A study of comparative interpretations by Stanley Drucker, Elsa Ludewig -Verdehr, Hakan Rosengren, and John Bruce Yeh of the clarinet concerto by Carl Nielsen

Abstract

Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra is a staple of twentieth-century clarinet literature that requires exceptional musicality and technical mastery to justifiably perform the work. This document aids in the explanation and understanding of the Concerto by examining the interpretations of four prominent soloists: Stanley Drucker (the first American to record the Concerto), Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, Håkan Rosengren, and John Bruce Yeh. A chapter has been dedicated to each performer in which I examine his or her relationship to the work, how he or she was introduced to the Concerto, who he or she performed and recorded the work with, different interpretations of style, general impressions of the work, and how each soloist interprets articulations, phrasings, and editorial markings. The last chapter draws conclusions from the similarities and differences present in each performer's interpretation and philosophy. To better explain each interpretation, musical examples have been used to show the differences between the performers' versions and the printed clarinet part.