Stamitz, C.: Clarinet Quartets, Opp. 14, 19

Chronique

The enormous output of German composer Carl Stamitz, in whose work the so-called Mannheim School reached its apex, remains in large stretches untouched by performers, with the result that new recordings somewhat modify the picture of his music. This Hungarian release by clarinetist Lajos Rozmán with members of the Authentic Quartet (that's what they're called in Hungarian, too) is a good example. The two clarinet quartets from an Op. 14 set of six are of a type familiar from other Stamitz recordings, with brief movements built around sunny, compact themes and facile instrumental writing. The three quartets of Op. 19, however, are of another kind. Probably composed in Paris or London in the late 1770s, they have large concerto-like structures in the opening movements, with solo clarinet sections clearly defined. Given Stamitz's popularity, they must have been important steps in the development of clarinet chamber music as taken up by Mozart and later composers. Rozmán deserves credit for unearthing these works, but there is certainly room for other recordings of them. He uses the odd combination of a modern clarinet with period stringed instruments (apparently with catgut strings, although the booklet doesn't tell us anything about what makes them authentic), justifying this procedure with an argument that basically boils down to the idea that he likes the sound. There's no accounting for taste, but the effect is to give the clarinet a whoop-like sound in faster passagework, although the expansive Op. 19 movements come off all right where the tempo is more moderate. The clarinet in general seems curiously detached from its surroundings, and the relaxed discourse that is the hallmark of Stamitz's music is lost. The disc is probably of most interest to those specifically interested in Stamitz. Notes are in English, French, German, and Hungarian.

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