Author: Simon Aldrich
Date: 2007-05-19 00:50
Hello all
Brahms' Serenade No. 1 in D major Op. 11 was composed over several years and in as many as four different guises.
It started life as a three or four movement work for wind and string octet.
The first full version, with six movements, was for nonet (fl, 2 cls, bsn, hn, vln, vla, vcl, bass).
Clara Schumann did not approve of the piece in its nonet formation and it is believed Brahms destroyed the manuscript (as was his wont when Clara didn't approve of a piece).
The following year Brahms expanded the instrumentation to a small orchestra and the next year to a full orchestra, the form in which the work is known and usually performed.
Two people, Alan Boustead and Jorge Rotter, have arranged hypothetical reconstructions of the Serenade in its original nonet instrumentation.
(A third person, Chris Nex, has arranged the Serenade for woodwind quintet, string quartet and bass. This version is published and therefore available.)
Printed parts for the Boustead and Rotter are as yet only available on rental. Some believe this has hampered the adoption of the Serenade into the mainstream chamber repertoire.
I heard a broadcast of the Chicago Chamber Musicians playing the nonet version of the Serenade (it was not announced by which arranger) and it works wonderfully for nonet. Some might say it is more beautiful as a nonet than as an orchestral piece.
Assuming these two arrangements can actually be rented, does anyone know the Boustead and Rotter reconstructions well enough to offer an opinion regarding which is better?
Does anyone know if both these reconstructions are available and if so, are they still rental-only (not for sale)?
If not, is there ANY way to get my hands on either of these reconstructions?
Thank-you in advance,
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Simon Aldrich simonaldrich@videotron.ca
Clarinet Faculty - McGill University
Principal Clarinet - Orchestre Metropolitain de Montreal
Principal Clarinet - Orchestre de l'Opera de Montreal
Clarinet - Nouvel Ensemble Moderne
Buffet-Crampon Artist/Clinician
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