Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K.622: Rondo-Allegro
Clarinet Quintet In A Major, K.581: Allegro
Clarinet Quintet In A Major, K.581: Larghetto
Clarinet Quintet In A Major, K.581: Menuetto
Clarinet Quintet In A Major, K.581: Allegretto con Variazioni
All clarinettists owe an enormous debt of gratitude to 18th-century clarinet virtuoso Anton Stadler (1753-1812); because of his remarkable abilities and his friendship with Mozart, the repertory for the instrument has been... more » infinitely enriched. The clarinetist and the composer began a musical collaboration in 1784 that culminated in Mozart's Clarinet Quintet in 1789 and the Clarinet Concerto in 1791. The Clarinet Concerto was the last major work Mozart was to complete. As Alfred Einstein writes, "the greatness and transcendent beauty of this work are such as its high Köchel number would lead us to expect. One almost has the impression that Mozart felt impelled to express again, in greater and dramatically animated form, what he had already expressed in more lyric form . . . in the Quintet." Mozart surely knew the extent of his final illness while writing this work; it is profoundly personal in tone, a heartbreaking sadness underlying the utter serenity of the music.The manuscripts for both the quintet and concerto had disappeared by the time Constanze Mozart set about having inventories made of her husband's works. When an early edition of the concerto was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in 1802, an anonymous reviewer in the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung noted that "Mozart composed this concerto for a clarinet going down to the c " [a range lower than the conventional clarinet]. He pointed out that certain parts had to be transposed and acknowledged the work of the editors "for those transpositions and variations for the usual clarinet." And so, the Mozart Clarinet Concerto became known in a standardized edition which included substantial changes from the composer's original. The question of the extended range - those notes beyond the reach of the standard clarinet in A - remained a mystery.During the late 1940s, scholars in England and Czechoslovakia began a methodical study of the clarinet writing in the concerto, paying careful attention to those passages where ascending or descending scale patterns seem to have been "dislocated." It became apparent that the missing original of Mozart's concerto was intended not for the clarinet as we know it but for an unusual extended-range clarinet which included four notes lower than the standard instrument. Stadler himself was known to own such a specially-adapted instrument, a relative to the then-common basset-horn. In addition, Mozart's own incomplete sketch for the basset-horn concerto, K. 584b, provided a valuable model for how he scored the solo passagework for the lower-range instrument.Armed with this information, several scholars have since published careful, imaginative reconstructions of the original clarinet parts for both the quintet and concerto. The differences are more readily apparent in the concerto, where the revised solo passages often dip down into the instrument's distinctive lower range; in the quintet, the changes are minimal. In the performances recorded here, David Shifrin plays on an extended-range clarinet built for him by the distinguished wind instrument maker Leonard Gullotta.« less
All clarinettists owe an enormous debt of gratitude to 18th-century clarinet virtuoso Anton Stadler (1753-1812); because of his remarkable abilities and his friendship with Mozart, the repertory for the instrument has been infinitely enriched. The clarinetist and the composer began a musical collaboration in 1784 that culminated in Mozart's Clarinet Quintet in 1789 and the Clarinet Concerto in 1791. The Clarinet Concerto was the last major work Mozart was to complete. As Alfred Einstein writes, "the greatness and transcendent beauty of this work are such as its high Köchel number would lead us to expect. One almost has the impression that Mozart felt impelled to express again, in greater and dramatically animated form, what he had already expressed in more lyric form . . . in the Quintet." Mozart surely knew the extent of his final illness while writing this work; it is profoundly personal in tone, a heartbreaking sadness underlying the utter serenity of the music.The manuscripts for both the quintet and concerto had disappeared by the time Constanze Mozart set about having inventories made of her husband's works. When an early edition of the concerto was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in 1802, an anonymous reviewer in the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung noted that "Mozart composed this concerto for a clarinet going down to the c " [a range lower than the conventional clarinet]. He pointed out that certain parts had to be transposed and acknowledged the work of the editors "for those transpositions and variations for the usual clarinet." And so, the Mozart Clarinet Concerto became known in a standardized edition which included substantial changes from the composer's original. The question of the extended range - those notes beyond the reach of the standard clarinet in A - remained a mystery.During the late 1940s, scholars in England and Czechoslovakia began a methodical study of the clarinet writing in the concerto, paying careful attention to those passages where ascending or descending scale patterns seem to have been "dislocated." It became apparent that the missing original of Mozart's concerto was intended not for the clarinet as we know it but for an unusual extended-range clarinet which included four notes lower than the standard instrument. Stadler himself was known to own such a specially-adapted instrument, a relative to the then-common basset-horn. In addition, Mozart's own incomplete sketch for the basset-horn concerto, K. 584b, provided a valuable model for how he scored the solo passagework for the lower-range instrument.Armed with this information, several scholars have since published careful, imaginative reconstructions of the original clarinet parts for both the quintet and concerto. The differences are more readily apparent in the concerto, where the revised solo passages often dip down into the instrument's distinctive lower range; in the quintet, the changes are minimal. In the performances recorded here, David Shifrin plays on an extended-range clarinet built for him by the distinguished wind instrument maker Leonard Gullotta.
"These two works are perhaps the most recorded of all clarinet music. Amidst the competition, what makes the Shifrin version stand out? First of all, Shifrin's choice of the historically correct bassett clarinet (look carefully at the CD cover and you'll see Shifrin holding two clarinets...the slightly longer one is the bassett clarinet) distinquishes this recording from many others. The use of the bassett clarinet (which is actually the instrument for which Mozart wrote the concerto) allows the pieces to be performed "the correct way" (shorter than the bassett clarinet, the modern clarinet can no longer play the lowest notes in the concerto; these unplayable notes are usually moved up an octave for performances). However, the mere use of a "historically correct" instrument does not make this CD special (after all, the use of period instruments is quite popular these days...Sabine Meyer and Anthony Pay have both recorded the Mozart clarinet concerto using the bassett clarinet). Rather, Shifrin's warm and smooth tone is what makes this CD a must-buy. Some may consider his tone to be velvety but weak, but I find it to be highly appropriate in the Mozart setting (instead of a more brilliant tone that many clarinetists are striving for nowadays). Shifrin's playing style is quite conservative (though he does sport a slight vibrato); no radical interpretations should be expected here. This is a great CD for students, professional players, and music lovers alike. While Robert Marcellus's famed recording of the concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra may never be surpassed, David Shifrin comes very, very near. In any case, Marcellus has not recorded the clarinet quintet (either that, or this recording is really hard to find). All the more to purchase the Shifrin CD!"
You can't go wrong with these recordings
Prescott Cunningham Moore | 05/23/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I own several versions of this concerto, arguably Mozart's finest. Soltzman's is absolutely terrible. I have always had an issue with his sound - his tone is harsh, nasal, and not suited to any music that requires delicate phrasing and beauty. David Shifrin, on the other hand, is an absolutely brilliant artist. An artistic director for the New York Philharmonic and director of several music festivals, David Shifrin is a deeply committed musician. And it shows in these sensitive readings of the Mozart concerto and quintet. His tone is absolutely astounding. It's sweet, mellow, and delightful to listen to. He uses an extended-range clarinet as Mozart intended and the result is delightful. This is a wonderful CD and, as a clarinetist, I cannot recommend it more highly."
Shifrin is Smooooooth, Master of Legato
gllcanon | Houston, TX | 02/20/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I picked up this CD during an intermission of a recent David Shifrin Concert with the Tokyo String Quartet at Rice University. Shifrin is as smooth as vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day. While he played Brahm's Concerto this particular day, my favorite is Mozart's K.622, which is exactly what this album features. Shifrin is the Master of Legato -- and his tone isn't so bright like so many others today. I find Emma Johnson and sometimes even Richard Stoltzman a bit too shrill for my ear. I've yet to find a copy of Marcellus' K.622 but I hear it's the best recording of Mozart's Concerto in A. This is a rare CD to find. If you like K.622, this is a must have."
Shifrin's a superb rendition of Mozart's perfect composition
S. Peliska | Naples, FL | 01/27/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Notice that in any review of a recording of Mozart's clarinet works, the musicians are always criticized and critiqued, but there is no critic that even attempts to lay a finger on the compositions themselves, except when praising them. That is because, simply put, Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and Quintet are perfect. The Concerto, Mozart's most mature finished work (it was the last major composition that he completed before his death; the Requiem Mass was, of course, never finished), is absolutely sublime in its beautiful, lyrical phrasing and its use of the clarinet's full range. Every theme is fleshed out and expanded upon to its fullest, with a gorgeous, transcendent effect. The Quintet, composed several years earlier, sounds very similar to the concerto in many respects. The great Mozart scholar Alfred Einstein writes, "one almost has the impression that Mozart felt impelled to express again [in the concerto], in greater and dramatically animated form, what he had already expressed in more lyric form... in the Quintet." And lyric the quintet is; the strings and the clarinet play off of each other perfectly throughout, creating a harmonious blend of beautiful sound. Unlike other later clarinet works, such as those by C.M. Weber (I also highly recommend Shifrin's rendition of these), which dazzle with their huge dramatic sound and prolonged technical passages, these Mozart pieces are beautiful because of their simple and heartwarming nature.
Both the Concerto and the Quintet were composed by Mozart for his clarinetist friend Anton Stadler. Johann Friedrich Schink, a writer who attended one of Stadler's performances, wrote, "My thanks to you, brave Virtuoso! I have never heard the like of what you contrived with your instrument. Never should I have thought that a clarinet would be capable of imitating a human voice so deceptively as it was imitated by you. Verily, your instrument has so soft and lovely a tone that nobody can resist it who has a heart..." These words could just as easily be used to describe David Shifrin's performance on this recording. Playing with a smooth, beautiful tone and with a technique that makes everything sound so fluid and natural, he is certainly the star of this recording. Chamber Music Northwest (of which Shifrin is also the music director) is so wonderfully expressive and crisp in the Quintet. The Mostly Mozart Orchestra is also very fine, but perhaps not quite so good as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. In all, however, I have not heard a better rendition of Mozart's perfect compositions. (Quotes taken from the liner notes of this CD)"
Highly regarded recording of both the concerto and quintet
Jeffrey S. Hall | Newport, RI | 02/05/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Record of the Year, Stereo Review:
"How musicologists have arrived at these reconstructions of the original versions of Mozart's Clarinet Quintet and Clarinet Concerto makes for fascinating reading in the notes to this CD, but what truly distinguishes the disc is the glowing performances it contains. Clarinetist David Shifrin approaches both works in the highest bel canto style, with a seamless, long-line legato enhanced by a velvety tone. Both the Chamber Music Northwest (in the quintet) and the Mostly Mozart Orchestra (in the concerto) follow his lead and imbue the performances with a mellowness that does not obscure the melancholy lying below the surface of these late mature works.""