 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Micaela
Date: 2003-05-21 02:52
I heard Emma Johnson's recording of the Kozeluh Concerto in E flat on the radio today and really liked it! I'd never heard of Kozeluh and after some looking around on the internet found that most other people haven't either. I've been meaning to expand my repertoire in the Classical era area and this piece sounded fun. Has anyone here played it?
In a more general sense, which Mozart-era and a bit later concertos that aren't by Mozart or Weber would you consider the best to learn? I currently have only learned the Mozart and the Webers- then my next concerto chronologically is either the Finzi or Copland (I can't remember which came first off the top of my head- they're both 1948-49). I know Stamitz, Crusell, Spohr, Krommer and, well, Kozeluh wrote a whole lot of concertos but which would you consider the most interesting to learn and best additions to a clarinetist's (my) repertoire?
Thanks,
Micaela
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-05-21 14:35
Micaela -
There are lots of classical-era clarinet concertos. In addition to the composers you mention, off the top of my head, there are two Stamitzes, Winter, Vanhal and Molter (for D clarinet). A search on Amazon for clarinet concertos will certainly find more.
An important place to look is Dieter Klocker's recording repertoire. He got into numerous castles and libraries, particularly in Bavaria, and discovered dozens of solo works. He's not a reliable historian, and he has a proprietary attitude about his finds, but he's performed an invaluable service.
I doubt that Klocker's early LPs have been reissued on CD. I have them and put them into my own discography, which Mark C. has a copy of but hasn't had the chance to integrate into the on-line discography. Perhaps he could do a search on Klocker. If he doesn't have time, I can do it.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2003-05-21 18:01
Although I haven't heard the Kozeluh (Kozeluch/Kotzeluch) Concerto, information on both Johann and his cousin/pupil Leopold are sketchy and rather confusing. As both men composed (Leopold was by far the more successful and widely known), their works are often erroneously ascribed to each other.
I am certain that Groves would have information on both composers...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tom Piercy
Date: 2003-05-21 23:53
RE: your question: "most interesting to learn and best additions to a clarinetist's (my) repertoire?"
The Krommer, Spohr and Crusell are the more interesting of the ones you mentioned and the ones you are more likely to perform or even want to perform. They are also fun pieces to learn for their musical and technical merits and great additions to your repertoire.
I learned the four Spohr, one of the Crusell and the Krommer and have played the Spohr No. 1 and Krommer with orchestra.
(If you have already played the Webers and Mozart, I wouldn't worry about the Stamitz concerti too much. Yes, get the Stamitz music and read through them to know what they are, but I think you could spend your time more wisely on the Spohr, Crusell and Krommer concerti.)
Tom Piercy
thomaspiercy.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2003-05-22 00:25
tom - very erudite assessment - the Stamitz (Johan??) do not seem to take full advantage of the clarinets' beautiful lower register for some reason - they seem to like in the high register (rather reminding me of a smaller clarinet). The Spohr are unduely neglected in the concert hall - as are his violin concerti. I'm not a big fan of the Crusell and find the Weber concerts effective.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-05-22 14:17
diz -
Have you tried the Crusell Concerto # 2 (a/k/a "Grand Concerto")? I think it's significantly better than the other two -- a really fine piece.
There are some early concertos for chalumeau (by Graupner, for example). Here's a site (in French) on the subject. http://www.adeovaleo.com/music/chalumeau.shtml .
The reproduction chalumeaux I have tried can be forced into the second register, but are badly out of tune there and don't have the extra keys to bridge the twelfth.
I've read speculation (sorry -- I can't remember where) that an instrument called the "clarion" existed, a companion to the chalumeau, but playable only in the second register. Some of the early concertos for "clarion" contain notes that are unplayable on the natural trumpet, but lie well for this hypothetical instrument, and I think some "chalumeaux" in museums play out of tune in the low register but in tune in the second, so these might be clarions.
The existence of the clarion would account for the high tessitura of many early clarinet concertos, including those by Stamitz.
I also should have cited some excellent research right here, under http://www.clarinet.org/Research/ .
See, for example,
http://www.clarinet.org/Research/Anthology/1961-03-Hunt.htm
http://www.clarinet.org/Research/1999/Ellsworth.htm
http://www.clarinet.org/Research/1998/Pearson.htm .
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Micaela
Date: 2003-05-22 20:36
Thanks for all your advice! Since I'm now done with school for the summer (yay!) I think I can take on a concerto. I think one the Crusell or Spohr concertos would be a nice change of pace- with the exception of some Brahms, I've been stuck in 20th century clarinet-land for a while now.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2003-05-22 22:50
Vivaldi wrote a stunning concerto "for Diverse Instruments" that contains a smallish solo for the chalumeaux (amongst other oddities). It's very odd and strangely beautiful - I'm never entirely sure whther Vivaldi had his tongue firmly in his cheek when he composed.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
