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Re: Marcellus's Mozart

Author: graham
Date: 2004-01-02 08:10

Many of these points fit with my own feelings about the recording. I bought the LP of this, second hand, to get Wright's account of the Mozart Quintet, which I think is a great conception. Marcellus' Concerto was on the other side. I played it and thought it was a bore. It was as though the player knew what expression to put in, but lacked the guts really to go for it. Wright's Quintet seemed in a different league.

I returned to the Marcellus later and heard the various qualities mentioned above. All these are readily apparent to a clarinettist. Marcellus is a clarinettist's clarinettist.

I think if I listened to it more still, it might grow on me further. But similar comments can be made about the McCaw, which many hold to be very fine, but I find low key.

Another way of looking at this is that Marcellus/McCaw bring an inwardness to the music which is the antithesis of showmanship, much as, say, Brendel and Pollini do for the piano. But on that level I feel that the Prinz account is utterly special. Prinz, of all the accounts I know, gets to the very heart of the message. I do not listen out for perfect legatos and emaculate control. I do not care. The music is all that counts and that comes through loud and clear on the Prinz account.

There are several other accounts I like: Klocker, Lawson, (I have not heard the Pay, the reviews of which are very good), and Brymer had a way with it.

As far as "definitive" is concerned; as Brymer said, there will never be a definitive performance.

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Marcellus's Mozart new

theclarinetist

2003-12-31 04:56