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Mozart - Clarinet Concerto/Quintet (arr.viola)

£12.29

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Label: Simax

Cat No: PSC1290

Barcode: 7033662012909

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 1

Release Date: 26th August 2007

Works

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

Clarinet Concerto in A major, K622
Clarinet Quintet in A major, K581

Artists

Lars Anders Tomter
Norwegian Chamber Orchestra

Conductor

Arvid Engegard

Works

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

Clarinet Concerto in A major, K622
Clarinet Quintet in A major, K581

Artists

Lars Anders Tomter
Norwegian Chamber Orchestra

Conductor

Arvid Engegard

About

This World Premier Recording features arrangements of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and Clarinet Quintet first published by Johann André in Offenbach-am-Main during the years of 1802 and 1803 in which the viola takes on the role of soloist. The source of this arrangement remains a mystery, although musicologists speculate that it may have been either Beethoven or Hummel. The clarinet was still in the process of evolution as Mozart was writing, and he designed the Quintet and Concerto for the “bassett clarinet”, an instrument developed by his friend and fellow Freemason, the clarinet virtuoso Anton Stadler. Mozart’s original solo part for the concerto has long since disappeared, so for the solo part to be playable on the modern clarinet, the arranger had to do adaptations of the melodic material. Given that the viola has the same range as the bassett clarinet, reaching a third below the clarinet, the unknown arranger of this viola version could keep much of the original solo part without re-writing.

In the arrangement of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, the solo part is divided between the solo viola and the first violin. The result is a remarkable string quintet with elegant exchanges between violin, cello and viola which characterise the movement as it progresses. The highly contrapuntal writing of the development section, in which each string instrument gives its version of the viola’s opening phrase, testifies to Mozart’s recent study of J.S. Bach which had a major effect on all his late music.

Lars Anders Tomter belongs in the international elite of soloists, touring all over the world. He is also Professor of viola at the Norwegian Academy of Music, and Artistic Director of the Risør Chamber Music Festival together with Leif Ove Andsnes.