Fantasie (Widmann) Explained

Fantasie
Composer:	Jörg Widmann
Period:	Contemporary
Composed:	1993
Publisher:	Schott Music
Scoring:	clarinet in B
Premiere Location:	Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich
Premiere Performers:	Jörg Widmann

Fantasie for Solo Clarinet is a solo instrumental work by Jörg Widmann and was composed in 1993. It has a "Harlequin spirit".^[1]

History

The Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet and Dialogue de l'ombre double were used as the basis. The piece was premiered by the composer on 1 March 1994 at Bayerischer Rundfunk in Munich.^[2]

Music

The work is an expression of "virtuoso flourishes and youthful exuberance". The composer cites The Rite of Spring in Fantastie.^[3]

Structure

Sections:

1. Free, rhapsodically
2. Fast, brilliant
3. Presto possible
4. Tempo come prima, ma poco più mosso

Reception

Zachary Woolfe from The New York Times wrote: "...sounding like the most beautiful circus music ever written."

Recordings

• Bettina Aust and Robert Aust, Bettina Aust – Deutscher Musikwettbewerb, Laureate 2015, Clarinet, Recorded at Ehemalige Sendestelle des Deutschlandradios, 16–19 October 2015, GENUIN classics, GEN 16432, 2016, compact disc.
• Eduard Brunner, Music for Solo Clarinet, Recorded in Studio 2, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich, 14–15 December 2009, Naxos, 8.572470, 2011, compact disc.
• Stefan Neubauer, Solitary Changes, Recorded between 2012 and 2013, Orlando Records, or 0006, 2013.

References

Sources

• Dierickx . Zachary . The Clarinet Works of Jörg Widmann: A Performance Guide to Fantasie for Clarinet Solo with a Survey of Unaccompanied Clarinet Repertoire and Guide to Contemporary Techniques . 2018 . DMA . Ohio State University .
• Mala . Defrim . The music avangard Jörg Widmann and an analyse on his main work "The Fantasie for Clarinet Solo" . . 2019 . 11250/2628871 . Master's thesis . 4 June 2023.

Further reading

• Book: Fein, Markus . Im Sog der Klänge – Gespräche mit dem Komponisten Jörg Widmann . 2005 . Edition Neue Zeitschrift für Musik . 978-3-7957-0535-0 . Mainz . de.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jörg Widmann's "Fantasie" with Andrew Lowy . 11 December 2020 . LA Phil . 18 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210118201909/https://www.laphil.com/about/watch-and-listen/joerg-widmanns-fantasie-with-andrew-lowy . dead .
2. Web site: 3 June 2020 . Fantasie . 14 February 2021 . Schott Music . 20 October 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211020093512/https://en.schott-music.com/shop/fantasie-no176399.html . live .
3. News: Woolfe . Zachary . 15 April 2013 . On Clarinet, the Composer . . New York City . 22 August 2017 . 22 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170822223815/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/16/arts/music/on-clarinet-the-composer-jorg-widmann.html . live .