Klarinet Archive - Posting 000597.txt from 2000/07

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] enthused musings upon Mozart Concerto
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 17:05:31 -0400

Leila wrote:

<<<I agree with the general idea that beginners could put their time to
better use than by tackling a professional-level concerto, but I hope the
"we're not ready yet" idea doesn't prove so contagious that adults and
advanced students think they can best show respect for Mozart by putting
off, and putting off, and putting off learning his music. I think there's a
danger of deifying Mozart, when the repertory of really first-class pieces
for clarinet is so small.>>>

. . . and Roger replied:

<<<. . . .I continue to teach Mozart to students as early as possible -
usually beginning with the second movement. . . . It never ceases to amaze
me how students take to Mozart after having played other "more appropriate"
pieces for
their age level. Their motivation to practice, play, listen, achieve, and
understand are all piqued by this wonderful concerto.>>>

Interesting piece, this Mozart concerto, at once fairly easy and yet so
very, very difficult. An anecdote told to me by a reliable source (my ex,
who was a master's student there at the time): in the search for a clarinet
teacher to replace the retiring D. Stanley Hasty at the Eastman school,
several candidates gave lecture discussions to the existing studio. One of
these was Charlie Neidich (no slouch, ended up getting the job). During the
lecture, after nailing some really, really nasty impossibleness, a request
was floated to play the Mozart . . . which he declined, stating that it was
too hard and he didn't have it performance-ready at that point in time.

Why so hard? Everybody knows it (or thinks they do). Looked at
objectively, it's not that great a concerto - no "better" than half of
Mozart's violin or piano concerti. It is the only one *we* have, though, so
we play it to death.

Roger likes teaching it to youngsters because it has the effect of "turning
on the light bulb." It certainly was the piece that did it for me. I could
play it (sort of), and then listen to the recording -- gave me something to
shoot for. (I'm still shooting, but that's not the point). The fact that
it's technically accessible makes it an outstanding target for the student.
Having targets is important. While you can learn a lot of golf at the
driving range, it's a lot more fun if every once and a while you get on the
course at shoot at the little hole.

College kids may hate going back to it. So what? College kids hate
everything. Throw you favorite recording du jour at them, and point out
that until they sound like Marcellus/Schifrin/de Peyer/Pay/Hacker/Neidich,
they have a bit of work to do.

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