Klarinet Archive - Posting 000110.txt from 2007/09

From: "Keith Bowen" <bowenk@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Neilsen Concerto Puzzelment
Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:39:43 -0400

Oh I think the Spohr clarinet concertos are much better than Haydn's.

Keith

-----Original Message-----
From: klarinet-return-91632-bowenk=compuserve.com@-----.org
[mailto:klarinet-return-91632-bowenk=compuserve.com@-----.org] On Behalf
Of Fred Jacobowitz
Sent: 22 September 2007 18:17
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: Re: [kl] Neilsen Concerto Puzzelment

Dan,
Really, now, just because they are clarinet solos and have fun
technical passages doesn't make the Spohr concerti ( or anything else
by Spohr I've heard or played) first-rate music. To say that they are
of equal quality with, for example, Haydn or Mozart is just plain
silly. Such relativism is antithetical to fine art. While all art may
be laudable as a human expression, the quality of that art is surely
just as observably geat or as comparing, for example, Pat Riley (when
he was a player) to Michael Jordan. Both good enough players to be in
the NBA but NOT equal, nor was Riley an example of a GREAT player such
as Jordan, Larry Bird, Kareem Jabar, etc...
To sum up, yes, they are inferior to what we as artists consider
'great music' and to what we clarinet players almost universally judge
to be great concerti.

Fred Jacobowitz

Kol Haruach Klezmer Band
Ebony and Ivory Duo
On Sep 22, 2007, at 12:21 PM, Daniel Leeson wrote:

> Whenever the subject of the "best" clarinet concerto arises (and I am
> staying out of that final selection, thank you), I'm always surprised
> that
> hardly anyone ever mentions the Spohr concerti. That they are rarely
> played
> is no reason to presume that they represent inferior music.
>
> Dazzling pieces.
>
> Dan Leeson
> dnleeson@-----.net
> SKYPE: dnleeson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fred Jacobowitz [mailto:fbjacobo@-----.net]
> Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2007 8:43 AM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] Neilsen Concerto Puzzelment
>
>
> Sean,
> I respectfully beg to differ. While this work has wonderful
technical
> challenges and a great story line behind it, I find it frankly, ugly. I
> guess I'm just not that much a fan of dark, dissonant northern European
> music.
> I think that most people would agree that the best concerto we have
is
> obviously the Mozart K622. After that, there is plenty of room for
> discussion. My personal favorite 20th c. concerto is the Copland,
> followed by the Francaix (talk about technical challenges!). I also
> recommend listening to the Uhl concerto, which almost nobody knows,
> unfortunately and the Manevich (which is unfortunately, not available).
> And, if you want dissonant, there's the absolutely wonderful work of
> genius: the Corigliano concerto!
> LET THE FLAME WAR BEGIN!!!!!! ;-)
>
> Fred Jacobowitz
>
> Kol Haruach Klezmer Band
> Ebony and Ivory Duo
> On Sep 22, 2007, at 11:28 AM, Sean Osborn wrote:
>
>>> I was the only one within 3 years of graduating that played this
>> piece on a
>>> recital. I do not think it's as prevalent as a lot of people think.
>> Cardillo
>>> didn't want me playing it - I insisted.
>>>
>>> kim
>>
>> That's a shame, because I believe it is our greatest concerto. If
>> you're serious about becoming a clarinetist, you need to learn this
>> piece before your freshman year of University is over. If you're
>> lagging behind the people who decided at 13 they want to be a
>> clarinetist, you can still catch up. I insist that all of my music
>> majors learn it before they graduate from UW.
>>
>> Sean
>> www.osbornmusic.com
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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