Klarinet Archive - Posting 000185.txt from 2007/07

From: Martin Baxter <martinbaxter@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Mozart Gran Partita
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2007 05:43:46 -0400

I remember being told by the late Frank Rendall (bassoonist and
teacher at RMSM Kneller Hall) that the work was originally written
for an occasion where the private bands of two German Princes were to
play. One band was presumably the standard Octet; the other (as per
the J.C Bach works) was 2 clarinets 2 horns and bassoon.
However the Princes quarreled and the meeting and thus the
performance did not take place.
Mozart had already composed much of the work in his head (as was
often his practice) so when writing it out he merely substituted
string bass for the original contrabassoon.
It's a nice logical story but I have spent a long time trying to find
any proof (or disproof) of it, with little success. Has anyone else
heard it?
Martin

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