Klarinet Archive - Posting 000136.txt from 2007/01

From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Big surprise (for me at least)
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 12:11:07 -0500

One of the glories of 19th century romantic music is the
Mendelssohn Octet in E-flat, Op. 20 for double string quartet.
That Mendelssohn wrote this incredible piece when he was 16 or 17
is a violation of nature, but he did. It even precedes the
composition of the scherzo from the Midsummer Nights Dream,
that's how young he was he tossed it off.

Imagine my surprise when I saw in today's NY TImes (1/16/07) an
advertisement for a concert on Jan. 23 at 8 pm at the Peter Jay
Sharp Theater, a program called "Woodwind Soirée" and containing
the Mendelssohn octet for a woodwind combination of pairs of
flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and horns; i.e., a double
wind quintet. That's clever. (There is a lot more at that wind
concert including the Janacek Mladi, the Beethoven variations on
La ci darem la mano, for two oboes and an English horn [which
works splendidly for two C clarinets and basset horn], the Glinka
trio pathétique, and two pieces unknown to me, Thomas Kessler's
Unisono, and the Poulenc trio for oboe, bassoon, and piano, op.
43.)

I have no idea how this thing is going to work out because the
Mendelssohn is very much a string work, but I hope that whoever
arranged it knew what s/he was doing.

There is no information about the arranger, publisher (if it is
published at all), but somehow Julliard is involved because the
tickets are available from them for free!! Listen to who is
playing the piece:

Flutes: Carol Wincence, LIssie Okopny
Oboes: Stephen Taylor, Anna Stelenpohl
Clarinets: Charles Neidich, Nicholas Gallas
Bassoons: Marc Goldberg, Robyn Jutrys
Horns: William Purvis, Tianxia Wu

Except for Charlie Neidich, Marc Goldberg, and Bill Purvis, I am
not familiar with the players, but it could be a faculty/student
combination, and it has been a while since I knew the NY players.

But the Mendelssohn octet for double wind
quintet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that is something.

Dan Leeson
DNLeeson@-----.net

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