The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Lisa L
Date: 2001-07-28 23:56
Hello all,
Does anyone know if Rossini wrote any music for clarinet solos other than "Introduction, Theme, and Variations"?
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Author: Chris Ondaatje
Date: 2001-07-29 12:08
Hi Lisa,
Unfortunately we can not even be confident he wrote the Introduction Theme and Variation according to the record notes on some of my recordings. I have an interesting recording with Gray Grey playing which says "Variations for clarinet and small orchestra in C op.109". This being a different piece than the usual Rossini variations. I have no idea how authentic the music is though. The other works you may consider are some quartets he wrote. From memory these are for ; clarinet, flute, bassoon and I think horn. I am not 100% sure this is the correct instrumentation.
all the best Chris.
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Author: Lisa L
Date: 2001-07-29 12:29
hi chris,
thanks for your input. i wonder if anyone else knows? rossini is one of my favorite composers, and i've only been able to find one recording of the piece: richard stoltzman's. do you know, by chance, of any other pieces, maybe similar to rossini's work, that maybe sounds or is technicaly similar?
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-07-29 14:13
Did a quick check: The Introduction, Theme & Variations attributed to C.M.Weber was more than likely written by Kuffner. Is there a dispute or problem with attribution on the Rossini, too?
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2001-07-29 18:05
Apparently there is a dispute.
In 1976, Jack Brymer noted in his book that the "Introduction, etc." was "probably not by Rossini." More likely Rossini contributed the theme (from his opera "The Lady in the Lake" and a clarinet virtuoso did the rest. I think I read somewhere also that evidence supporting this view comes from the manuscript, which appears to be in two different hands. Brymer makes a similar comment about the "Fantasie in Eb for Clarinet and Piano." Dieter Klocker has recorded an entire CD of works "by" Rossini. In his liner notes, he writes, "It is known to only few, however, that - once excepting the sixth quartet for wind ... and the C major Variations [mentioned above by Chris] - no other works can be regarded as authentic."
Klocker indicates that the quartets (also mentioned above) are "partly transcriptions that the clarinettist Frederic Berr ... made in Rossini's lifetime from his early string sonatas." Klocker also notes that it is fairly widely known that Rossini was generous with thematic gifts to traveling virtuosos and had numerous collaborators on solo works, including Girolamo Salieri (a nephew of Antonio) and Iwan Muller.
Lisa, if you search the Klarinet Archives on Rossini, you will find over a hundred messages, mostly related to the Intro, Theme etc. but also mentioning the Variations in C. There might be something useful in there. You might also try checking the Composition database.
A check of my current Schwann indicates recordings of the "Intro..." by Farrall, Johnson and Neidich. There have been many others. Try searching Amazon.com or CDnow. I think I got my copy of the Klocker recording from Amazon.
A check of Sheet Music Plus indicates the following pieces available:
"Fantasie in Eb for Clarinet and Piano" (probably not entirely by Rossini)
"Introduction, Theme and Variations" (ditto)
"Variations in C for Clarinet and Small Orchestra" (probably an authentic work written when Rossini was a student)
"Varizioni a piu strumenti obbligati" (ditto)
All have been recorded.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: Lisa L
Date: 2001-07-30 01:05
How interesting - Until now I have never heard that there is a dispute about who actually wrote Intro., Theme, and Variations. Until very recently, the only recording I was able to find of this piece was made by Stoltzman. Does anyone else have insight into this topic?
What about pointers for learning the Rossini? That is one of my favorite pieces... I've played bits of it off and on and have not been able to perfect it... perhaps of the difficult technical passages. Any other ideas?
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-07-30 02:49
His record is very good!
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