 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: duhomcoys_clarinet
Date: 2026-11-05 07:25
I'm not that great at articulation, and I know it. College auditions are coming up and I'm deciding on a final tempo to use for the Mozart Clarinet Concerto. (first movement)
I've been listening to multiple recordings and they're all quite fast, about ~120-130ish (excluding Cahuzac) bpm. I obviously can't play that fast, so I was thinking more along the lines of 116. However, in my edition(Schirmer), it's marked as 112bpm, which does seem a little slow to me.
I feel pretty comfortable with the second movement at 48 bpm, so no worries there.
For the third movement, my edition is marked at 76 bpm per dotted quarter note. Is that a good tempo, or should it be faster/slower? I've gotten a large range of answers regarding these tempos(someone I know said to take the first movement at 108... what)
My tempi as they stand... Mvt 1 - 116 - Mvt 2 - 48 - Mvt 3 - 76
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-11-05 10:15
All the tempi you have cited sound pretty good to me. The last, rondo, movement is taken at a pretty sprightly tempo these days. -too fast, by my book. Rondos should not usually be raced through. Brymer with Beecham is very slow throughout. But that was another age of interpretation.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
Post Edited (2026-11-05 14:21)
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Author: Tom Piercy
Date: 2026-11-05 18:45
Hello tempi questioner!
Having performed and taught the Mozart concerto, my advice is to choose the tempo at which you sound your best—not the tempo that comes closest to a favorite recording. For an audition, your control of style, dynamics, intonation, tone, and technique matters much more than a number on the metronome.
If 116 in the first movement lets you play with clear articulation, an even sound, good phrasing, and a sense of ease, then that’s a good tempo for you. If you’re pushing through the articulated passages or sacrificing musical details to maintain it, slow it down. I wouldn’t dismiss 112—or even 108—just because the number looks slow. The question is whether you can make the music feel alive and flowing at that tempo.
The same applies to the finale.
A dotted-quarter marking of 76 is a reasonable starting point, but one would need or want to hear how you play it before suggesting faster or slower. Can you keep the articulation light, the rhythm buoyant, and the phrases shaped without feeling rushed? That tells you more than the metronome marking alone.
Since you feel comfortable at 48 in the second movement, judge that tempo by the same musical standards: a singing, floating sound, a sustained line, and room for expressive phrasing.
Record yourself at your proposed tempos, then again a little slower.
Listen for where you sound most convincing—not simply where you manage to get through the notes. Keep working on your articulation, but don’t make your audition tempo a test of its absolute limit.
Most people in audiences and on audition committees would much rather hear you play Mozart beautifully and confidently at a slightly more measured tempo than hear you struggle to match someone else’s speed.
Tom Piercy
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2026-11-05 19:13
You asked about speed, and I understand why that's a consideration. However, I think it might be more productive to step back and discuss something broader, and ultimately more important to maximizing your audition success: your overall approach to the music.
Clearly, there are different tempos and interpretive nuances that artists bring to each movement of this piece. Each performer is trying to strike a balance between remaining faithful to the musical foundations established by those who came before while still bringing something of their own to the interpretation.
I would certainly encourage you to choose tempos for each movement that fall comfortably within the range generally accepted by those musical traditions.
But consider the tradeoff between demonstrating your technical proficiency at faster tempos and increasing the likelihood of mistakes as a result.
You might receive a few points of admiration for the technical command demonstrated by taking a movement at a particularly brisk tempo. But those accolades can quickly be offset by the negative impression created if that tempo results in even a handful of additional mistakes. (An occasional mistake is understandable and certainly not disqualifying; what's important is that you don't allow it to disrupt your composure or derail the performance.)
Remember, audition committees aren't simply looking for someone who has already mastered everything. They're also looking for musicians they believe have the potential to develop, grow, and become even better artists.
You don't need to demonstrate that you can play every movement at the kinds of speeds I've had occasion to at times hear Sabine Meyer achieve.
And there's one other consideration: at faster tempos, any mistakes you make may reinforce the impression that you exercised questionable artistic judgment in the first place by sacrificing accuracy for speed.
Ultimately, I'd rather hear you deliver a beautifully controlled, musically convincing performance at a slightly more conservative tempo than a technically ambitious one that leaves the committee wondering whether you made the right choices.
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Author: lydian
Date: 2026-11-06 18:29
As a judge, I value slow but clean over fast and sloppy. Also, nobody from Mozart's day is alive to confirm or deny the "correct" tempo. I say your tempos are close enough if you can execute them well.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2026-11-06 23:31
Just play it as fast as you can comfortably play the semiquavers - it's not a race.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-11-07 14:22
Super: Goodman's was an interpretation of another age. These days, musicians vary their articulations more to give more life to the music.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: rmk54
Date: 2026-11-07 18:15
And let's not forget that Goodman did not have stellar technique, especially when it came to articulation.
Listen to his miserable recording of the Nielsen Concerto.
When Copland wrote the Clarinet Concerto for him, he had to revise several passages to make them easier. The Neidich recording uses the original version and Boosey now publishes it.
He may have been a great jazz musician, but classical, not so much (although I do like his recording of the Copland).
Having worked with him several times, I can also say that he was a rude person with quite an attitude.
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Author: lmliberson
Date: 2026-11-07 18:42
rmk54 said "Having worked with him several times, I can also say that he was a rude person with quite an attitude."
I'm sorry you had those experiences with Benny.
While I never worked with him, my brief experience with him was totally different.
During my first year in my first orchestral job (you"ll need the Wayback Machine to go back that far...), Benny and his sextet at the time did a pops show (no orchestra - just the sextet).
Our management invited the clarinet players (all two of us) to have lunch with him at a private club which was most enjoyable. He was very cordial and very interested in us, talking clarinet, music, and (best of all) ignoring the management personnel who were with us.
Somehow the conversation got around to the Hindemith Concerto (admittedly not my favorite) and that he commissioned it (which I, of course, knew). I mentioned that I had never studied it and didn't even own a copy of it.
Anyway, we got together again after the concert that evening where he gave me a copy of the Hindemith. He had taken the time to go out during the afternoon to the local sheet music store (a major one at the time) and purchased a copy, signed it, and presented it to me, saying that he hoped I would learn it soon (admission: I haven't!).
I found that to be an exceedingly gracious and generous act to someone who was simply a nobody who just happened to be clarinetist (and a fan) and it is something I'll always remember.
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Author: rmk54
Date: 2026-11-07 20:17
I share your fondness for the Hindemith Concerto. It's interesting that BG never performed it (although he did commission the work). Same for the Milhaud Concerto.
I had a young student who idolized Goodman. After one of our performances (he played the Weber Concertino) I brought her backstage to meet him. I introduced myself as a member of the orchestra and introduced her as a big fan. He said "oh", belched, and walked away.
He showed similar disrespect toward the orchestra during the rehearsal.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-11-07 22:26
He commissioned the Milhaud Concerto, but then didn't like it. He sounds like a very moody man. These days, he would probably be called bipolar or something.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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