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 Early concerto performance practice
Author: johng 2017
Date:   2008-08-14 21:57

Alessio Bacci has placed an early clarinet concerto (#14 in Eb) by Michel Yost as a pdf download for the score. Like other pieces by Yost (1754 - 1786) it is delightful in my opinion.

http://imslp.org/wiki/Clarinet_Concerto,_No.14_(Yost,_Michel)

Looking over Bacci's edition brings a question to mind about the practice of playing - or not playing - along with the orchestra in the beginning of the 1st movement before the solo section begins. In the score, the clarinet doubles the 1st violins, but not always. Sometimes the part is slightly different.

I have published my edition of another Yost concerto (Bb) in which the original score in the Vienna library does much the same thing with the clarinet doubling the violins during the introduction, although there are also sections during the intro where the clarinet solo was given rests. In my edition, I put that introductory material for the clarinet as cued notes with the instruction that it can be played ad lib.

My experience has been that the soloist does not play in those introductions, but does anyone know about the performance practice for those very early concertos?

John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com

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 Re: Early concerto performance practice
Author: cigleris 
Date:   2008-08-14 22:13

Performance practice would suggest that the soloist played most of the tutti so that he and the kappellmeister could lead the orchestra, though there is not really any hard evidence to clarify this. Colin Lawson makes this point in his book The Cambridge Companion to the Mozart Clarinet Concerto. For me this would make sense. I also like the fact that it adds to the colour of the tuttis, espescially if there is a full wind section (- clts of course).

There is also the theory of Concertante/Concertino and Repino (sp) where by the strings would be perhaps on 2 or 3 players during the solo sections and tutti in the tuttis. This was derived for the Concerto Grosso and was common in English concertos. There is evidence to suggest that it was also common on the Continent.

Peter Cigleris

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 Re: Early concerto performance practice
Author: Tobin 
Date:   2008-08-14 22:15

I wish I could address your question with perfect knowledge...but here's what I think:

Since the concertos underlying function is the opposition of forces (which was very clearly the case during this period) why would the soloist contribute to the ripieno? I would think adding your color to the orchestra would dilute its' significance during the concertino.

I prefer the way you've arranged things!

James

Gnothi Seauton

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 Re: Early concerto performance practice
Author: Bob Phillips 
Date:   2008-08-17 00:30

Looking at John's link in more detail, I get even more confused.

In several places, it is not at all clear that the playing is tutti. In some of these, it seems that the clarinet is doubling the first violin, and in some the clarinet part is a bit different --in one long phrase, marked tutti, the clarinet has 1/8ths over the violin's 1/16ths.

It seems to me that in many cases, the clarinet should give up the lead phrasing to the violinist.

Bob Phillips

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 Re: Early concerto performance practice
Author: johng 2017
Date:   2008-08-18 01:55

I would also like to point out that in the 3rd movement (Rondo) for both Bacci's edition of the Yost 14th concerto and my edition of the Yost concerto in Bb, the movement begins with clarinet solo and then after 8 measures, there is a tutti section with the same material. The tutti section has the solo clarinet continue playing. This happens each time the rondo theme appears.

Now, when I play it, I appreciate the short break and don't play during the tutti section. But, I still wonder what the correct performance practice in such instances should be.

John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com

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