 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bart
Date: 2002-03-22 08:18
Michael Collins was to perform Beethoven's Violin Concerto this Thursday in London's Royal Festival Hall - Pletnev's transcription for the clarinet. But he decided not to: he played the Mozart concerto instead. His clarification, in the program change insert:
"Performing such a masterpiece is always a challenge, but after some early performances of the piece I have reached the opinion that the transcription of the Beethoven Violin Concerto on to the clarinet doesn't work. It has saddened me from the bottom of my heart that I have come to this conclusion, but for purely musical reasons I feel it is the right decision. Therefore I hope you will understand why tonight I will perform the Mozart Clarinet Concerto instead." - Michael Collins
There was a pre-concert talk that I was unable to attend because I couldn't make it that early, but it seems that from now on we'll only have the recording of this concert ...
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Author: A David Peacham
Date: 2002-03-23 08:42
I think he's wrong. If you listen to it with the mindset "this is a violin piece transcribed" then maybe it doesn't work.
If you listen to it with the mindset "this is the Beethoven clarinet concerto" then it does work. That justifies the whole exercise, in my view.
There may, of course, be another reason he has stopped performing it. It is horribly difficult to play. Maybe he just finds it too stressful playing it live.
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Author: Eoin
Date: 2002-03-25 08:33
I really liked the Violin Concerto transcribed for clarinet. But Collins said it was one of the hardest pieces he had ever played: it was like 30 minutes of technical exercises. It may have taken a lot out of him, but he certainly made it sound effortless. I'm talking about the CD recording, where Collins may have done a number of takes to get it to sound that good. The piece may be just too hard to play in live performance.
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Author: Mario
Date: 2003-01-13 22:14
Maybe the goal should be more focused. I agree that mvt 1 and 2 are marginal on the clarinet (even with the most opened mind in the world). But movement 3 is just right. Actually, it might be even better on the clarinet, a much more powerful instrument well suited for the "sonneries de clairon" that Beetohoven is trying to emulate. After all, the clarinet was invented for such effects.
Korodey-Krutzer (Edition Zimmerman) has published many such adaptations for clarinet (including the Beethoven's Spring sonata). Chosen carefully, and adapted with respect and love, these adaptations work.
BTW, I love what M. Collins tried to do on his CD
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