Mozart clarinet concerto arranged by Beethoven?

[Quijote]

First off, Happy New Year to you all.

Second, I've been watching a lecture by Christopher Hogwood on performance practice (HIP, both ancient and "modern") and arrangements.

In the lecture he plays an extract from some very nice Salomon arrangements of Haydn's symphonies (for flute, string quartet and piano) and goes on to talk about the importance of arrangements and adaptations at that time...

He makes a very interesting claim that an anonymous arrangement for viola of Mozart's famous clarinet concerto was quite possibly made by ... Beethoven.

This point is made at the 46'21" mark: https://youtu.be/GhPvarC3RRE?t=2781

[Chris]

Interesting. I've never heard that claim before. I'll have to track it down and give it a listen now.

[Quijote]

Hello Chris,
Did you find a version to listen to? Any comments?

[Chris]

Yes, I found this recording by Lars Anders Tomter from 2007, which is apparently the first recording made of the arrangement.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnjznz6qQjQ[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I4ZkKreAao[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYUTrCO_N0M[/YOUTUBE]

I think it's a very well done arrangement. The changes made to the solo part make it sound right at home on the viola, and if I hadn't known it was an arrangement, I wouldn't have guessed that it wasn't originally written for the viola. I don't think there is anything about the arrangement itself that suggests it was made by Beethoven, but I wouldn't really expect that either.

It was nice to hear a familiar piece in the language of a different instrument. I might revisit this one sometime, and if I played the viola professionally, I could see myself learning this so that I could have a solo Mozart concerto to play.

[Quijote]

Yes, I found this recording by Lars Anders Tomter from 2007, which is apparently the first recording made of the arrangement.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnjznz6qQjQ[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I4ZkKreAao[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYUTrCO_N0M[/YOUTUBE]

I think it's a very well done arrangement. The changes made to the solo part make it sound right at home on the viola, and if I hadn't known it was an arrangement, I wouldn't have guessed that it wasn't originally written for the viola. I don't think there is anything about the arrangement itself that suggests it was made by Beethoven, but I wouldn't really expect that either.

It was nice to hear a familiar piece in the language of a different instrument. I might revisit this one sometime, and if I played the viola professionally, I could see myself learning this so that I could have a solo Mozart concerto to play.

Yes, nothing that "screams out" this was by Beethoven, but a fascinating possibility, as mentioned by Christopher Hogwood.

[Zevy]

I bought this CD years ago because of its "appeal". After all, who wouldn't want to hear another twist on the already famous Clarinet Quintet and Concerto. (I had not heard the suggestion that it "might" be a transcription by Beethoven.) Well, after one listen-through, I was cured. 'nuff said...

[Chris]

Gramophone didn't seem to like the recording much:

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/...ents-for-viola

They blame the conductor.