Klarinet Archive - Posting 000423.txt from 2003/12

From: Dan Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] "Mozart" Cassazione?
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2003 21:51:19 -0500

Keith wrote:
> Dan Leeson or anyone,
>
> Last night I played a quartet for oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon called
> "Cassazione" (Cassation, I presume). The title said that it was by Mozart,
> was discovered in 1910 and then published; it said edited, rather than
> arranged or completed, and sorry I forget the author. No K number given. It
> has four movements, with Polish and Turkish themes included. It's a
> worthwhile piece to play, though we had doubts that it, or all of it, was
> really by Mozart. Do you have any information on this piece? Much of it is
> quite a fun play on the clarinet.
>
> Keith Bowen
>
I know everything about that stupid piece, and it will cost a pizza for
this information. So you owe me.

The Cassation quartet for oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon, was
allegedly discovered in 1910 by Albert J. Andrau, owner of the Andrau
wind instrument music library. He was also the English hornist with the
Cinccinnati Symphony. He published the work in 1935 and when he died
his entire library of publication swas bought by Southern Music in San
Antonio, TX, I think. The Southern Music part is right, but I'm not
really sure about the San Antonio.

First, Mozart never wrote a cassation. It's a particular form the
details of which don't matter now. Second, the piece has so many
characteristics that show it not to be by Mozart that I don't even know
where to begin.

The Koechel catalog says (and I quote), "This work has nothing to do
with Mozart." I once got into a fight with the Southern Music Co. about
that piece. I had written an article saying that the work was
positively, absolutely not by Mozart and Southern music sent a letter of
complaint to the publisher of the Magazine sayings something like, "Well
what does your writer know about anything. Why this piece has been
recorded by some very fine musicians, and then really know." So I wrote
a letter back to Southern suggesting that they try an anatomically
impossible act and never heard from them again.

To even consider playing that piece of junk requires you to do pennance,
so forget about it. Better you should play the Mozart tenor sax concerto.

DAn

--
Dan Leeson
leeson0@-----.net

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