It’s time for a wake-up call from the newest kid on the block, Fabio Di Càsola, after Douglas Boyd conducts a pulsating orchestral exposition, rhythm effervescently alive, paragraphs shaped through hairpin-like increases and decreases in intensity, the big picture always kept firmly in mind. | Piano Concerto No. Take a musical deep dive into Mozart. Reginald Kell, renowned and sought after, presents a steely yet songful performance as valuable today as it was then. Register now to continue reading Thank you for visiting Gramophone and making use of our archive of more than 50,000 expert reviews, features, awards and blog articles. The best recordings of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto; Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson. Benny Goodman also threw his hat into the ring in 1940. Or in his next letter to her on October 14, describing his delight at the success of Die Zauberflöte and only voicing some concern about finding a good school for their young son Carl. Robert Marcellus made his debut as assisting artist with the Cleveland Orchestra on March 29–31, 1956, when he played Mozart's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major, K.622. Shortly after the war Kell emigrated to the US and in 1950 he recorded the work with the Zimbler Sinfonietta, an eminent American band. No chance. Is there a choice? --Jed Distler A measure of stature is returned to the music by Ernst Ottensamer. FM GEAR CLASSIC JAPANESE (NOT ON EBAY @ 09/01/21) VIA THE AUDIO MISER, TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No 6, 'Pathétique' ... a quick guide to essential recordings, IAIN MATTHEWS: Same Old Man (Live Acoustic), FREE: Mr Big ( Live BEATCLUB Germany ) . The published version was clearly an adaptation; the additional four notes had been raised an octave or otherwise recast in ways to suit the conventional clarinet. Deinzer produces a slender tone, probably characteristic of both instrument and reed. He alters the solo part to mitigate the effects of some of its clumsy compromises and his solutions are about as good as they get in the circumstances. The ultimate accolade is earned and deserved. Then I orchestrated almost the entire Rondo of the Stadler concerto.’ No premonitions of death here. Wolfgang Meyer, a Deinzer pupil with a Tutz replica as well, is in total sympathy but still the soloist, weaving his own spell everywhere, his musicianship fine-tuned to an expressive reach and a spellbinding spectrum of tonal subtleties. And no one, in this survey of selected recordings, evokes the impression better than Jack Brymer with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra attentively conducted by Thomas Beecham. You won't be disappointed with this CD, if it's still available. Coppola doesn’t probe the spirit, coasting through the first and last movements; and though soulful in the Adagio, his pacing is inert, clogging flow. Stadler appears not to have objected. [citation needed] The only relic of this concerto written in Mozart's hand is an excerpt of an earlier rendition of the concerto written for basset horn in G (K. 584b/621b). Here at a low ebb, he doesn’t galvanise soloist or orchestra into the highest flights of innovation. 24 in C minor. But…stay awhile. The work is considered Mozart’s finest wind concerto, and I’ll take it further and declare it the best wind concerto in the entire world of classical music. This recording offers something more than its lyrical performances and superb recorded sound. Haydn Draper made the first recording in 1929 (Brunswick 20076‑8), followed by Luigi Amodio and François Etienne. Haven’t we experienced this approach before? Beethoven ‘Emperor’ Concerto. And, sadly, caution rules. Hard, close-grained, yellow and sensitive to atmospheric conditions; but it was the material of choice for clarinets of the day. Hoeprich nevertheless stays above water, thoughtful in his survey of the music, especially so in the Adagio. Boyd contributes a continuously symbiotic framework for Di Càsola to build an interpretation where tone, dynamics, articulation and accents are varied to mirror a range of moods suggested by melody, phrase and harmony. What was the point? Sound Quality: 7. Not successfully, though. Twelve years later Antony Pay offers a considered proposition. Conductor and soloist don’t see eye to eye, Marcellus elegant of phrase and bewitchingly cultivated in sound at odds with Szell’s powerful profiling and famed rhythmic exactitude. His playing, of unimpeachable technique, fine finish and spotless manners, epitomises a deferential approach to Mozart that had, post-war, become the norm; and an anachronism afterwards. The best recordings of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto James McCarthy Friday, January 17, 2014 Register now to continue reading Thank you for visiting Gramophone and making use of our archive of more than 50,000 expert reviews, features, awards and blog articles. Friday, January 17, 2014. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A major K. 622 - Clarinet Quintet in A, K 581. Could Mozart, who finished this concerto about eight weeks before he died, have been anything other than valedictory? And he, at his third stab (the second, in the 1960s, was with Colin Davis but has since disappeared) is a model of self-possessed equanimity. Orchestra winds are a trifle distant; modern valve horns grey the texture as well. In 1791, the last year of his life, Mozart wrote the Clarinet Concerto. His sympathetic ministrations seem to have little effect on an earthbound soloist, Vladimír Říha, whose playing is tonally monotonous and lacking in inner life. Bärenreiter incorporated the reconstruction into its New Mozart Edition; but clarinettists also suggest their own modifications. Could you be unorthodox within orthodoxy? If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information. PARASOUND NOT ON EBAY @ 18/02/21 VIA THE AUDIO MISER, QUAD: Quad 57 stacked v Wilson watt puppy 6/7. This is an excellent recording of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and Clarinet Quintet. In essence Anton Stadler, for whom the work was composed, owned a custom-built instrument with an extended range. Goodman, instinctively mercurial in jazz, is scared of Mozart. EMI CDM 567 6012 . But he cannot sustain the concerto on his own. ‘Aren’t those basset notes wonderful?’ Lorenzo Coppola seems to be asking as he produces the deepest, fruitiest sounds imaginable. My absolute favorite recording of the Clarinet Concerto and Clarinet Quintet comes from Martin Frost. Let’s for the moment say valedictory. … The last work wondrously achieved. Misgivings nag. Brymer’s tribute to his colleague says it all: ‘His freedom of expression, perfect intonation and control, easy rubato and use of a vocalised vibrato much in the [Leon] Goossens manner, marked him out as something new in the instrumental world.’ Vibrato in a woodwind instrument was indeed new to many in the first half of the 20th century; and these two musicians split opinion at the time. The adaptation held sway. He is a musician of cultivated taste but he reticently understates his role, also imitating Meyer in glossing over the raison d’être of the basset, its low notes. Jeffrey Tate unveils a tinge of melancholy in the orchestral exposition of the first movement; King responds to the mood but takes it further. Mozart composed his Clarinet Concertofor Anton Stadler, who performed the work at the premiere in Prague on 16 October 1791. Though his dynamic gradations are limited, he has a cogent understanding of structure and shape, and a good feeling for content too. Yes they are; and from a French copy of an instrument made for Stadler, so these might be the sort of sonorities he drew too. Concentrate on the orchestra, and notice the topmost line, especially rich in the selectively deployed sound of two flutes. *HQ Audio*, Bo Diddley and Ron Wood - Live At The Ritz (DVD), RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS: How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees Cover), ROBERT MILLIS: Indian Talking Machine (Limited 2CD+Book), ERIC BURDON: The irrepressible beast – interview, HMV VINYL: Phil Collins - No Jacket Required - Limited Edition Orange Vinyl. You couldn’t apply such strictures to Robert Marcellus who, with Szell as a close ally, is at his finest in the Adagio, capturing its inherent intensity at a tempo that doesn’t drag. Even John Barbirolli couldn’t persuade him to drop his guard. To wit, the regular clarinet ends its compass on E below middle C; Stadler’s uniquely dropped four semitones further to C. On October 16, 1791, he premiered the work in Prague from the autograph manuscript, then went on tour, not returning to Vienna until July 1796. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This excerpt is nearly identical to the corresponding section in the published version for A clarinet. Building a Library on Mozart's final purely instrumental work, his Clarinet Concerto - written for his friend Anton Stadler. I really like Sabine Meyer's rendition, but I've read in another post that Robert Marcellus has an excellent one also. Here he is again, incorrigible as ever, wholeheartedly backed by consummately gifted clarinettist Wolfgang Meyer. Is there a choice? Maximiliano Martin tries to. A year later the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung compared this with the original (or copy) and confirmed the conversion inauthentic. Fabio Di Càsola; Musikkollegium Winterthur / Douglas Boyd. Still and all, Mozart lovers will find both a bargain and a gold mine upon acquiring this disc. Welcome a new clarinet, or to be precise a clarinet for which – it is now accepted – Mozart wrote the concerto. These cookies do not store any personal information. Did it matter? There are many superb recordings of the concerto. Its absolutely gorgeous and pristine sound quality. I honestly think this is my absolute FAVORITE pieces ever composed by Mozart (and yes, that includes the clarinet concerto)!! Maybe he had paraphrased Charles Hallé who, after a Manchester performance in 1855, wrote: ‘The composition, although by Mozart, is such a grandfatherly production and so lengthy that the finale had to be left out, not to try the patience of the public beyond endurance.’. It’s a magical close to a movement that might be Mozart’s poignant farewell to Anna Maria, his baby daughter, who had died not that long ago. Antony had worked with Robert Bailey and an earlier incarnation of the Michaelangelo [sic] orchestra for a 1998 recording of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, released as a CD on the Musical Fidelity label (MF018). What now? Readers used to the sleekly disciplined Karajan of maturity – as demonstrated on his 1971 recording with Karl Leister, the BPO’s then principal clarinet – might be taken aback by his 1949 persona that offers Leopold Wlach an animatedly thrusting but accommodating partnership to which he responds with alacrity. Valedictory or visionary? About Mark Allen Group In one respect, though, Brymer intrigues. Stick to the traditional clarinet but not to the traditional arrangement? Find recording details and track inforamtion for Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on AllMusic Yet in his letter from Vienna to Constanze in Baden, written at midnight on October 7, 1791, he says, ‘I smoked a glorious pipe of tobacco. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Could Mozart, who finished this concerto about eight weeks before he died, have been anything other than valedictory? I was looking all throughout Spotify and iTunes to find the best possible recording of this serenade, but i've found a lot of different results, and i'm finding it … His idea of deference simply comes across as bland and insouciant; Marriner père smooth, dapper and unfazed, a formula foisted on Jack Brymer too. Reginald Kell survives, and his 1940 recording, enhanced by conductor Malcolm Sargent in fiery rapport, is no historic fossil. Meyer's interpretation of the Clarinet Concerto has ripened since this 1992 recording, and some listeners might prefer her more playful and overtly dramatic remake with Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Come the first tutti, he tautens the rhythm and prominently swaggering natural horns step in, stepping in prominently at every tutti where prescribed in the two Allegros, some more driven than others, some more swaggering and fiercely stressed than others. But what about inner anxieties, passing twinges of dis‑ease, the dives into depression? Her chillingly glib performance is as empty as a shell. Modern bassets initially used in the UK were normal instruments, their lower joints replaced with specially built extensions. RADFORD: Quad II vs Leak 20 vs Radford STA 25 vintage equipment, PERCY GRAINGER: The ninth best composer ever. You’ll notice that the cover shows Shifrin with two clarinets. The soloist uses an 18th century clarinet which has some lower notes not found on modern clarinets and which Mozart utilized when he wrote these compositions. Eric Hoeprich does – to a degree. There aren’t ...... © 2021 Audiophile News & Music Review | All Rights Reserved. Mozart now talks tough, the genteel image drops away. HARBETH: P3ESR vs Proac Tablette Anniversary? Warmly recommended. In sum, performance ought to reflect emotional content, so tempi cannot be rigid but must be tailored to evoke the many emotions embedded in music. Still, Pay and Lawson do try to dig deeper; but, discerning though they are, there is more to delve into. There you have it; superlative clarinet-playing, superlative conducting and a penetrating look beyond the notes. The autograph subsequently vanished; and Stadler died in 1812, leaving questions unanswered. Nor has the conductorless Collegium Aurem. He is a musician with ideas of his own but is dampened by Leonard Bernstein, who is surprisingly flat-footed and uneventful; prosaic, too, in the slow movement. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Valedictory or visionary? Breaking in power cords – nonsense or sensible? This works very well in the Concerto, since it incorporates some of the melodic material in the Concerto. None is extant. Gramophone is part of And a wind of change, prescient of an emotional dimension in the music not entirely noticed before, blows in to break the outdated anodyne mould. Receive a weekly collection of news, features and reviews, James McCarthy Valedictory or visionary? I asked Antony why he felt it time to return to the concerto. Nikolaus Harnoncourt, that’s who. Who for decades confronted the status quo, challenged established certainties and dared listeners to think outside the box? 9 in E flat Major – K. 271. The best recordings of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. Yet in his letter from Vienna to Constanze in Baden, written at midnight on October 7, 1791, he says, ‘I smoked a glorious pipe of tobacco. An interlude of bittersweet nostalgia, a look back with the odd angry flare; yet in the soul and sinew of Wolfgang Meyer and Nikolaus Harnoncourt a look forward too, vigorous, even manic in the extrovert optimism of the outer movements. BLOP888 SANSUI: The highly unusual (for that era) S-X1050 receiver. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Stadler, who played the clarinet and basset horn, had been a close friend of Mozart’s since the e… Fröst ‘sings’ this Adagio, his masterly technique in command of shaded tone, long line and detail. Rumblings about the true text hung around for the next 150 years or so – probably because Mozart had also showcased Stadler in a 199-bar sketch for basset-horn, K621b, that thematically anticipates the first movement of the Clarinet Concerto, and in the clarinet obbligato for the aria ‘Parto, parto’ from La clemenza di Tito which exploited the basset’s range. Yet he turns in a distinguished performance, of embellishments in excellent taste and nuanced responses to modulations, as between 9'29" and 9'51" in the first movement when the key advances through A minor, C major, E minor and D minor. Now, here’s a real bargain–some of the greatest recordings of much of Mozart’s best music at the Double Decca two-for-one price. Find recording details and track inforamtion for Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on AllMusic Selected Discography (Date / Artists / Record company (review date)), 1940 Kell; LPO / Sargent / Testament SBT1007 (8/92), 1940 B Goodman; NYPO / Barbirolli / Dutton CDSJB1026, 1949 Wlach; VPO / Karajan / EMI 566388-2 (nla), 1950 Kell; Zimbler Sinfonietta / DG 477 5280GOM6 (3/53), 1954 Říha; Czech PO / Talich / Supraphon SU3835-2 (4/59), 1958 Brymer; RPO / Beecham / EMI 567596-2 (7/60; 10/88), 1959 de Peyer; LSO / Maag / Decca 466 247-2DF2 (9/60), 1961 Marcellus; Cleveland Orch / Szell / Sony SBK62424 (6/64), 1971 Brymer; ASMF / N Marriner / Philips 416 483-2PH (10/88), 1971 Leister; BPO / Karajan / EMI 764355-2 (6/72), 1990 Schmidl; VPO / Bernstein / DG 429 221-2GH (8/90), 2004 A Marriner; ASMF / N Marriner / Pentatone PTC5186 048, 2005 Martin; SCO / Janiczek / Linn CKD273, 2009 Di Càsola; Musikcollegium Winterthur / Boyd / Sony 88697 64672-2 (12/10), 1985 King; ECO / Tate / Hyperion CDA66199 (3/86), 1985 S Meyer; Staatskapelle Dresden / Vonk / EMI 555155-2 (3/92 – nla), 1992 Ottensamer; VPO / C Davis / Philips 438 868-2PH (6/94 – nla), 2002 Fröst; Amsterdam Sinfonietta / Oundjian / BIS BIS-SACD1263 (A/03), 1973 Deinzer; Collegium Aureum / Maier / EMI 747603-2 (12/87 – nla), 1985 Pay; AAM / Hogwood / L’Oiseau-Lyre 414 339-2OH (5/86), 1989 Lawson; Hanover Band / R Goodman / Nimbus NI7023 (7/90), 1998 W Meyer; Concentus Musicus Wien / Harnoncourt / Teldec 2564 69855-6 (3/01), 2001 Hoeprich; Orch of the 18th Century / Brüggen / Glossa GCD921107 (2/03), 2007 Coppola; Freiburg Baroque Orch / Von der Goltz / Harmonia Mundi HMC90 1980 (5/08), This article originally appeared in the February 2012 issue of Gramophone. Note the conductor here, the third illustrious name to be mentioned; and in the first 32 years of the concerto’s recorded history, three more made their bow – Herbert von Karajan, Václav Talich and George Szell.