Klarinet Archive - Posting 000909.txt from 2000/06

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Other recordings of Mozart concerto
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 11:41:57 -0400

Bill Wright wrote,
> I have a Stoltzman recording of Mozart's concerto (K622), and I'd
>like to buy someone else's recording who has a different interpretation.

I like other people's suggestions. See if you can find Jack Brymer, too.
This is a terrific piece to collect to compare different musicians, IMHO,
since the clarinet concerto repertory is so limited that just about all the
major clarinetists (and a lot of non-major ones) record the Mozart. (I think
they're required to record it by a certain age or else the Clarinet Cops come
and drag them off to Muzak Detention, where they have to listen to nothing
but Britney Spears and Kenny G over the loudspeakers, 24/7.)

There aren't a lot of *bad* performances of the Mozart to get stuck with, so
you're pretty safe, no matter what you buy. I think that's because it's so
hard for a pro clarinetist to beat out the competition for the few
decent-paying first chair jobs that lead to the solo recording contracts that
only top-notch players make it that far. Major recording labels aren't
exactly clamoring to sign more and more clarinetists. There's no room for
the mediocre ones. With a bit of prowling for both new and used recordings,
you could easily end up with a couple of dozen excellent performances.

Can anybody think of a truly *atrocious* recording of the Mozart? I can't.
I'm not talking about questionable interpretations of the music -- there are
a bunch of those, sure -- but I mean a recording that's technically
incompetent. You're pretty much guaranteed to find a real clarinetist
making real music on any CD of the Mozart concerto, not some jailbait babe or
hunk who's dumb as a doorknob and can't play a lick, but looks hot-'n'-juicy
on the jacket. I could name a dozen ear-twisting violin concerto recordings
or performances, yet I don't think I've ever heard even one pro clarinet
recording that sounded as if this person had no business playing in public.

Lelia
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Why is "abbreviation" such a long word?
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