Klarinet Archive - Posting 000517.txt from 2010/09

From: "Dan Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Improvising in Mozart
Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:47:22 -0400

One of the things that a party needs in order to speak intelligently about =
what constitutes a period performance of K. 622 is that he or she know some=
thing about the work. Liking it a lot or even having played it is not enou=
gh.

That is why Robert Howe's posting on the subject had negative value. It add=
s nothing to but only detracts from the discussion of the subject. He has p=
oured oil into the conversation, befouling it like BP in the Gulf of Mexico=
. Bill pontificates about matters relating to K. 622 when his knowledge of=
the piece lies entirely on the surface.

For example, he writes:

"There are obvious opportunities for improvisation in all movements of K622.
The clarinetist who fails to provide a little extra panache in the C-A-F# in
the first movement (I don=B9t have the part in front of me now), or an
original cadenza to the second, or some riotous, fun additions to the
variations in the last movement, is missing the spirit of the piece,
depriving herself of the chance to make more of it and of herself than she
could otherwise do, and cheating the audience of the pleasure of her own
musicianship, spontaneity and good humor."

Bob, there is no cadenza in the second movement and that you think there is=
shows only that you has no idea about what is being asked for at the point=
you referenced. =

But it gets worse. Bob suggests making "fun additions to the variations in =
the last movement..." The last movement has no varliations, and is not of t=
he form of "Theme and Variations." Instead it is a Rondo, a word that has a=
great deal of technical meaning in terms of section repetitions. If Bob n=
eeds to know what Mozart does when he really writes variations, he should m=
ention the last movement of the clarinet quintet.

Then Bob offers the following paragraph:

"Why is this even subject to argument? Mozart wrote the concerto for a solo
clarinetist at a time when soloists were expected to do all sorts of ex
tempore things. Not to do so is to miss the point of being a soloist."

If some kind person would explain what this paragraph means (particularly t=
he last sentence), I'd appreciate it. It appears to me that Bob has never s=
tudied the duties and responsiblities of an 18th century solo performner, o=
r the performance practices under which s/he is operated when performing co=
mpositions from the classic period. =

Please Bob. Before you pull your gun out, make sure it has bullets in it.

Dan Leeson

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