Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, Part 6. Cadenza
1, Examples and Overview. Cadenzas written by Ibert, Ewell, and Igusa.
By Terry B. Ewell, Bassoon Digital Professor. BDP #217. Vincent Igusa,
bassoon, and Catherine Renggli, piano. www.2reed.net.
<music: Vincent Igusa, bassoon, and Catherine Renggli, piano. Towson University Recital Hall, 20 June 2017.>
1. Hello, I am Terry Ewell, the Bassoon Digital Professor. My mission
is to present a well-reasoned pedagogy for bassoon practice and
performance. This is the sixth video on the Mozart Bassoon Concerto and
we are at the half-way mark in the series.
2. In this video we will examine three cadenzas for the Mozart Bassoon Concerto, first movement.
3. Let’s begin by reading Frederick Neumann’s summary of what a cadenza in Mozart’s music should contain.
4. “Cadenzas are introduced by a 6/4 chord on the tonic with
fermata, and end typically with a trill on the dominant seventh. They
are more substantial, should preferably quote and elaborate on themes
or motives from the movement, and should contain some brilliant passage
work.
5. Cadenzas should not be too long, should not markedly exceed the
technical level of the piece, should not modulate too far afield, and
should not jump outside the stylistic framework. In other words, they
should neither technically nor stylistically flaunt their character as
a foreign implant, one that disturbs the organic unity of the
movement.”
(Ross, David J. “Ornamentation in the Bassoon Music of
Vivaldi and Mozart,” Part II. The Double Reed 9/3 (Winter 1986).
6. Now I am going to ask you to be an active listener. Take a piece of
paper and pencil or pen and write down these key points taken from
Neumann’s presentation:
7.
1) Style. The cadenza should match the style of the music (harmony, melody, rhythms, expression, technical character)
2) Quotation. The cadenza should make use of materials contained in that movement of the concerto.
3) Brilliant passage work. The cadenza should showcase the performer’s abilities.
8. Now as you hear performances of three cadenzas, write down your
impressions. I am including the same introduction performed by
Catherine Renggli in all the versions so that you can hear the context
of the cadenzas.
9. First, here is a cadenza written by Jacques Ibert with a copyright
date of 1937. Unfortunately, since the copyright is after 1922, I will
not be showing the full music on the screen. You will just have to
listen carefully.
<music, Ibert’s cadenza, Performed by Terry B. Ewell>
10. Next is a cadenza I wrote when I was 19 or 20 years old. I first
performed this years ago with the University of Washington Symphony
Orchestra.
<music, Ewell’s cadenza, performed by Terry B. Ewell>
11. Finally, here is the cadenza written by 16-year-old Vincent Igusa,
my student. He premiered this cadenza with the Baltimore Symphony
Orchestra in Spring 2016.
<music, Igusa’s cadenza, performed by Vincent Igusa>
12. Well, what did you think? The Ibert cadenza was wild, wasn’t
it? Cadenzas written in the early and middle 1900s featured extravagent
musical departures from the style and key of the composition with
extended virtuosic flourishes. Audiences and performers at that time
desired qualities in the music that greatly differed from those at the
time of Mozart.
13. In terms of Neumann’s standards, however, the Ibert cadenza
fell short in all but perhaps the third point. For the most part it did
not match the style of the composition in harmony and quickly departed
from the B flat major key of the Concerto. The cadenza only briefly
quoted material from the Concerto. I must say, however, that it was
technically challenging and quite fun to play. The ascent to F5 at the
end was particularly memorable, even though bassoons in Mozart’s
time did not play that high.
14. In contrast, my cadenza and the cadenza written by Vincent seek to
match the style of the Mozart Concerto and to borrow materials from the
movement. Both of these cadenzas stand up well to Neumann’s
guidelines.
15. I am particularly proud with what Vincent composed. His expression
of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto is unique, and this cadenza can be his
signature statement for many years to come.
16. Several of my other students have composed wonderful cadenzas for
the work as well. Some of these are posted on www.2reed.net/Cadenzas. I
hope that they will stimulate you to write your own cadenzas, which
will be the subject of the next video in this series.
<music: Vincent Igusa, bassoon, and Catherine Renggli, piano. Towson University Recital Hall, 20 June 2017.>