Daniel Ottensamer, Stephan Koncz, Christoph Traxler ‘The Clarinet Trio Anthology’ Deluxe CD Hardcover Book

ENGLISH
During the first lockdown, clarinetist Daniel Ottensamer, violoncellist Stephan Koncz and pianist Christoph Traxler took pause to reflect and explore the very disparate facets of the clarinet trio. Starting from the magisterial trios of Beethoven and Brahms, they began a journey to explore the influences these works exerted on other composers, and as they moved further and further away from their point of departure their project burgeoned into this comprehensive anthology in which all three instruments are taken to their limits in terms of their sonorities and technical capabilities. This 7-CD deluxe hardcover book presentation—and digital mirror—adds a number of works to Universal Music’s repertoire pool for the first time.

Starting from the magisterial trios of Beethoven and Brahms, clarinetist Daniel Ottensamer, cellist Stephan Koncz and pianist Christoph Traxler began a journey to explore the influences these works exerted on other composers. As they moved further and further away from their point of departure, their search took them through several centuries and across every continent and their project burgeoned into a comprehensive anthology. “Our initial idea was to juxtapose these mainstream works with contemporary pieces, but our work on this project eventually got so out of hand that there was no end to the works that we discovered for our ensemble,” Koncz explains. “In all of them the tonal variety of the clarinet and the interplay between the three instruments is explored in completely different ways.”
The three performers decided to focus on pieces that had originally been written for their particular resources and not to include the many arrangements that exist. They begin with Beethoven’s op. 11 and end with Magnus Lindberg’s Clarinet Trio, in which all three instruments are taken to their limits in terms of their sonorities and technical capabilities. Between these two extremes lies a long and exciting journey which, as all three musicians have noted, keeps returning to the musical tradition of their home city of Vienna.

DEUTSCH
Wann hat man schon mal Zeit und Gelegenheit, sich ausführlich mit einem Nischengenre wie dem Klarinettentrio auseinanderzusetzen? Der erste Corona-Lockdown war so eine Gelegenheit für den Klarinettisten der Wiener Philharmoniker Daniel Ottensamer, den Cellisten der Berliner Philharmoniker Stephan Koncz und den Pianisten Christoph Traxler.

Die drei beschlossen, nur Originalkompositionen für ihre Konstellation zu berücksichtigen und keine Arrangements (von denen es eine ganze Reihe gibt). Den Anfang macht Beethovens op. 11, das Finale bildet Magnus Lindbergs Klarinettentrio, in dem die Instrumente auf all ihre klanglichen und instrumentalen Möglichkeiten hin untersucht werden. Dazwischen liegt eine lange, aufregende musikalische Reise, die – wie die drei Musiker festgestellt haben – immer wieder Station in der Musiktradition ihrer Heimat Wien macht.

Werke von Ludwig van Beethoven, Alexander Zemlinsky, Max Bruch, Arvo Pärt, Nino Rota, Friedrich Cerha u.a.

The Recordings

CD1
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Trio Op. 11 ‘Gassenhauer’
ARVO PÄRT: Mozart-Adagio
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Trio Op. 38 (after Septet Op. 20)

CD2
JOHANNES BRAHMS: Trio Op. 114
ROBERT KAHN: Serenade Op. 73
WOLFGANG RIHM: Chiffre IV
ROBERT KAHN: Trio Op. 45

CD3
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG: Fragment In D Minor
ALEXANDER VON ZEMLINSKY: Trio Op. 3
FRIEDRICH CERHA: 5 Stücke
CARL FRÜHLING: Trio Op. 40

CD4
LOUISE FARRENC: Trio Op. 44
GABRIEL FAURÉ: Trio Op. 120
VINCENT D’INDY: Trio Op. 29

CD5
FERDINAND RIES: Trio Op. 28
JÖRG WIDMANN: Nachtstück
MAX BRUCH: 8 Stücke Op. 83

CD6
MIKHAIL GLINKA: Trio Pathétique
PAUL JUON: Trio-Miniaturen
DANIEL SCHNYDER: A Friday Night In August
ISANG YUN: Rencontre
NINO ROTA: Clarinet Trio

CD7
JOHN IRELAND: Trio In D Minor
MARK-ANTHONY TURNAGE: Cortège For Chris
ROBERT MUCZYNSKI: Fantasy Trio Op. 26
PER NØRGÅRD: Spell
MAGNUS LINDBERG: Clarinet Trio