GCD 920607 Mozart & Brahms New release information April 2006 Quintets by Hoeprich

NOTES (ENG) NOTES (FRA)

These clarinet quintets by Mozart and Brahms represent Ces deux quintettes pour clarinette de Mozart et de two pinnacles, not only in the repertoire for the clarinet, Brahms sont deux cimes, non seulement du répertoire but also in the genre of chamber music. Written late de la clarinette, mais encore de toute la musique de in the lives of both composers, they embody the chambre. Ces œuvres appartenant à la production maturity, depth, experience and possibly even a tardive des deux compositeurs incarnent leur maturité, premonition of an other-worldliness soon to be leur profondeur, l’expérience et probablement une experienced firsthand. prémonition d’un autre monde qui n’allait pas tarder à venir. It is significant that both works were inspired by particular clarinet players – Anton Stadler for Mozart Il est significatif que ces deux œuvres aient été inspirées and Richard Mühlfeld for Brahms. Both were known as par un clarinettiste, Anton Stadler dans le cas de Mozart outstanding musicians who also had a predilection for et Richard Mühlfeld dans celui de Brahms. Tous deux slightly unusual instruments. Stadler had worked jouissaient d’une réputation d’excellent musicien, qui together with the instrument maker Theodor Lotz to de plus avaient une prédilection pour des instruments develop the , an instrument with an plutôt inhabituels. Stadler avait travaillé avec le facteur extended low range. And Mühlfeld played on slightly Theodor Lotz pour développer le projet du cor de out-of-date Bärmann-system by Georg basset, un instrument possédant un registre grave plus Mozart & Brahms Ottensteiner, made of boxwood, at a time where most ample ; tandis que Mühlfeld jouait sur des clarinettes Clarinet Quintets players were using blackwood instruments and a more de Georg Ottensteiner, dont le système Bärmann était advanced mechanism. légèrement démodé, et qui étaient construites en buis, Eric Hoeprich, basset clarinet in A & alors que la plupart des interprètes utilisaient des Ottensteiner-Bärmann system clarinets The clarinets used for this recording reflect the instruments en ébène et ayant un mécanisme plus differences inherent in instruments separated by roughly perfectionné. London Haydn Quartet a hundred years. Both are unusual and highly Catherine Manson, violin specialized. These boxwood clarinets, together with Les clarinettes jouées dans cet enregistrement reflètent Margaret Faultless, violin period string instruments set up with gut strings and les différences dues à des instruments séparés par une James Boyd, viola played with period bows, create a sound world quite centaine d’années. Ces deux instruments sont inhabituels Jonathan Cohen, cello unlike that heard with today’s modern clarinets and et hautement spécialisés. Ces clarinettes en buis, se strings. The possibilities for articulation, dynamics and mêlant aux instruments à cordes anciens avec des phrasing, as well as the blend and colourful sound cordes en boyau frottées par des archets d’époque, Glossa GCD 920607 world of the instruments, bring out expressive qualities créent un monde sonore différent de celui que produisent NEW RELEASE in the music that might otherwise be more difficult, or aujourd’hui les clarinettes et les instruments à cordes Full-price digipak perhaps even impossible, to reach. modernes. Les instruments anciens offrent des possibilités qui leur sont propres : l’articulation, les dynamiques, les phrasés, ainsi que l’équilibre des Programme timbres et la couleur de l’univers sonore, font ressortir des qualités expressives qu’il aurait été bien plus difficile, sans doute impossible, de percevoir dans (1756-1791) d’autres conditions. in A major, KV 581 01 Allegro 02 Larghetto NOTAS (ESP) NOTIZEN (DEU) 03 Menuetto 04 Allegretto con variazioni Estos quintetos para clarinete representan dos cimas, Diese Klarinettenquintette stellen zwei Höhepunkte no sólo del repertorio para clarinete, sino también del dar, nicht nur das Repertoire für Klarinette alleine Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) género de la música de cámara. Escritos al final de las betreffend, sondern weit allgemeiner auf die Gattung Clarinet Quintet in B minor, opus 115 vidas de los dos compositores, encarnan la madurez, der Kammermusik insgesamt bezogen. Jeweils spät in 05 Allegro la profundidad, la experiencia y, posiblemente, incluso den Leben der beiden Komponisten geschrieben, la premonición de un más allá que pronto iban a verkörpern sie Reife, Tiefe, Erfahrung und 06 Adagio experimentar en primera persona. möglicherweise gar eine böse Vorahnung einer anderen, 07 Andantino - Presto non assai bald aus erster Hand zu erfahrenen, Weltlichkeit. 08 Con moto Resulta significativo que ambas obras se inspiraran en clarinetistas concretos: Anton Stadler en el caso de Es ist nicht ohne Bedeutung, dass beide Werke von Mozart y Richard Mühlfeld en el de Brahms. Los dos konkreten Klarinetteninterpreten inspiriert wurden – Production details eran músicos destacados conocidos además por su Mozart und Brahms hatten ihre Kompositionen Anton predilección por los instrumentos ligeramente inusuales. Stadler bzw. Richard Mühlfeld zugedacht. Beide waren Stadler había trabajado con el fabricante de als herausragende Musiker bekannt, denen auch eine Total playing time: 71’31 instrumentos Theodor Lotz para desarrollar el clarinete gewisse Vorliebe für leicht außergewöhnliche di bassetto, un instrumento con un registro grave Instrumente eigen war. Stadler hatte mit dem Recorded at St Martin’s Church, East Woodhay, ampliado. Y Mühlfeld tocaba los clarinetes con el sistema Instrumentenbauer Theodor Lotz zusammengearbeitet, Hampshire (England), in September 2004 Bärmann, ligeramente desfasados, creados por Georg um die Bassettklarinette, ein Instrument mit ausgedehnt Engineered by Niek Wijns & Guido Tichelmans Ottensteiner en madera de boj, en una época en la tiefem Register, zu entwickeln. Und Mühlfeld wiederum que la mayoría de los intérpretes usaban instrumentos spielte auf nicht mehr ganz aktuellen Bärmann- Executive producer: Carlos Céster de madera de granadilla y un mecanismo más avanzado. Klarinetten von Georg Ottensteiner aus Buchsbaumholz, als die meisten Interpreten bereits Instrumente aus Booklet essay by Eric Hoeprich Los clarinetes empleados en esta grabación reflejan Ebenholz und einen höher entwickelten Mechanismus Design 00:03:00 oficina tresminutos las diferencias inherentes a instrumentos que distan benutzten. Booklet in English - Français - Deutsch - Español unos cien años en el tiempo. Los dos son inusuales y muy especializados. Estos clarinetes de madera de Die bei vorliegender Aufnahme verwendeten Klarinetten boj, junto con los instrumentos de cuerda originales, spiegeln die Unterschiede wider, wie sie Instrumenten con cuerdas de tripa y tocados con arcos de época, eigen sind, die ungefähr einhundert Jahre auseinander crean un mundo sonoro totalmente diferente al que liegen. Beide sind ungewöhnlich und hoch spezialisiert. se obtiene con las cuerdas y los clarinetes modernos Diese Buchsbauminstrumente, zusammen mit usados en nuestros días. Las posibilidades de historischen Saiteninstrumenten, bespannt mit articulación, dinámica y fraseo, y la fusión y el colorista Darmsaiten und mit alten Bögen gespielt, lassen eine mundo sonoro de los instrumentos aportan a la música Klangwelt entstehen, die sich deutlich unterscheidet cualidades expresivas que de otra forma sería mucho von den modernen Klarinetten und Saiteninstrumenten más difícil, o quizás imposible, alcanzar. unserer Tage. Die Möglichkeiten bezüglich Artikulation, Dynamik und Phrasierung, wie auch die verschmelzende und farbenfrohe Klangwelt der Instrumente lassen Ausdrucksqualitäten der Musik zum Vorschein kommen, die auf andere Weise nur schwer, vielleicht gar unmöglich, zu erreichen wären. www.glossamusic.com Eric Hoeprich A portrait

We tracked down the clarinettist to give us a Chamber music is one reflection of your musical few pointers to his current thoughts on activities. What else have you been involved performing Mozart and Brahms. in recently?

What drew you to recording this pairing of two “My other performing activities include the great chamber works, pinnacles of their genre? things that have been part of my life for decades, How important was the choice of instruments such as the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, for all five players? and my wind ensembles, Nachtmusique and Stadler Trio. With all of these groups we’ve “You are right that these two works represent made recordings with Glossa, which is always the pinnacle of chamber repertoire for the a pleasure. And in addition to these activities, clarinet. Of course, a factor they also have in there are many invitations to play solo with common is that Mozart and Brahms were other orchestras. I just finished a wonderful inspired to compose their quintets for the same tour with the American orchestra, Philharmonia reason: their acquaintance with an exceptional Baroque, in San Francisco, and later this year clarinettist playing on an unusual instrument will perform with the Kölner Akademie, that led them to compose extraordinary music. Akademie für Alte Musik (Berlin), Handel and For both works I’ve tried to manage to play on Haydn Society (Boston) and several others in the instruments that the composers would have this Mozart birthday year.” expected to hear. Is your sideline as an instrument ‘artisan’ still “In the case of the Mozart quintet, the piece active these days? was written for, and probably commissioned by, Anton Stadler, who had worked together “Sadly, my work as an instrument maker is Eric Hoeprich returns to Glossa on splendid with a Viennese instrument maker to develop almost non-existent these days. I have the form with two pillars of the chamber music a clarinet with extra low notes. The so-called tools and the skills, but no time. Luckily many repertory in the Clarinet Quintets of Mozart and ‘basset clarinet’ was introduced by Stadler to of my students [Hoeprich teaches at the Royal Brahms. For this release – recorded in the the Viennese public in 1788, and Mozart wrote Conservatory in The Hague and at the Paris tranquil English surroundings of St Martin’s the quintet the next year. Stadler is also Conservatoire] are also making instruments Church, East Woodhay in Hampshire, Hoeprich convincingly associated with many works by these days, and doing it very well, so it’s not is joined by the recently-established and much- Mozart during his years in Vienna, not the least as though this is a general problem.” lauded London Haydn Quartet. of which is the , KV622, also written for the special basset clarinet. I built What else is occupying your time or your The Baltimore-born Hoeprich has been a regular a basset clarinet out of boxwood, based on an thoughts at the present time? performer on Glossa over the years, whether engraving from a concert program in Riga, as a soloist, or directing his Harmoniemusik where Stadler performed in the 1790s which “Recording goes on. I’ve just finished recording ensemble Nachtmusique or as the principal I think works very well for both pieces. I always the three Crusell Clarinet Concertos with the clarinettist with Frans Brüggen’s Orchestra of say that the instrument is great – if there are Kölner Akademie (this will be released by ARS the Eighteenth Century. He is an established any problems then they're the fault of the Produktions), and next month will record with and eloquent writer – this latest recording performer! the trio, Stadler Trio – more Mozart! contains another fascinating and entertaining As for writing, I’m happy to report that this essay signed by Hoeprich, this time on the “As for the Brahms, we actually have many year a book on the clarinet that I’ve been genesis and early reception of both the Mozart similarities. He was entranced by Richard working on for some time will be published by and Brahms pieces. His wide-ranging study of Mühlfeld’s clarinet playing, who also played on Yale – it is part of a series on instruments, four the instrument – succinctly titled The Clarinet unusual clarinets, made by Georg Ottensteiner of which are already out. Very nice-looking – will be published shortly by Yale University of Munich. Just as Mozart, Brahms wouldn't books indeed. As for other subjects that I am Press. have written the chamber music for clarinet concerned about, I suppose there are the usual unless he'd met Mühlfeld, whom he dubbed things – world peace, the environment, my The recording brings out the best in modern ‘Fräulein Klarinette’, and with whom he toured students. I do think that by giving as much as playing and rigorous study of original performing widely. The Ottensteiner clarinets were made we can, we create an environment for positive practices – all five versatile players are adept from boxwood at a time when ebony wood was change in the world, which is something needed in a wide range of performing styles. Hoeprich prevalent. The key system is also slightly more at the moment, perhaps more than ever.” has for many years been an instrument maker simple than the usual German-system himself and here employs carefully-researched instruments, with something in common with MARK WIGGINS copies of clarinets used by the original earlier instruments, which were also made from © 2006 Glossa Music performers. Meanwhile, the London Haydn boxwood. These instruments are too difficult Quartet (Catherine Manson and Margaret to make for someone like me, so I had them Fautless, violins; James Boyd, viola and Jonathan built by Jochen Seggelke of Bamberg, based Cohen, cello) are engaged in a survey in concert on Mühlfeld’s own clarinets, which are still in of all the string quartets by Haydn, using gut Meiningen. strings and classical bows. “In addition to these points, there are also the With Hoeprich the Quartet has been performing issues of source material and performance the Mozart and Brahms Quintets live – a practice. For this, it was wonderful to work with forthcoming Library of Congress, Washington the London Haydn Quartet, who are very DC, USA concert is part of a series of public interested in these aspects of performance, engagements which has already included a tour and take the time and trouble to approach the of The Netherlands. Eric Hoeprich has also had music from the historical perspective. In addition a noted recent success in the Mozart Clarinet to being a top-level quartet, they are also the Concerto being accompanied by Nicholas perfect colleagues, incessantly searching for McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque meaning in the text and in the available source Orchestra (and as with the Quintet here his material, without being pedantic or overbearing. preferred instrument was the basset clarinet). In concerts, I enjoy hearing their Haydn quartets as much as playing a quintet with them!”

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