The memory of Anton Stadler lives on because Mozart wrote two of his most beloved works for this clarinetist: the Clarinet Quintet KV.581 and the Clarinet Concerto KV.622; the last concert Mozart wrote. Stadler also played a role in the creation of La Clemenza di Tito, resulting in the virtuoso basset horn solos in the arias Parto, Ma Tu Ben Mio & No Piu Di Fiori. Unfortunately, this opera has
… never been as popular as the Zauberflöte and the Requiem written at the same time. This is not surprising, because the 'opera seria' (the genre to which La Clemenza belongs) only served to tickle the nobility in their role as virtuous and impeccable rulers. Moreover, Mozart had little time to finish this opera for the festivities surrounding Leopold II's coronation as King of Bohemia. Until the 60s of the 20th century, La Clemenza was therefore regarded as the work of a better kind of Gluck (read: an inferior kind of Mozart). Yet the music has a distant beauty, as if carved from marble. However, the listener must be willing to judge the music on his own merits. The aforementioned arias with basset horn are performed by mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, clarinetist Erich Hoeprich and the Orchestra of the 18th century conducted by Frans Brüggen. This beautiful CD opens with the Clarinet Concerto and ends with the impressive Trauermusik KV.477. (HJ) However, the listener must be willing to judge the music on his own merits. The aforementioned arias with basset horn are performed by mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, clarinetist Erich Hoeprich and the Orchestra of the 18th century conducted by Frans Brüggen. This beautiful CD opens with the Clarinet Concerto and ends with the impressive Trauermusik KV.477. (HJ) However, the listener must be willing to judge the music on his own merits. The aforementioned arias with basset horn are performed by mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, clarinetist Erich Hoeprich and the Orchestra of the 18th century conducted by Frans Brüggen. This beautiful CD opens with the Clarinet Concerto and ends with the impressive Trauermusik KV.477. (HJ)more
