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Recorded for the first time on original instruments, this CD is a major addition to the recording catalogue, performed by International period performance specialist, the clarinettist Colin Lawson with cellist Claire Thirion.
Heard in accordance with historical principles, these famous sonatas are illustrative of post-revolutionary clarinet tuition at the Paris Conservatoire.
- First performances using original instrumentation (C clarinet and cello)
- Core repertoire (included on Associated Board and many other exam syllabi).
- Important set of early Clarinet Sonatas from a celebrated pedagogue
- Volume I (sonatas 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) of a two-volume set
Following on from Lawson’s other highly successful CDs for Clarinet Classics, this CD will inspire players and listeners alike and fill vital gap in the recorded catalogue. Includes performance notes by Colin Lawson (also available on the right-hand side of this page!)
Running Time approx: 71 mins.
CC0055 |
Playing Lefèvre’s Clarinet Sonatas
by Colin Lawson
Introduction
The Swiss-born clarinettist Jean Xavier Lefèvre (1763-1829) was appointed to the staff of the Paris Conservatoire when it opened in 1795 in the wake of the French Revolution. Soon afterwards he was commissioned by the Conservatoire to produce a tutor for the clarinet and this Méthode de Clarinette (1802) included the first ever set of twelve progressive clarinet sonatas. The music is well suited to the six-keyed clarinet for which the sonatas were intended, contrasting in mood and direct in utterance. Like a great deal of contemporary material associated with teaching, their accompaniment was originally a simple bass line, almost certainly intended for the cello. The sonatas reflect popular French style of the time, attractive melodically yet developing the musical material to only a limited degree. Lefèvre’s illustrations and fingering charts show that the clarinet was still played in France with the reed against the top lip, a technique officially abandoned at the Conservatoire only in 1831. And just a dozen years after that, Hector Berlioz was describing the clarinet as ‘an epic instrument … the voice of heroic love’.
Lefèvre’s own advice
The Conservatoire commission that received Lefèvre’s work drew attention to the clarinet’s ability to sing, reminding students that they should aim to move the listener. Lefèvre himself says that performance can easily become monotonous without attention to varying the sound and articulation. He warns that it’s not sufficient merely to read the music and play the notes but that musical character must be communicated to the audience. He notes that a certain coldness and monotony often ascribed to the clarinet is actually the responsibility of the performer. A good knowledge of harmony and well-developed musical taste is essential for any performer. Lefèvre’s paragraphs on the correct way to play an Allegro and an Adagio again refer clarinettists to the finest singers, adding that a player must always enter into the spirit of the music and emphasising that slow movements present a particular challenge. An Adagio is always noble and expressive. Lefèvre’s Tutor contains a great deal of sound practical advice, including instruction on posture, holding the clarinet and finger placement. Reassuringly he found good cane for clarinet reeds difficult to acquire !
Playing Lefèvre today
It’s very easy for Lefèvre’s Sonatas to sound rather too heavy and thick; every effort must be made to bring to life the lightness of his original texture. A simple cello accompaniment is much preferable to any of the available piano realisations that introduce extra and often inappropriate material for the right hand. The then popular and lively C clarinet was Lefèvre’s first choice for the sonatas and comes closest to the sound of the classical boxwood instrument. However, he does specify the possibility of performance on the B flat, requiring transposition of the cello line. The original score contains very few dynamic indications and these are expected be supplied by the performers. Repeated sections allow for variety and contrast, with a more mellow approach usually reserved for the repetition. The nature of the material should be allowed to dictate the dynamics and there are no ‘right answers’ here. Smallest note values in each movement give an idea of tempo and each slower movement should be capable of being sung without discomfort, so that Adagios are never over- ponderous. In the simpler earlier sonatas, some modest ornamentation may be judiciously introduced. Above all, the character of each movement must be portrayed through small-scale phrasing and articulations to illuminate the cantabile line. It is especially important to maintain shape and interest in longer as well as shorter note values. In other words, the music is to be treated like speech, with the equivalent of syllables, words, sentences and paragraphs all contributing to the overall effect.
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