 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2013-06-12 01:18
Has anyone seen the commercial for AVIS rental car company? They use the Adagio from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and play it at an absurdly, unmusical tempo. Kind of doesn't even sound like a real orchestra/clarinet. Sad...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V647PlUq6jk
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Author: MSK
Date: 2013-06-12 01:34
I once had a piano accompanist for the Adagio who failed to notice the quarter note = 50 marking at the top. That first rehearsal started out a little rough, but in her defense she wasn't a professional. Presumably the musicians in your link are professionals or was the tempo changed electronically?
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2013-06-12 01:40
That's what happens when you turn a great work into souless background music. Years ago they used Satie's Gymnocapaede into an advertisement for a horse racing track. At least they used the music straight. In the movie, "Far from the Madding Crowd" they used another one from Mozart. But the one you pointed out is particularly obnoxious. Wrong tempo and an altered orchestration. They should have to pay Austria to rebuild an old castle or opera house everytime they butcher his works. Being in public domain doesn't give you the moral right to alter art for purpose of destroying it.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2013-06-12 01:40
That's what happens when you turn a great work into souless background music. Years ago they used Satie's Gymnocapaede into an advertisement for a horse racing track. At least they used the music straight. In the movie, "Far from the Madding Crowd" they used another one from Mozart. But the one you pointed out is particularly obnoxious. Wrong tempo and an altered orchestration. They should have to pay Austria to rebuild an old castle or opera house everytime they butcher his works. Being in public domain doesn't give you the moral right to alter art for purpose of destroying it.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-06-12 13:54
Sounds completely electronic to me. No musicians were fed by the making of this commercial.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-06-12 13:58
No soul was spared as there's absolutely no soul in it!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2013-06-12 19:13
Electronic music is an oxymoron.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: GBK
Date: 2013-06-12 19:16
Sorry, but I fail to see the outrage. A commercial used the music of Mozart and it failed to meet your standards of tempo or interpretation. So what?
It's public domain and it is music that is not only beautiful but also celebrated the clarinet. If it's not the exact way you'd like to hear it, go play your favorite CD and be done with it.
Where was the uprising when M*A*S*H used the Mozart Quintet (played with accordion, flute, violin and percussion) in their final episode?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCNEaYdjIkc
I thought it was great and probably stirred the curiosity of many who knew nothing of this piece.
It's not the first nor the last time that classical music has been adapted to a specific 21st century purpose.
Get over yourselves and come off your high horse. Just remember not to clap between the movements.
...GBK
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2013-06-12 19:53
When approaching classical music, one has a certain responsibility to either give a faithfull rendition or change the music sufficiently that it's clear it's inspired by, but not an accurate performance original. There is no law, but it's seems right to me.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-06-13 03:52
Avis played Mozart today. Mozart lost.
And yet Mozart survives, as great as ever.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Paula S
Date: 2013-06-13 03:59
OMG it sounds like some awful adaptation for ballroom dancing. Get that spangly dress and those diamante shoes out............... or perhaps NOT!
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2013-06-13 08:45
I think one of the saddest things is the dumbing down of the modern man's cultural exposure and taste. I was watching American Idol about a year ago, and one of the contestants had a true operatic voice. He was trained and performing in second tier opera company, but he could also really give a popular song a lot of feeling too. I thought he was a sure thing, considering the competition, but noooo ... he came in something like third to a couple grumbly voiced, minor talents. There was a time when real talent shone in popular culture, a time when Fred Astaire, Syd Charisse, Mario Lanza, Jeanette McDonald, Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington were on top of America's list of great performers. It's become a Milli-Vanilli world now, and sometimes I can't even look some Americans in the face when I see and hear what they prefer in art.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2013-06-13 09:31
It was nice to hear Jack Brymer's recording of the Mozart Concerto on a recent episode of NBC's Hannibal
Peter Cigleris
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-06-13 12:50
Ezio Pinza was the greatest basso ever. In his old age, he also had a triumph in South Pacific. Even today, I think he would have blown away the grumbly voiced, minor talents. At least insofar as the winners are not fixed beforehand, which is probable.
Ken Shaw
Post Edited (2013-06-13 12:51)
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Author: Ed
Date: 2013-06-13 15:27
For a number of reasons. I find myself agreeing with GBK. It may not have been ideally what I would wish to hear or play, but at the same time I would rather hear Mozart than some no talent faker.
Any exposure to great music is rare these days. There is very little opportunity for the general public to be exposed to quality art music, whether classical, jazz, or other. Technology, production and style take the front seat.
While we can certainly hope for a better representation, it may be a case that any publicity is good. We can always find faults. I did not care for the portrayal of Mozart in the movie Amadeus, yet it did a lot for sale of his music.
Classical music is struggling to stay alive and relevant to the general population. I think that the more we act like snobs and elitists, the more harm we do, driving many people away. I feel the same way the same when I hear to wine snobs.
Perhaps we can use it as a "teaching moment" and when we find someone who enjoyed hearing the piece, pass on our favorite recordings and educate a new listener.
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2013-06-13 19:21
I do sort of agree as well, however I wouldn't necessarily call it being on a high horse. Because I know people that are like that ON a high horse. One person in particular goes to concerts and recitals just to critique the performance. They never go to performances just to listen to some music. Always saying, oh I didn't like this or this and never says anything positive really. I was just making an observation that really distracted me from music. And I think I have a valid reason to dislike this particular "performance." The exploitation of Mozart is great. I absolutely agree with that. But, now when someone has never heard the piece before (this isn't 100% accurate or true, just making another point) and they hear it again at a more reasonable tempo, they'll think "Oh, I've heard this piece before, but why is it so slow?" That's what bothers me more, I guess.
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Author: GaryH
Date: 2013-06-13 21:15
I guess you'd rather hear Eminem on commercials??? LOL
I have no problem with it. It was pleasant enough, and who knows, somebody with limited exposure to classical music might like it well enough to see where it actually came from.
As far as being "on a high horse" goes, yeah, I guess that's a good description. Those that look down their nose at others eventually find out what an uppercut is. LOL
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Author: FDF
Date: 2013-06-13 23:15
Representative of commercialism. 31 secs. of too many pictures, a few meaningless words, and music played too fast and cheaply. All to make an impression on people who are paying little attention. Try to get them humming. Its salesmanship, not art. Thank the technical gods for remote controls!
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2013-06-14 16:48
Think of the poor musicians who had to record this piece of luke warm pablum. I'm sure they were glad to get paid, but I'm equally sure that most of them went home after the recording date thinking they were a "little dirtier" than when they left home. Entering the realm of Mozart is like being as close to god and heaven as many musicians and audiences are ever going to get. Listening briefly to this commercial, it's like heaven has been decorated by "Rooms to Go". It's like the Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree wearing Jordache jeans.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2013-06-14 18:37
Hohohokay, big boy.
And for the record, yes I'd rather listen to Eminem than unmusical Mozart.
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Author: MGT91123
Date: 2013-06-14 23:43
Talk about horrible! I'm just learning the slow movement and can do better!
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2013-06-16 11:57
GBK and I are pretty much in the same camp.
I played the video for my wife who is not a musician of any kind (I tried to start her on a recorder but...). She said "that's a lovely melody."
The only tune I will not tolerate alteration of the melody or tempo (about 92 or a tad faster) is the Star Spangled Banner. Take that pop-singers appearing at a sporting event!!
HRL
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2013-06-16 12:56
I'm with you (and Glenn), Hank. Wouldn't it be a lot more productive to tape oneself and try to improve on that? (BTW, ditto the Star Spangled Banner!)
Curmudgeonly yours,
jnk
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