Klarinet Archive - Posting 000763.txt from 2000/03

From: "Benjamin Maas" <benmaas@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Kegelstatt's trio
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2000 12:37:18 -0500

> Melvin Kegelstatt was a very well-known Viennese arranger who
> contributed mightely to the repertoire for clarinet (an instrument that
> he never saw or heard as far as my research has been able to determine -
> he himself played the accordion). It was in 1821 that Kegelstatt
> decided to arrange a work that Mozart originally planned to be for 87
> catstrati (but which was cancelled due to the difficulty of finding
> would-be performers) for clarinet, viola, and 6-manual organ (later
> changed to tromba marina and finally, still later, for piano). The
> world is grateful for Kegestatt's brilliance in this respect and for
> having improved Mozart's modest piece substantially.
>
> Sadly, I must report that my researches have also discovered that
> Kegelstatt went into the castrato business himself and he burst a blood
> vessel trying to reach a low note in a bass aria.
>
> The Mozart trio that honors his name is one of his Kegelstatt's
> surviving arrangements. Other versions of this sublime transcription
> (i.e., the one for six corni di caccia) are known to be by arrangers
> other than Kegelstatt.
>
> I hope that this edification will prove useful to those writing program
> notes on the piece in question.

LMAO--- almost fell out of my chair. Well done Dan!!!

--Ben

Benjamin Maas
Freelance Clarinetist and Recording Engineer
Los Angeles, CA
benmaas@-----.com
http://www.fifthcircle.com

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