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Re: A repatoire that requires no clarinetist

Author: GBK
Date: 2008-06-05 04:23

DavidBlumberg wrote:

> The brahms trio was material that was either for a concerto or
> symphony. I gave a talk 12 years ago at the FAME music festival
> on the Brahms, but don't remember specifics without my notes on
> it.

> Anyone else hear that about the Brahms trio?

David -

I've done LOTS of research and reading on the origins of all four of Brahms' late works for clarinet (Op. 114, Op. 115 and Op. 120) and have never come across any mention of thematic material in these works being associated with any of his symphonies or concerti.

Remember - Brahms' 4 symphonies and all his major concerti were written well before the clarinet works in question, so their material could not have been borrowed FROM the aforementioned clarinet works.

Although there are numerous stylistic, harmonic, chordal similarities and relationships between the clarinet works and other Brahms' compositions, the actual thematic material in each is unique.

If, perchance you know of thematic borrowing, then you have come across something that Geiringer, MacDonald, Harrison, Brodbeck and others ALL missed in their books. [wink]

If you want find any similarity at all between the clarinet trio and other Brahms' works, I would propose that Brahms had a penchant for writing his works in pairs:

- the Clarinet Trio and Clarinet Quintet (op. 114 and 115)
- the 2 Clarinet Sonatas (op. 120)
- the First and Second Symphonies
- the Third and Fourth Symphonies
- the first 2 Piano Sonatas (op.1 and 2)
- the two Piano Quartets (op. 25 and 26)
- numerous song sets
- the Academic Festival and Tragic Overtures (op.80 and 81)
- the orchestral serenades (Op. 11 and 16)
- the Cello Sonata and Violin Sonata (op. 99 and 100)

and numerous other examples ...

...GBK

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