Klarinet Archive - Posting 000923.txt from 2000/06

From: "Alf Hörberg" <alf.horberg@-----.se>
Subj: SV: [kl] Mozart Concerto - Flame Bait
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 17:01:49 -0400

> William Wright wrote:
I believe someone on the list compared it to Da Vinci's Last
> Supper. IMHO, not so -- I don't think it's a particularly good Mozart
> concerto (compared, say, to the piano concerto # 23), and I really don't
> consider it all that sacred, either. I find the second movement pretty,
and
> the rest rather trite. True, it's the only concerto he wrote for us, and
> it's possibly the "best" we have until the 20th century; but that doesn't
> make it a great piece of music.

When I compared K.622 to da Vinci's "The last supper", was in a context that
it could have been lost forever, like "The last supper", if we hadn't have
the 1803 version transcribed for regular clarinet. To me, this gives it an
extra emotional curiosity touch that makes it more sacred than other
clarinet concertos, besides that it's maybe the best piece of music we have.
We should be thankful that we have this jewel in the crown and try to
cultivate it in the best way we can.
My opinion is that it should not be performed by anybody who haven't reached
the musical maturity that it deserves just because it's relatively
technically easy. It's exactly the same as performing the Francaix concerto
with a bad technique. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't technical skills
usually favored before musical? And if so, it's that kind of strange since
it's music we are trying to produce. Technique is nothing but a tool to make
music. Who admires a carpenter for his fantastic hammer if he makes lousy
furniture.
I find it very difficult to compare this concerto to other master pieces
that he wrote since there are so many. I'm playing "Cosi" at the moment and
I'm astonished by the floods of great music coming out even in a lousy story
like that.

My advice to Kevin is to take a vacation from K.622 for a year and after
that listening to some good interpretations of it. Get inspiration from some
of the suggestions mentioned in this thread.

Alf
----- Original Message -----
From: Kevin Fay (LCA) <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subject: [kl] Mozart Concerto - Flame Bait

> William 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.
>
> Audrey replied:
>
> <<<. . .I'd go for Sabine Mayer - she's a monster player/musician, but if
> you have record/CD stores around, definitely go for Robert Marcellus with
> the Cleveland Orchestra (Sony Classical SBK 62424)!>>>
>
> Marcellus' recording is considered "definitive," "the standard" and/or
> "boring" depending on who you talk to. If you check the archives, you'll
> find heated discussion from all viewpoints.
>
> I'd buy a version played on basset clarinet, the instrument for which the
> concerto was written. More interesting. Both David Schifrin and Charlie
> Neidich have recordings using "modern" basset clarinets (Charlie's
rendition
> has more notes). Alan Hacker has a recording done on a "period"
instrument
> -- or a reproduction thereof, I don't remember -- as does our own Tony
Pay,
> I believe. The recordings by Messrs. Hacker & Pay probably are more
> "authentic" performances, if that matters to you -- at least they spent
some
> time thinking about it.
>
> . . . now the flame part. The Mozart concerto is touted as some
> masterwork; I believe someone on the list compared it to Da Vinci's Last
> Supper. IMHO, not so -- I don't think it's a particularly good Mozart
> concerto (compared, say, to the piano concerto # 23), and I really don't
> consider it all that sacred, either. I find the second movement pretty,
and
> the rest rather trite. True, it's the only concerto he wrote for us, and
> it's possibly the "best" we have until the 20th century; but that doesn't
> make it a great piece of music.
>
> Perhaps I've heard it too much, played by children, to enjoy it much
> anymore.
>
> kjf
>
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