Klarinet Archive - Posting 000020.txt from 2002/09

From: "Don Yungkurth" <clarinet@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Ponchielli (was, "Mostly to Michael Bryant.....")
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 11:36:09 -0400

Hi to William and Michael,

I have some additional information about the Ponchielli "Quartetto.

The Accord LP ACC 140024 was reissued as a CD (1986), Accord 220682. I
suspect that it and the Nuevo Era CD may be out of print.

The "Quartetto" was also issued on Danacord DACOCD 471 (Denmark 1996). This
recording is with orchestra, rather than piano, accompaniment. This may
also be out of print, but is apparently still available from;

http://www.broinc.com/

>From the CD notes (and other information), the orchestral version is
certainly by Ponchielli. This version varies from the piano reduction. I
haven't checked in detail throughout the work, but the introduction is
clearly different in the "quintet" and orchestral versions. My recollection
is that the solo wind parts are the same.

I would disagree with Michael's comment about the "Quartetto":

>It is fun the first time through, then one does not want to hear it over
and over.

I've enjoyed hearing it many times and playing the Eb part 3 or 4 times.
Obviously this is personal taste, but I think Ponchielli is true to his
operatic reputation in "Quartetto". It has a variety of moods and strikes
me as a 15-minute mini-opera with woodwinds instead of singers. Not a bad
thing in my view!

Don Yungkurth (clarinet@-----.net)

William Wright wrote:

>Michael, I'm told that Ponchielli, who wrote mostly operas, either wrote
>a wind quartet (see below) or perhaps someone arranged music from one of
>his operas for winds.

>Searching online at CD stores without precise details leaves plenty of
>'loop holes', and I can't find a recording (not sheet music) of:

>Ponchielli - Quartetto for flute, oboe, Bb Clarinet and Eb clarinet with
>piano accompaniment

>...which I suppose could be listed as either quartet or quintet? As I
>posted earlier, I'm hoping to hear this composition again (I've heard it
>'live' once) because of the Eb clarinet part which is quite prominent.

>Do your references give any details about a recording of this piece?

Michael Bryant responded:

>Yes, there have been some recordings of this cheeky little number.
>It is fun the first time through, then one does not want to hear it over
and
>over.
>I have some recordings and the music in the 19th century edition.
>Maybe there is no modern edition.
>LP: Accord ACC 140024 (Swiss 1980)
>CD: Nuova Era 7275 (Italian 1996)
>It is not all that he wrote for wind. . .

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