NC native and German resident Allan Ware presents an intriguing program highlighting the history of the clarinet.
Bragging Clarinetists (who composed for their instrument)
Improvisation on a theme by Giacomo Meyerbeer Allan Ware (b. 1952)
Lento & Allegro Giovanni Gambaro (1785-1828)
Caprice Nr. 1 (with Folksong Melodies) Anton Stadler (1753-1812)
Adagio in F major KV 580a Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 1791)
Caprice Nr. 2 Anton Stadler (with quotes from Mozart and “God save the King/Queen”)
Sonate in g minor Jean-Xavier Lefèvre (1763-1849)
Allegro ma non troppo Adagio Rondeau - Allegretto
Harlekin Louis Cahuzac (1880-1960)
Caprice Nr.3 (with Folk dances from the Alps) Anton Stadler
3 Etudes on Themes of Gershwin Paul Harvey (b. 1935)
I got Rhythm Summertime It Ain´t Necessarily So
Sunday, Plaza Mayor (from “A Week in Plasencia”) Mike Curtis (b. 1952)
ALLAN WARE, CLARINET
LYUBOV NITKINA, PIANO

John Jacob, recording engineer, videographer, photographer, editor

Clarinetists like to show off!
The clarinet was invented around 1690 in Germany and over the following centuries, was so improved, that it could claim an irreplaceable position in orchestras and chamber music ensembles. Clarinet players were (and still are) interested in showing off what their instrument could do by writing pieces for themselves and hope to convince well-known composers to write pieces for them. For example, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote to his friend, Anton Stadler, who was a virtuoso clarinetist in Vienna: “I have never heard the like of what you contrived with your instrument. Never should I have thought that a clarinet could be capable of imitating the human voice as it was imitated by you. Indeed, your instrument has so soft and lovely a tone that no one can resist it…” Mozart continued to write several masterpieces for clarinet, giving Stadler lots of opportunities “strut his stuff”.
Following this model, many composer-clarinetists promoted them-selves in the same way, playing their own compositions, which emphasized what they could do best. By doing this, they created concerts and publications for themselves, and in short, they insured their careers as clarinetists. The music you will hear this evening are examples of this effective
advertising for the clarinet, and yes, just plain showing off!