The music of the so-called Mannheim School, written for the large and virtuosic court orchestra in the German city of Mannheim in the second half of the 18th century, has been out of fashion. From a modern perspective it doesn't seem to have contained the groundbreaking discoveries that were happening in Vienna. Yet in its own time the Mannheim orchestra (memorialized by the high-tech instrumental pop group Mannheim Steamroller) was, in the words of clarinetist Andreas Ottensamer, "a rock-star ensemble," famed for its brilliant individual players. The orchestra introduced various instrumental innovations, including the first prominent use of the clarinet, to which are owed Mozart's towering works for the instrument. Ottensamer, principal clarinetist for the Berlin Philharmonic, offers a varied selection of music from Mannheim, including one concerto each from the father-and-son pair of Johann and Carl Stamitz. He also finds some rarer music, most notably a Concerto for clarinet, bassoon, and orchestra by Franz Danzi. For no very good reason other than that Ottensamer apparently wanted to perform with his friend Albrecht Mayer, the bassoon part of this work is transcribed for cor anglais, but it's certainly possible to imagine the transcription being done in the work's own time. It is a small masterpiece of intricate ensemble writing that may bring to mind Haydn's Sinfonia Concertante in B flat major, Hob. 1/105. Sample its ebullient finale, so much more varied than the rather stumpy Carl Stamitz finale. The opera-based pieces on the album by Danzi and Mozart are elegantly done and allow Ottensamer plenty of opportunity for pure technical display. A satisfying release, very nicely recorded at Berlin's Teldex studio.
by James Manheim
Tracklist:
Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in B flat major
1
I. Allegro moderato 7:13
Johann Stamitz
2
II. Adagio 5:16
Johann Stamitz
3
III. Poco presto 4:19
Johann Stamitz
Concertino for Clarinet, Bassoon and Orchestra in B flat major, Op. 47
4
I. Allegro 6:43
Franz Danzi
5
II. Andante moderato 3:19
Franz Danzi
6
III. Allegretto 6:02
Franz Danzi
Mitridate, re di Ponto
7
Se viver non degg'io 4:38
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
8
Fantasy for clarinet and orchestra on "Là ci darem la mano" 10:08
Franz Danzi
Don Giovanni
9
Batti, batti, o bel Masetto 3:59
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra No. 7 in E flat major (Darmstädter No. 1)
10
I. Allegro molto 8:19
Carl Stamitz
11
II. Adagio 6:18
Carl Stamitz
12
III. Rondeau 5:37
Carl Stamitz
ANDREAS OTTENSAMER - New Era [Stamitz / Danzi / Mozart]
[2017] DECCA / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
O Púbis da Rosa
The concerto repertory for the viola is not large, and the Naxos label figures to do well among violists themselves with this trio of concertos from the late 18th century. The reason for the paucity of Classical-era viola concertos, at least, was that then as now there were few specialist viola virtuosos. The exception to the rule, however, was composer Carl Philipp Stamitz, whose Viola Concerto No. 1 in D major of 1773, heard here, is one of the standards of the repertory. Stamitz also apparently composed music for viola d'amore, which would be nice to hear sometime, but Baltimore-based violist Victoria Chiang and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra under Markand Thakar deliver a decent performance of the viola concerto here, with a feel for its most distinctive quality: its large, discursive structure. This concerto, composed in Mannheim, comes from a different world from Mozart's Vienna; in place of Viennese compactness there is a large orchestra (perhaps reflecting the continuing influence of the Mannheim school, although the work was apparently composed elsewhere) with which the viola carries on a surprising variety of dialogues. These include, at times, passages in which the solo viola is set against the divided violas of the orchestra, an effect of which Mozart would hardly have thought. The solo part itself includes multiple stops, harmonics, and passagework worthy of a true virtuoso; Chiang never lets you imagine the sweat. The two concertos by Vienna's Franz Anton Hoffmeister, generally known as the dedicatee of Mozart's String Quartet in D major, K. 499, have rarely been recorded; they're competent examples of the Mozartian style, with peppy melodies, but they're not on the level of the Stamitz concerto. The sound, from an auditorium at Baltimore's Goucher College, is pretty basic, and in general this release is oriented toward those with specialist interests, but the Stamitz performance is very fine. by James Manheim 
