Bass Virtuosos

SKU: IS.CC6226EM

ISBN 9790365062263.

Mendelssohn composed the Concert pieces for clarinet, basset horn and piano in 1833 for the German clarinet virtuosos Heinrich and Carl Bärmann (father and son). The intention was to be together as friends, as Mendelssohn himself played the piano part frequently himself. It has been said that Mendelssohn wrote the second Konzertstück in one day, in the amount of time it took for Carl to make his homemade Dampfnudel and Rahmstrudel (sweet dumplings and cheese strudel). Carl Bärmann described the scene of this day, illustrating how both he and Mendelssohn had until five o’clock to complete their respective tasks (for Carl dumplings and strudel, for Mendelssohn the new Konzertstück). When five o’clock came, each man presented their work in a covered dish. Mendelssohn was said to have claimed that Carl’s dumpling composition was more ingenious than his. The events of this particular day are the reason why Mendelssohn’s original title for his second Konzertstück was, The Battle of Prague: A Great Duet for Sweet Dumplings or Cheese Strudel, Clarinet, and Basset Horn... .

SKU: BR.OB-15136-27

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790004341339. 10 x 12.5 inches.

The Havanaise possibly has its roots in the friendship of the composer with the Cuban-born violinist Rafael Diaz Albertini. It is thus perfectly plausible that Saint-Saens borrowed the Cuban syncopated slow dance Habanera out of kindness towards his performance partner when he was getting ready to write a work for Diaz Albertini in 1887. Saint-Saens originally wrote a version for violin and piano, which was later followed by the orchestral version that the publisher Durand had urged him to write. Diaz Albertini, to whom the work was dedicated, gave its world premiere before other virtuosos adopted it for themselves and spread its fame throughout the world. The basis of this first Urtext edition of the piece is the first edition, which was presumably personally overseen by Saint-Saens.