Klarinet Archive - Posting 000411.txt from 2003/11

From: "David Glenn" <maestrodavidglenn@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] mozart requiem
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2003 17:42:50 -0500

- snip -
>>
>> About the three sharps in the Sanctus: how did that happen?! Is that
>> Sussmayer's fault??
>
>The Sanctus is the first section of the Requiem completely without
>Mozart's involvement and is entirely by Sussmayr. So here is the first
>time that Sussmayer is writing something that has no Mozart material to
>guide him. In the earlier numbers, all drafted by Mozart, the keys and
>the use of basset horn within them was very consistent with the entire
>business of key signature complexities in 18th century music.
>
>But the Sanctus was composed and scored entirely by Sussmayr. It's in
>the key of D major which requires basset horns to play in A major. It's
>a good key for "glory" music because trumpets in D were always used for
>church music that included a lot of "Hosannas." But Sussmayr was not a
>man experienced in this kind of situation and, what is worse, he had no
>idea how to write for a basset horn. I think that he may have thought
>them to be a form of French horns in which the tradition then (and often
>now, too) was to write the part in C major with the accidentals written
>in where needed, because that is the way that he wrote for the bassets
>in the Sanctus, the manuscript of which I have personally examinied.
>
>In fact, in a published paper on Mozart's use of the clarinet, I stated
>that the fact that the key signature of the Sanctus calls for three
>sharps is prima facie evidence of Mozart's uninvolvement with that
>section (as well as the Osanna fugue that follows it).
>
>While Sussmayr may or may not have been a good composer (I'm not
>qualified to make that judgement), he was a poor orchestrator. I assume
>you are using the Sussmayr edition and I ask you to pay attention to
>what happens in the Osanna fugue following on the Sanctus. For
>absolutely no known reason, Sussmayr silences the basset horns (who
>should have been accompanying the soprano and alto choral voices). But
>in the repise of the Osanna fugue (which follows the Benedictus) he uses
>them as he should, though in a different key. It was supposed to be in
>the same D major key. What a putz!!
>
>The next time my wife and I are in France (we have a place near Selestat
>though we have not been there in two years), we shall come over and eat
>something interesting with you. Are you familiar with the Rhine ferry
>near Kappell? Well I take that ferry quite often. It costs nothing and
>takes 10 minutes for the whole trip. The captain points the boat
>upstream and the current forces it right into the lock on the Kappell
>side or even the French side which is at the town of Rhinau.
>
>In Freiburg there is a kitchen supply store that is the largest in all
>of Germany. The stuff they have there is incredible. You can buy
>something as small as a salt shaker or as big as a pizza oven that will
>take 25 pizzas, and anything in between.
>
>Dan
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hi Dan,

Thanks so much for all the information! It's too bad Sussmayr wasn't a better pupil.

That's interesting about the kitchen supply store. Where is it? That must be why the pizzerias in Freiburg are all having such a price battle! Everyone is buying these 25-pizza ovens!

That would be great to share a meal with you but what do you consider interesting food? We do know a very good Turkish restaurant in Freiburg which has belly dance performances on some Saturday evenings. That's interesting! ;-) Look forward to seeing you here some time!

Thanks again, Dan!
David

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