Klarinet Archive - Posting 000170.txt from 2007/01

From: Don Yungkurth <chalumeau@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: Mendelssohn Octet arrangement
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 08:50:58 -0500

Richard Sankovich <sanko@-----.edu> writes:

>About that arrangement of the Mendelssohn Octet for double woodwind
>quintet: it's rather expensive ($79, including shipping from UK to
>USA),so before purchasing, I'm wondering if anyone has played or heard
>it. If so, what did you think of it? ---Richard

I have no first-hand knowledge, but a friend who organizes larger
woodwind groups had the following to say:

>Our performing dectet has put this one in the bottom drawer. There are
>MUCH better ones. Don't go buying it unless you have a really soft
spot >for Mendelssohn.

My own experience is that many transcriptions are probably more fun to
play than to listen to. I'm thinking particularly of a wind nonet
version of Beethoven's seventh symphony that was discussed here
recently. I really enjoyed playing those violin parts, but I don't
think it did much for Beethoven! I think the same is true of the ww
quintet arrangement of Dvorak's "American" quartet.

Don Yungkurth

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