 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DaphnisetChloe
Date: 2014-09-16 09:46
Hi there. At the moment I am working on writing the program notes for a diploma examination I am undertaking. The origins of one of the works, the Rossini Introduction, Theme and Variations, seem to be clouded in obscurity. I have found out that the Theme is based on a theme from La Donna del Lago by Rossini, and the Introduction is based on a theme from ‘La pace mia smarrita’ from Mose in Egitto, also by Rossini, but I cannot find out whether Rossini himself actually wrote this piece, or whether it was a virtuoso transcription by a clarinettist of the time. Would anyone have any information about this? Thanks.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2014-09-17 05:04
Not sure about this work..played once and found it to be somewhat of a terrible work in terms of musical values...however, it is possible it is a rip by Cavallini or what not. Cavallini it plays a lot like
David Dow
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Author: DaphnisetChloe
Date: 2014-09-17 07:47
Thanks very much for this! Through searching the board I have not been able to find any complete confirmations of the works origins but at least the obscurity of the work has been confirmed.
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Author: donald
Date: 2014-09-17 10:15
I know Kuffner wrote a piece attributed to Weber, but not the Rossini. That's news.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2014-09-17 19:14
It's only news if it's accurate. Which it isn't. Kuffner wrote an Introduction, Theme and Variations (for clarinet and string quartet) that, for many years, was erroneously attributed to Weber. He has no connection to the Rossini.
No one knows for sure who wrote the Rossini Introduction, Theme and Variations. There is no definitive proof of authorship but I think that most musicologists now believe Rossini did not write the work. I remember reading an article (years ago) that claims the manuscript is in two different hands. Have you come across that? (Sorry, it was a long time ago and I don't have the reference.)
Best regards,
jnk
Edit: BTW, in addition to the possibility that a clarinetist may have written the work, I have seen speculation that someone in Rossini's workshop of composers might have written it.
Post Edited (2014-09-17 19:21)
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Author: Dileep Gangolli
Date: 2014-09-20 11:54
In this era, it was common for publishers to hire secondary composers to create theme and variations works that they knew would sell and then attribute the work to the composer of the theme. That was a common business practice and accepted by the general public and even composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Rossini.
The theme of this work comes from an obscure Rossini opera, Donna de Lago (Lady of the Lake) and is based on a soprano aria.
It is doubtful that the work we clarinetists perform is by Rossini himself.
However, it is a delightful work that shows off the clarinet well and is enjoyed by the audience. It deserves to be in the concert repertoire.
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Author: donald
Date: 2014-09-21 02:56
Well, there have been times when I have shared some sympathy with the opinion above by David Dow but in general agree with Mr Gangolli. The various fast variations, once you get past the virtuoso aspect (and they are not THAT virtuoso really) aren't that interesting on their own- but provide a good platform for ones own individual touches, a bit of freedom. Most of the pieces we perform require some discipline, and that we make careful judgement about when/where/how we are inserting our own ideas and imagination into the performance.
Of course that is required in the Rossini, but the boundaries are quite liberal.
Another aspect of this work is that the slow variation is very well written, really quite beautiful and comes at a good place in the work (the 3 fast variations before it have done a good job of building up to it, then this variation comes just as the ear tires of C major arppegio).
That's my 10c, Rossini was a great composer- if he had actually written a set of variations for the clarinet it probably would have been better than this one, but this one does the business well enough for me.
dn
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2014-09-21 09:08
Kia ora, Donald.
Actually Rossini did write a set of variations for clarinet, just not this one. His "Variations for Clarinet and Small Orchestra in C" was a student work. I think he was about 17 at the time he wrote the piece for a friend. Is it "better" than the "Introduction, Theme and Variations"? Matter of opinion, I guess. It's not as challenging for the soloist and certainly not as well known though it has been recorded, e.g., by Richard Stoltzman and IMSLP has the solo part, albeit in a transcription for oboe (I've always suspected that the original may have been for C clarinet, though).
The late Dieter Klocker recorded an entire CD of works for clarinet and orchestra ostensibly by Rossini (Orfeo C 417 961 A). Two of the works on this disk are titled, "Introduktion, Thema and Variationen." These are both different from the ones we know. Klocker, himself, apparently couldn't make up his mind about their authenticity. In the liner notes, he initially says that none of the wind works attributed to Rossini, other than the one I mentioned above and a wind quartet, can be regarded as authentic. Later, however, he notes that Rossini "pulled out all the stops in orchestrating" one of the works on the disk. He also suggests that the two "Introduktions ..." were collaborations between Rossini and Girolamo Salieri, in one case, and Iwan Muller in the other. (A forerunner to Tom Clancy, perhaps -- with perhaps the same results.) Of course, Klocker provides no sources to support his assertions so who knows whether or not there is any truth to them.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: donald
Date: 2014-09-21 12:27
Kia ra Jack,
Oh yes, I have played those variations (a long time ago), I never felt the themes were as good as in the other piece. I have a couple of recordings of it, and recall aged 15 or 16 turning on the radio and hearing the last variation- thinking "wow, that sounded cool" and going to some considerable bother (this being before the age of the internet) to get the music only to be disappointed. I'm pretty sure it's for C clarinet, and seem to recall that an American Publisher made a version of it with the clarinet part in the original key (written, not concert pitch) and the piano part transposed down to B flat major, so it could be performed on B flat clarinet.
I've never since found this version, but I'm certain I saw it in Dr Etheridges music collection when I was studying with him.
dn
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Author: Dileep Gangolli
Date: 2014-09-22 05:48
I wish I could "like" comments on the Clarinet Bboard as on Face Book.
I have enjoyed the discourse of this discussion.
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Author: donald
Date: 2014-09-22 10:27
I often wish the same (re "like"). Unrelated, but many years ago I got a package from USA (I think it was from Mike Lomax) that came in a box that had been used twice before being sent to me.... some of the labels peeled off to reveal that the box had first been adressed to Dileep Gangolli "two uses" before being sent to me (I can't remember who/how/why). A small world we live in eh?
dn
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Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2014-09-23 00:50
Jack, your mention of the "other" set of variations brought back some old memories.
Over 40 years ago when I was in high school, one of my favorite recordings was Gervase de Peyer's rendition of the Weber first. Also included was Rossini's Introduction Theme and Variations. I had never heard the variations before, but wanted to buy the music. I found it at a music store, a version edited by John Russo and published by Henri Elkan (which I still have). When I listened to de Peyer's recording, something was strange. It was a completely different piece than the one I now owned.
There are no notes in the Russo version, but it does have a date, 1809, just below the title. Since Rossini was born in 1792, Jack's comment about a student work written when the composer was 17 makes sense. I also suspect that the Introduction, Theme and Variations wasn't really written by Rossini, but perhaps it really was!
The record jacket provides a few additional details. It claims Rossini wrote two sets of variations about a year apart, and it adds that this one (the one de Peyer played) is the second, written in 1810. It goes on to say that the piece was originally scored for clarinet in C, but this version is performed on the more familiar B-flat clarinet.
You may be able to find the LP in a good music library, but here's a link to it:
http://www.amazon.com/Gervase-Peyer-Clarinet-Introduction-Philharmonia/dp/B00L0Y4F74/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411419699&sr=8-1&keywords=gervase+de+peyer+weber+clarinet+concerto+no.+1+angel+records
Post Edited (2014-09-23 01:07)
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2014-09-23 03:09
Actually, I only have to go about 5 feet to find the LP on my record shelves. It seems unlikely to me, though, that Rossini (or anyone else) could have written the Introduction, Theme and Variations in 1810, given that Rossini didn't write La Donna del Lago, from which the theme is taken, until 1819. Perhaps, though, like P.D.Q. Bach, Rossini lived his life backwards. ![[rotate]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley25.gif)
It seems like a lot of people (some of whom should probably know better) confuse the two pieces. Case in point. About 10 years ago, the music director of an orchestra I was playing with asked me if I would like to do a solo. I said, "yes" and gave him a choice between the Mozart Concerto and the Rossini Introduction, Theme and Variations. The director, himself a clarinetist, said he thought the Mozart would be too long for our audience ![[right]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie8.gif) so we should do the Rossini. The first night we were scheduled to rehearse it, I sat waiting for the familiar opening chords that begin the Introduction. Imagine my surprise when the conductor gave the downbeat and out came the opening of the Variations in C.
I really didn't want to play the Variations... (even though I knew the piece) so I told the director we needed to get the right music. He pointed out we didn't have a lot of time. So I contacted Southern Music and was lucky enough to connect with an amazing woman who got me the parts before our next rehearsal the following week. And we only paid the standard shipping fees.
As it turns out, that wasn't the end of the confusion, though. I knew the irascible elderly gentleman (that's how I describe him in public, in private, I have other words) who was writing our program notes at the time would almost certainly write about the wrong piece. So I was careful to tell him which piece we were playing and to give him material he could use for the notes. If you knew him, however, you would not be surprised to hear that he totally ignored me and wrote a long discourse on the wrong piece! Oh, well. At least we ended up playing the right piece and the performances went fine.
BEst regards,
jnk
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Author: donald
Date: 2014-09-23 08:21
Hi Clarinetguy- I was given the record you describe (de Peyer, Weber/Rossini) for my 15th birthday. I'm not a huge fan of de Peyer's playing but often play the Weber 1 recording to students who are learning this work- I think it's the most "operatic" version I've ever heard and am certainly glad I had this as a model when growing up.
The Rossini on this LP is certainly the later piece, and NOT the variations originally written for C clarinet.
dn
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Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2014-09-23 15:04
Donald, I'm also glad I had this recording when growing up. I performed the Weber in high school, and this was my model.
At the time, I wanted to know more about these two sets of variations. The standard music reference books back then said nothing about them. I recall writing to the publisher asking for more information about the first set, the one I owned. Perhaps they didn't know, or perhaps they didn't want to bother answering questions, because I never received a response.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2014-09-23 19:35
DaphnisetChloe,
If you haven't already done so, you might find it interesting and instructive to track down and listen to the original music on which this piece is based. As you already noted, the "Introduction" comes from Moses in Egypt, more specifically the Act II aria, "La pace mia smarrita."
This aria opens with a clarinet solo that lasts about 45 seconds and has much in common with the beginning of the "Introduction," then, following the music that forms the transition between the two sections of the "Introduction," the soprano enters. You should be able to see where most of the Introduction comes from as well as how much is almost identical to what Rossini originally wrote and how much has been altered/added. It may also give you some ideas about how to phrase this section in your performance.
The theme from Donna del Lago is from the Act I aria, "Oh quante lacrime." Again, I think you may find listening to the original a worthwhile exercise. (You should recognize a snippet of the ending of the final variation at the end of the aria, as well.) If your library doesn't have these operas, you may be able to find a library with a subscription to the Naxos Music Library. Both of the operas are on Naxos recordings and should be available through just about any of their classical music subscriptions. Perhaps even easier, the operas are also both available on Spotify and, if you have a Facebook page, you should have free access.
I think whoever wrote the "Introduction ...," must have been extremely clever and probably had an intimate knowledge of Rossini's operas and clarinet parts.
Best regards,
jnk
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