The Magic Basset Horns

Clarimonia Ensemble and Jan Šťastný will present a magical combination of two clarinets, three basset horns and compositions by W. A. Mozart.
 
 

Irvin Venyš & Clarimonia Ensemble

 

Jan Šťastný, narrator

Many years ago, one of the most beautiful works of chamber music for clarinet – Mozart’s Adagio KV411 – became the impulse for Clarimonia Ensemble and Irvin Venyš to search for other musical works written for the unconventional, captivating and colourful sound – two clarinets and three basset horns. Since there are only a small number of original works for this scoring, the ensemble members focused on Mozart’s later works and began to look for suitable movements to adapt from his operas. Over the years, the ensemble has added individual movements of The Magic Flute to its concert programme – in 2013 it was possible to present a complete programme consisting of adapted movements of the famous opera for the first time in Bamberg with an original modern text reflecting the original libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work has been performed in the Czech Republic for a single time in 2016 at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Prague. After several performances with stage arrangements and many positive responses from the audience, the ensemble members prepared and performed further adaptations of the opera (e.g. Don Giovanni, Der Freischütz, Prometheus, Carmen ad.) in the tradition of Masonic chamber concerts in the noble houses (e.g. the Clam Gallas family).  
Jakub Korčák, director
Bernhard Kösling, libretto and music arrangement