Klarinet Archive - Posting 000322.txt from 2002/09

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Re:Mozart Quintet
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 13:55:54 -0400

On Wed, 18 Sep 2002 12:28:22 -0400, reedman@-----.com said:

> From: POWELLM397@-----.com

> > Subject: Mozart Quintet
> > Message-ID: <16a.13e6e3c8.2ab91282@-----.com>
> >
> > Dear Colleagues,
> > I am recording the Mozart Clarinet Quintet early next year with the
> > Bingham String Quartet. It will be a basset clarinet version. I am
> > not much of a historian and would appreciate any help in pushing me
> > towards the best published edition for basset clarinet. Can anyone
> > help me? Thank you. Kind regards Martin

> I would think that our own list member Tony Pay would be the man for
> that answer.

How can I resist?-)

The fact is that there is no basset clarinet edition.

Though we know though that Stadler had his basset clarinet in 1788, and
the date of the quintet is 1789, there is almost no hard evidence that
Mozart wrote the quintet for the basset clarinet. Still, an arrangement
for fortepiano and strings by I think, Druschetzky, removes the triplet
quaver anacrusis in the second Trio, replacing it by quavers low D and
chalumeau F.

Which might be thought to be suggestive.

However, in some other places where low notes might be thought
appropriate (for example, the development section of the first music
where the clarinet has quaver arpeggios), no use of the available range
of the piano is made in order to 'rationalise' the arpeggios. So
perhaps Druschetzky just wasn't convinced by the triplet in front of
him, and had no access to a 'basset' manuscript.

So, essentially it's up to you. I'd use the Barenreiter/NMA edition,
and see how you go with altering it. But there's not much historical
authority you can claim to justify your decisions.

For some time, I played a 'revised' version of that development passage
in which some of the arpeggios became first inversions. But mostly I
now play essentially what's written plus some octave transpositions.

The clarinet 'skitter' variation in the last movement obviously benefits
from use of the basset register, as does the accompaniment to the viola
variation.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

... Can I stop typing in taglines now please?

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