Klarinet Archive - Posting 000974.txt from 2000/02

From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Dieter Klocker and controversy
Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 12:10:58 -0500

There is a Mozart list on the internet and I read it very frequently.
Recently there was a posting about the Dieter Kloecker recording which
contains a set of variations entitled, "Variations on March from Les
Mariages Samnites" purportedly by Mozart.

Dennis Pajot submitted a very interesting note, much of which is an
English translation of a technical paper written by Carl Baer and
published in the 1963 Mitteilungen Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum.

I asked Dennis if he would object to my posting of his note on Klarinet
and he agreed. So, for those who value this sort of analysis, I offer
it to you. Others will, of course, decide on who they think wrote the
piece by using their personal judgement. Whatever turns you on, as long
as you are thinking about the issue, that is a good thing.

My own personal opinion has been negatively affected by Klocker's
constant discovery of pieces that he attributes to Mozart with nothing
more offered to sustain his position than the question, "But who else
could have written it?" In effect, his previous statements (and his
unwillingness to release very much information or the music itself or
the location where he found it to other researchers) have polluted the
well, so to speak.

Pajot's note follows.

Dan Leeson

================================
On the MDG-CD with the Clarinet Concerto in Eb is "Variations on March
from Les Mariages Samnites". Dieter Kloecker believes Mozart wrote the
Variations in Paris in 1778 for the Clarinet Virutoso Joseph Beer. He
then states Mozart wrote his Piano Variations on this same theme in
Vienna around 1780. Kloecker then speculates a quartet composition by
J.C. Vogel and Michel Yost is the lost clarinet piece, taken over from
Mozart and published under their names around 1780. Kloecker believes
Yost received the variations from his teacher Joseph Beer.

However in 1963 Carl Baer published a paper with a different opinion I
thought you'd be interested in.

The whole Clarinet Variations issue originates from a review in the
Leipzig 'Allgemeinen Musikalischen Zeitung' (AMZ) of June 1808,
reporting on a concert from Prague: "April 19 Hr. Beer.gave his
concert...Hr.B gave a concerto of his own composition, and variations by
Mozart on the March of the Samniter, that "he alone possessed".' Another
review from February 16, 1809, from Leipzig stated "On the 16th Hr.
Beer...will be heard with a Concerto of his own composition and with
Variations by Mozart on the Clarinet".

Mozart wrote Piano variations on the March--a 2-part female chorus--from
Gretry's opera 'Les mariages somnites" probalby sometime in Vienna 1781.
In any event these Piano variations were published in 1786 by Artaria.

One supposition is that Beer played an arrangement of his own or someone
else's for Clarinet of the Mozart Piano variations. This at first seems
probable as around this time there was a "bursting flood" of
arrangements being published from symphonies and operas etc. in Europe.
Most of these arrangements were for domestic use. Parallel to this flood
of arrangements was a preferrence for variations. This field was
cultivated not only by the great masters, but also by secoond and third
rate composers. In the July 1801 issue of AMZ alone 23 new variations
works were advertised. However variations on variations (as a new
arrangement of Mozart's Piano Variations would be) are not encountered.
For this reason it is unlikely Beer played an arrangement of Mozart's
Piano Variations originating from someone else. Thus Beer could have
undertaken an arrangement or transcription by himself. But this appears
unlikely by the way concerts were reported on of travelling Virutosa of
the time. These virutosos made their living travelling from city to city
and displaying their virtuosity. Mostly they played Concertos of their
own composing, which would make their strengths shine. The second part
of the program consisted mainly of variations; usually from a theme of
his/her own or that of a well known composers, but again usually
composed by the Virutoso to play up to the prevailing taste of the
locality and again to show his/her strengths.

Quoting reviews between 1800 and 1810 Baer showed it was almost an
established rule to give the name of the composer of the variations in
reviews of variations at concerts by Virtuosos. For example "Hr. Carl
Barman...with Variations of his own composition"; "Kirchgessner played
solo variations on the theme O Iris und Osiris from Zauberflote, by
Reicha"; "Stolle played one of his own for the Trumpet arranged Mozart
Horn Concertos".

As the reviewers in Prague and Leipzig gave Mozart as the author of the
Variations but mentioned no arranger, Beer must have possessed an
original work by Mozart "that he also possessed". The editor of AMZ had
put together a very respected group of reviewers who were knowledgeble
of the Vienna classical composers and their compositions. Thus the
Prague reviewer had no doubt inquired of Beer after the concert and was
told about the variations. Baer concludes that Beer possessed a today
lost composition of Mozart's, probably for Piano and Clarinet, on the
March of the Samniter.

When did Mozart compose these variations for Beer? The first encounter
with Beer is in Paris in 1778--an actual meeting is not verified.
Leopold Mozart had arranged for a letter of introduction to Beer.
Wolfgang replied he did not want one because even though he had not made
Beer's acquaintance he heard he was a "dissolute sort of fellow" and
would "feel positively ashamed" to present him with a letter of
recommendation. Because of this, it would appear Mozart would not
present Beer with variations at that time. A second problem with this
time period is that even though Gretry's opera premiered in Paris in
1768 in private performance and in 1776 in public, Sonnleithner reported
the chorus used for the variations was first added for the first Vienna
performance in 1782. [Of course this would also affect the date of the
authentic Mozart Piano Variations; is Sonnleithner mistaken? Maybe some
Gretry expert can verify this, or tell me where to look to find out. I
checked the sources I could at the libraries and found nothing.]

The only verified encounter between Mozart and Beer was in 1791. Beer
had served in Russian from 1783 - 1790 and returned to Germany in 1790,
making stops in several large cities. In spring 1791 he performed in
Vienna at a concert at which Aloysia Lange sang and Mozart played a
Piano Concerto. Baer guesses Mozart and Beer struck up a friendship and
Mozart wrote out variations for Beer as a favor--probably the day after
the March 4, 1791, concert. Because it was a "casual" composition Mozart
did not enter it in his work catolgue. Baer could not speculate why
Mozart fell back on the Semnites theme, but he believed they were most
likely only an arrangement of the Piano Variations--another reason for
Mozart not entering them in his work catolgue, same as the string
arrangement K406 from K388.

Beer kept the dedicated Clarinet Variations stored away and did not play
them as they appeared to be without substancial worth. As Mozart's fame
grew he included them as his "Cheval de Bataille". Beer died in 1811 (or
1812) in Berlin, forgotten. the variations remained unregonized in his
estate after his death and were destroyed or lost.

--
***************************
** Dan Leeson **
** leeson0@-----.net **
***************************

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