THE CLARINOTTS ERNST, DANIEL & ANDREAS OTTENSAMER THE CLARINOTTS 2 FELIX MENDELSSOHN 1809–1847 AMILCARE PONCHIELLI 1834–1886 Concert Piece for Clarinet, Basset Horn and Orchestra op. 113 7 Il convegno op. 76 9.54 arranged by Rainer Schottstädt The Meeting | Die Zusammenkunft | Le Rendez-vous 1 1. Allegro con fuoco 2.27 arranged by The Clarinotts 2 2. Andante 2.55 DANIEL OTTENSAMER clarinet I | ANDREAS OTTENSAMER clarinet II 3 3. Presto 2.23 WIENER VIRTUOSEN DANIEL OTTENSAMER clarinet | ANDREAS OTTENSAMER basset horn JEAN FRANÇAIX 1912–1997 WIENER VIRTUOSEN 8 Petit Quatuor: Cantilène (2nd mvt.) 2.28 WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART 1756–1791 arranged by Rainer Schottstädt 4 Trio “Soave sia il vento” from Mozart’s Così fan tutte 2.54 ANDREAS OTTENSAMER clarinet | DANIEL OTTENSAMER basset horn ERNST OTTENSAMER bass clarinet ANDREAS OTTENSAMER clarinet I | DANIEL OTTENSAMER clarinet II ERNST OTTENSAMER basset horn BELA KORENY *1946 WIENER VIRTUOSEN 9 Cinema I 10.25 FRANZ DOPPLER 1821–1883 & KARL DOPPLER 1825–1900 ANDREAS OTTENSAMER A clarinet | DANIEL OTTENSAMER B flat clarinet bass clarinet piano 5 Fantasy on Themes from Verdi’s Rigoletto 10.01 ERNST OTTENSAMER | CHRISTOPH TRAXLER arranged by Rainer Schottstädt WIENER VIRTUOSEN DANIEL OTTENSAMER clarinet I | ANDREAS OTTENSAMER clarinet II LUIZ BONFÁ 1922–2001 ERNST OTTENSAMER basset horn 0 Manhã de Carnaval 5.40 WIENER VIRTUOSEN THE CLARINMorning of Carnival | Karnevalsmorgen | MatinO de carnaval TTS GIOACCHINO ROSSINI 1792–1868 arranged by The Clarinotts 6 La danza 4.35 ANDREAS & DANIEL OTTENSAMER clarinet arranged by Erich Schagerl for The Clarinotts ERNST OTTENSAMER clarinet & bass clarinet | FRANTIŠEK JÁNOŠKA piano ANDREAS OTTENSAMER clarinet I | DANIEL OTTENSAMER clarinet II OLIVIER TRUAN ERNST OTTENSAMER basset horn ! The Chase 3.03 WIENER VIRTUOSEN Die Jagd | La Chasse ANDREAS & DANIEL OTTENSAMER clarinet 3 THE CLARINOTTS Ernst Ottensamer · Daniel Ottensamer · Andreas Ottensamer WIENER VIRTUOSEN Violin I: Christoph Koncz | Olesya Kurylyak | Michael Maciaszczyk Violin II: Jewgenij Andrusenko | Bojidara Kouzmanova-Vladar | Marian Gaspar Viola: Elmar Landerer | László Toma Violoncello: Bernhard Hedenborg The BÜRGENSTOCK FESTIVAL was founded in 2011 by pianist José Gallardo and myself, together Bass: Josef Niederhammer with the Frey family, who, in their love for music, culture and the mountain they feel so connected to, expend enormous effort in hosting wonderful concerts on the Bürgenstock, near Lucerne. As the Formed in 1995 by section principals of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Wiener Virtuosen artistic directors, it is our privilege to shape the musical identity of the festival, to invite our friends and have rapidly gained an international reputation for style and excellence and as a respected colleagues to this marvellous place, and to play regularly for the warmest, most welcoming audiences. ambassador of the Viennese musical tradition throughout the world. The ensemble, whose forces vary in number depending on the repertoire, was founded by their Artistic Director, In 2015 the BÜRGENSTOCK FESTIVAL EDITION was launched in collaboration with Deutsche Ernst Ottensamer. Grammophon / Mercury Classics to support my chamber music recordings. The first project in this edition was the album Brahms – The Hungarian Connection. CHRISTOPH TRAXLER It gives me great pleasure to assemble my family for the second recording in the BÜRGENSTOCK Christoph Traxler is a much sought-after young Austrian pianist. He performs as soloist FESTIVAL EDITION. As the festival itself is hosted by one family, this felt like the perfect fit. Tradition is with renowned orchestras, appears frequently in solo recitals and chamber music concerts something very important in music – and nowhere is the learning process more natural than within the and is also active as a song accompanist. He is a regular partner of The Clarinotts. family. With this album we pay tribute to our musical roots, indulge in our traditional values, but also follow unknown paths and discover exciting new possibilities. FRANTIŠEK JÁNOŠKA The intimate setting and atmosphere of the BÜRGENSTOCK FESTIVAL has been the ideal source of A very versatile young pianist, František Jánoška is equally at home in classical music, jazz inspiration to shape these ideas and finally put them into reality. I cannot thank enough all involved for and many other genres. Also successful as composer and arranger, he is a member of The their generous support. My special thanks go to Peter Frey, as representative of the BÜRGENSTOCK Philharmonics and, together with his three brothers, forms the Jánoška Ensemble. FESTIVAL board, for making this album happen. 4 THE CLARINOTTS: ON STAGE “There’s a note on the clarinet called ‘open G’ natural pull towards the instrument. It’s like the which you don’t have to press any keys to pro- attraction of your mother’s voice, or a familiar duce: you just blow. And with this one little smell you love: it was that sort of connection. note, my father and older brother asked me to We’d grown up with the sound of it.” join them for a little house concert, just for fun. Andreas’s talent on the clarinet soon began They performed one of the famous Kegelduette to match that of his father and brother, and their by Mozart, and whenever this note occurred, music-making together became more ambitious. I joined in too. Just with that one note. That But it was still all for amusement. “When we was our very first moment as a trio.” Andreas were too lazy to practise on our own we’d get Ottensamer was eleven years old and had never together and play something fun,” he deadpans. touched the instrument before. They found that there was a surprisingly large His father Ernst is one of the world’s fore most amount of music for their combination. They clarinettists. He has been a Principal Clarinet of also began to experiment with different musical the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra since 1983, colours and timbres by also employing the full- and he founded several celebrated chamber sounding bass clarinet, the mellow basset horn groups including the Wiener Vir tuosen. His and the high E flat clarinet besides the standard brother Daniel also displayed a prodigious early A and B flat clarinets. talent on the instrument, and in 2009 was also The trio decided to start arranging works appointed a Principal Clarinet with the Vienna for themselves too, and began looking at Bach Philharmonic. Andreas himself is now a Principal partitas, operatic works, and other genres Clarinet with the Berlin Philharmonic, as well as such as jazz. It was at this point, with a sense a celebrated soloist: “My brother and I felt a that they had “accidentally” created a rather 5 special ensemble, that they decided to formal- Is it easier to be in an ensemble with one’s millisecond before they do it. It’s a luxury you’ll “There are little recitatives, and two voices ize their arrangement: hence the founding of own family? Andreas is emphatic. “Decision mak- rarely have with any other ensemble.” which sing together. It makes a perfect overture The Clarinotts in 2005. “It all felt very natural,” ing is a lot harder,” he says. “We don’t have the The players continually switch parts – now for what comes after.” Another work which has says Andreas. “We never sat down and said: let’s boundaries of politeness we would have with oth- the melody, now the bass line – “to keep the an “operatic” flavour is Il convegno (1856–7) by form a business plan. We simply carried on doing er people. All three of us have the same author- spice”, but one element which remains constant Ponchielli. “You can really feel the story of two what we’d already been doing for years.” ity in the group, and we’re very direct – very! It is their common grounding in the “Viennese lovers meeting and singing to each other. And it’s Concert offers began to arrive. Their reper- sometimes feels like we’re about to break up after school” of clarinet playing. The Viennese clari- one of the most virtuosic works we play – it’s a toire gradually increased, stretching from the the rehearsal. But it means we get closer to the net has a wider bore and thicker wood than oth- huge challenge.” baroque era to contemporary works, and their heart of what we’re playing very quickly. At the er types; it produces a warm, dark, full-bodied The album includes two works directly friends began to compose and arrange works for performance, we all remember why we’re doing sound, but necessitates a greater amount of air inspired by operas: the trio Soave sia il vento them too. But the feeling of spontaneity and fun it, and why we love it so much. We have total from the player to create it. from Mozart’s Così fan tutte (1790), and the Fan- remained. freedom – we know what our partners will do a For their Mercury Classics/Deutsche Gram- tasy on Themes from Verdi’s Rigoletto (1878) by mophon debut, the group have chosen a selec- the brothers Franz and Karl Doppler. The latter tion of pieces based on the concept “on stage” piece was originally composed for two flutes, but in its widest sense. Thus each work has a link is here arranged for the full Clarinotts trio. “My with either opera, ballet, dance, performance or brother and I grew up hearing our father play in film. For an ensemble which has itself appeared the pit of the Vienna State Opera: it became like on some of the most prestigious concert stages a second home for us,” recalls Andreas. “Daniel in the world, it feels like a good fit. and I have both played for the opera too. Now The curtains open with Mendelssohn’s daz- with these two pieces, it’s as if we have moved zling Concert Piece for Clarinet, Basset Horn from the pit to the stage, to become the singers and Orchestra No.