Klarinet Archive - Posting 000077.txt from 2008/07

From: Sean Osborn <feanor33@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] New CD of Mozart
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:24:55 -0400

Dear Friends,

My recent post about Erika and Todd reminded me=20
that I needed to let you all know that my latest CD was released last week.

It's of the Mozart Quintet, K. 581, and Quartet=20
No. 3, K. 496 (also for clarinet and strings -=20
notes below for those interested in origins.) I=20
recorded with some wonderful colleagues of the Ballard Quartet.

Amazon is currently out of stock, but the Borders=20
link (with no pic - Amazon has one) is=20
http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=3D034061103325

It's not on iTunes yet, but will be soon, and I haven't checked eMusic.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

Sean

The genesis of the three Quartets for=20
Clarinet and Strings (originally Op. 79) is more=20
clouded. The first two, in B-flat and F major,=20
are arrangements of the Sonatas for violin and=20
piano in B-flat =93the little,=94 K. 378 (317d), and=20
in E-flat, K. 380 (374f). The third, presented=20
here in F major, is after the Trio for violin,=20
=91cello, and piano in G major, K. 496. They were=20
all published by Johann Anton Andr=E9 in 1799 as=20
Op. 77, but no autograph remains.
There is some speculation as to the=20
author of the arrangements. While Dieter Kl=F6cker=20
feels that the arrangements are too good to be=20
anyone=92s but Mozart=92s, Hymie Voxman is convinced=20
that they could not possibly be Mozart=92s. One of=20
Voxman=92s most persuasive arguments is that it=20
would have been in Andr=E9=92s best interests to=20
publicize the fact of Mozart arranging his own=20
work, but didn=92t. While I=92m inclined to feel=20
that it was a master who felt quite comfortable=20
with the clarinet and with Mozart=92s work (leaving=20
out a variation in the third movement and=20
composing several new measures near the end),=20
there are just too many instances of poor choices=20
in the arrangement for me to agree with Herr=20
Kl=F6cker, such as voice crossings in the second=20
movement, inconsistencies in articulation, and=20
strange doublings in the strings.
For this recording, we consulted both=20
Herr Kl=F6cker=92s and Mr. Voxman=92s editions,=20
correcting what we felt were occasional=20
oversights by both, and ornamenting where we saw=20
fit. Though Mr. Kl=F6cker=92s edition states that it=20
was originally for C clarinet, I decided to record on a B-flat clarinet.
www.osbornmusic.com

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