarly research". Au contrair, he is merely presenting his findings a=
nd delighting in
> them whilst leaving the scholarly bit to others.
>=20
> By the way, during my study time with Dieter, he once said to me with an =
impish look in
> his eyes and a tone of conspiricy in his voice, "The symph. concertant is=
definitely NOT
> by Mozart ... BUT don't you ever dare to tell that to a clarinettist beca=
use he/she will
> kill you!! "
>=20
> I'm sorry if I got anybody heated up by my careless oversight of this scu=
rilous claim. I
> guess the ball is back to Laroy Borcher who mentioned this claim. Or to H=
B records who
> published it. Who might have written it? In any case, it wasn't Dieter Kl=
=F6cker!
>=20
> David
=09
=09The question was originally posed by myself when I quoted from the
catalog description in the May HB Recording Catalog. That description
included the phrase "scholarly research." After all this discussion, I am
tempted to buy the CD just to be able to have my own opinion about the
music itself. =20
=09Dan was most clear in his comments, though, and I would certainly
not make the mistake of claiming to have valid scholarly research on any
materials dealing with this work.

Laroy

Dr. Laroy Borchert
NMSU

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