Hi,

I've been lucky enough to secure the company of a fellow forum member for a music morning tomorrow. One of the things we are going to attept is the Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A Adagio movt. It's a long time since I've played this piece with accompaniment and so I'm really looking forward to it.

Thing is I don't really know what to do for the cadenza. I've never really ad libbed a cadenza so don't really understand the basis of doing this. I have a Richard Stoltzman book with a cadenza written out which I've been trying to play but I don't really like it.(Sorry) My CDs/ cassettes have nicer and simpler ones but without spending ages trying to copy one by ear I'm a bit stumped.

So: Does anyone have a good transcript or know where I can get one on line?
or Could someone give me some straightforward pointers into what to do if I want to do my own thing?

Thanks
A stumped clarinettist

Well, I can't help with that particular cadenza, but the last (and only) time I played a concerto in public the approach I took was to write my own by simplifying an existing cadenza and adding in some modifications from another copy that I had.

Hi Dawn,

I've recently written a cadenza for one of the Mozart flute concertos, because I didn't like the one in my book or the one my teacher had. I did it by adapting and then expanding some of the key motifs from the concerto and linking them together.

For example, the flute part in the concerto (Andante ma non troppo, in 3/4) starts with a crotchet D', G, B | slurred semi-quavers G#', A', B', A', crotchet A', crotchet rest | slurred semi-quavers G#', A', B', A', crotchet A', crotchet C'' | slurred crotchets A#', B', crotchet rest.

I have adapted this idea at the start of the cadenza and have: quaver rest, slurred semi-quavers D', B, quavers (slurred in pairs) G, B, D', G' | semi-quavers (slurred in 4s) G#', A', B', A', A', B', C'', B', B' C'', D'', C'' | slurred crotchets A#', B', crotchet rest.

For a slow movement you can probably get away with doign this for 2 or 3 of the key motifs as long as you can get them to link. The candenza I wrote is 20 bars long, and my teacher thought that it was on the verge of being too long. The one in my copy of the music is (I think) 8 bars. Make sure that the harmonic progression is okay by playing the notes as chords and seeing if these sound okay (my teacher had to give me guidance here!).

I'm a pianist, so I can only give you what I know in terms of piano cadenzas, but I'm imagining the principles are the same.

The cadenza is usually built on a series of intervals or chords to end the phrase. How this most often works is that the instrumentalist (you) is demonstrating their talent in a flourish of "virtuosity" to elaborate on the cadence, which will occur at that point in the score. (cadence ... cadenza)

You should play it in free time and the effect that you are trying to create is basically to work your way up in a beautiful flurry from the first note, to the last in the cadence. (I'm assuming here that it is a rising cadence, as this is the best place to show-off)

I looked briefly at a score that I have of it and am I right in thinking that you're talking about bar 59 in the second movement?

If so, I think that in this Adagio movement, it is not a "true" cadenza that is required - it is what's called an "eingang" or, in english "lead-in" (literally), which is a shorter embellishment. This is because it is indicated by a fermata over a dominant seventh chord and preceeds the new section, and it's purpose is to avoid a strict modulation.

Because of the point at which it happens in this piece is followed by a solo clarinet passage, you can make your improvisation link the preceeding part to the solo passage. I would play about, rising up and playing around with the notes and as long as you finish on the correct chord (or selected note that fits the chord in the clarinet's case), you will be fine. I'd say around 10 - 20 seconds would work in this piece. I wouldn't think about bars, just go with it! (as it should be in free time anyway).
It doesn't have to be particularly fast, it just has to be beautiful and show off your talent!

As an idea, I have a cadenza in a Liszt piece in one hand and it tends to go (it's difficult to write out notes!):

starting chord of low E-A-Db
then all in fast semiquavers: (Going upwards generally, except the A is always lower than the next note) top Eb-Db-G-E-A-E-B-A-C#-A-D#-C#-E-C#-F#-E-A-E-B-A-C#-A-D#-A-C-A-D-A-C-A-D-A-C-A-D
finishing on a chord of F-Ab-Db-F

That probably made absolutely no sense, but I hope it helps a little!

If you end up playing the entire concerto, I think there are 2 more opportunities for cadenzas in the first movement. When you have this, it's a really good idea to start with one motif or theme and develop it each time. This especially works if each cadenza is progressively longer and more exciting/virtuosic!

But I'm NOT a virtuoso!!!!

Thankyou all for your suggestions. I think I might adapt a couple of ideas from what I have. A friend wrote me a cadenza for this piece of music when I was at Uni but unfortunately it seems to have gone the same way as my original piano part (LOST!!!! ) I liked this one as she wrote it by ear based on a cassette version I have. I probably could do this but it would take me soooo long!!!



Yes occurs at bar 59. My start note is a Bb above the stave and the adjoining solo passage starts on a C (3rd space) The written out version I have has lots of semiquaver runs with each starting a semitone up on the last (Bnat, c, C#, D) running right up to high G and back down again, then snatches a motif from the 1st movt. Ends on 2 pause notes (D then C). So whatever I do should end on these 2 notes?

I'm a little puzzled about the use of the sharps and flats and naturalised notes used. I thought I was in a major, not a minor key. Edit :Duh!! Thinking about it a bit more, and getting my part out in front of me! I'm not in C (sounds A on A clari) anymore here I Have gone into a minor key - D minor? OK so now understand the B naturals and C#s (melodic minor) But why F#s and natural alteration? Please excuse me as my theory needs a little revising. It's about 15 years since I got my G5 - theory exam. So whilst I do understand what you mean by cadence and can even remember some cadences (perfect 5-1, plagal 4-1, imperfect (4-5?) and interrupted (?) I'm not entirely sure what is meant by a rising cadence etc. Could you explain a little more in simpler terms please?

Thanks

I honestly wouldn't go too virtuosic on this cadenza Dawn - for me, something fairly simple and beautiful will work just fine.

Have fun playing around with little scale/arpeggio-y motifs, maybe try a sequence, but I really wouldn't get too flowery.

Pausing on a D as your final note of the cadenza I think is a good move. Not sure I'd pause on a C as well.

Don't worry! When I said that, I didn't mean you need actually be a virtuoso - you can still play something that sounds "virtuosic"! But this cadenza doesn't need to be actually - its in a slow movement and should simply be as beautiful as you can make it. Fast and complicated is great, but beautiful is better.



I made a mistake - your cadenza is going down, not rising, so forget about that!
(what I meant was, is the 2nd note of the cadence higher than the first note of the cadence, so the music is going up/rising)

Instead of analysing it so theoretically, why don't you try to think of it like this:
You have been given Bb (above the stave) as your starting note, and can play whatever you want as an improvisation, as long as you somehow reach the C (3rd space) and make it sound beautiful.

If you can incorporate snatches of the theme, that would be brilliant, but it is not essential. Does that help/make it any simpler at all?

Maybe if you think of it as a "classical improvisation" (which it what it is) it won't seem so daunting.

Do you have a copy of the clarinet quintet? The cadenza in that is actually written out, and as the concerto and quintet are quite similar in places, it's not unknown for people to play the quintet cadenza in the concerto, or to write their own based on in.

I'm way way way too tired to be posting so I may be about to talk drivel. It is worth remembering that the cadenza here is an Eingang (?sp) rather than a cadenza - it's more a moment of reflection than a moment to show off your virtuosic skills.

I agree with Deborah's suggestion, grab a copy of the quintet (a must in your library if you don't already have it) and base whatever you do on that.

Keep it short, simple and in keeping with the rest of the movement.

thanks for the advice and support. I'll have a play about.



Yes it does thanks.
And it really doesn't matter how short or long? (but not too long I think?)



No I don't. As yet....



Ok. I'm too Zzzzzzzzz too!! just had 2 hours of band and then got sent on a diversion on way home - road closures Aaaarg!!! Thankyou too. "A moment of reflection" doesn't sound as daunting as a full on cadenza.


Thankyou all.

Will play around tomorrow now and hope something slips into place.

Night Night