COMPOSERS: Mozart
LABELS: Dabringhaus und Grimm
WORKS: Clarinet Concerto in A, K622; Clarinet Concerto in E flat (arr. from Violin Concerto, K268, attrib. Mozart); Variations on a Theme from ‘Les mariages Samnites’ (attrib. Mozart); Variations in F (attrib. Mozart)
PERFORMER: Dieter Klöcker (clarinet); Prague CO
CATALOGUE NO: MDG 301 0755-2
Recently, I have reviewed several CDs of works imitating Haydn. Although never reaching the large numbers of pseudo-Haydns, there arose, after Mozart’s death in 1791, a school of followers who produced symphonies, concertos, divertimentos and sonatas. Hence on this disc we have four clarinet works, three of them spuriously attributed to Mozart.
The first is the Violin Concerto, K268, long regarded as doubtful, which is now presented as a clarinet concerto after a German manuscript, where it is arranged for clarinet and piano. A German musicologist has reorchestrated this version, adding (for instance) wind parts to the slow movement, where K268 had only string accompaniment.
This is followed by two sets of variations, again reorchestrated, which are not even in Köchel (both are charming works, but hardly by Mozart) and which Dieter Klöcker plays with a beautiful tone. The fourth work is the authentic Clarinet Concerto, here given in its revised version – the only one to survive complete – for normal clarinet (as opposed to the original basset clarinet). The Prague orchestra accompanies with extreme poise and beauty, and I recommend this excellently played and recorded CD even if the music is mostly not by Mozart. Incidentally, the portrait on p29 of the booklet is not Mozart either. The English translation is dire: ‘concert’ for ‘concerto’; ‘genial’ for ‘genius’; and, amusingly, ‘doublet’ for ‘double’. HC Robbins Landon