Klarinet Archive - Posting 000012.txt from 2008/07

From: "Daniel Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: Brahms and the basset horn
Date: Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:37:48 -0400

Thanks Wayne. It was beautifully sung. The main basset horn work begin at
the 5:58 minute mark. The Al Desio aria replaces "Deh vieni" which is very
much favored. The story is this. The original production of the opera was
in 1786. It closed after some dozen performances, maybe less, but was far
more successful in a mounting in Prague. In the original score there is no
requirement for basset horns. But when the opera was revised for another
Vienna production just a few years later, the soprano singing Suzanna wanted
something much more grand than the simple Deh vieni. And that is what Mozart
gave her, namely this giant opera seria aria with several concertante winds
including two bassets and a bassoon. (There are two bassoons in the aria but
only the first has a prominent concertante part.)

The aria, as a dramatic piece, brings the forward motion of the drama to a
complete halt. There is no motion at all on stage during the aria, but the
soprano for whom Mozart wrote it was a happy camper.

The much less flamboyant "Deh vieni" is just about everyone's choice. I
think that Bartoli insisted on the Al Desio replacing the Deh vieni, and
there were some complaints from various quarters. I think it's gorgeous even
though it is dramatically unsuitable.

Interestingly, Dexter Edge's doctoral dissertation dealt with the various
Viennese copyists of Mozart music. And during his investigations, he
uncovered the set of performances done for the second Viennese production.
And in those parts, the clarinets in an aria by Figaro in the fist act, were
changed to be for basset horns. I don't know why, and the parts are not
particularly prominent. The only other operas for which Mozart included
basset horns parts are Abduction from the Harem (one aria), Magic Flute (one
aria, one chorus), and Titus, this last opera having a giant basset horn
obliggtto as accompaniment for the soprano's aria, "Non piu di fiore."

Dan Leeson

-----Original Message-----
From: Wayne Thompson [mailto:wthompson7274@-----.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 10:00 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] Re: Brahms and the basset horn

Here's Bartoli on YouTube with 'Al Desio di chi t'adora'.  Thanks, all.  I
had not listened to this before.
Wayne T.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ1RFT531Sw

------------------------------------------------------------------