Reginald Kell – The Complete American Decca Recordings (6 CD box set, APE)

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Carl Maria von Weber, Johannes Brahms
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 6 CD box set
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Size: 1.13 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

# Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with Zimbler Sinfonietta, Reginald Kell

# Clarinet Quintet in A major (“Stadler”), K. 581
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with Reginald Kell

# Serenade No. 12 for winds in C minor (“Nacht Musique”), K. 388 (K. 384a)
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with Kell Chamber Players
Conducted by Reginald Kell

# Serenade No. 11 for winds in E flat major, K. 375
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with Kell Chamber Players
Conducted by Reginald Kell

# Trio for clarinet (or violin), cello & piano No. 4 in B flat major (“Gassenhauer”), Op. 11
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Reginald Kell, Frank Miller

# Trio for clarinet (or violin), viola & piano in E flat major (“Kegelstatt”), K. 498
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Lillian Fuchs, Reginald Kell

# Phantasiestücke (3 Fantasy Pieces) for clarinet (or cello or violin) & piano, Op. 73
Composed by Robert Schumann
with Joel Rosen, Reginald Kell

# Grand Duo Concertante for clarinet & piano in B flat major, J. 204 (Op. 48)
Composed by Carl Maria von Weber
with Joel Rosen, Reginald Kell

# Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115
Composed by Johannes Brahms
with Reginald Kell

# Trio for Clarinet (or viola), Cello & Piano in A minor, Op. 114
Composed by Johannes Brahms
with Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Reginald Kell, Frank Miller

# Sonata for Clarinet (or viola) & Piano No. 1 in F minor, Op. 120/1
Composed by Johannes Brahms
with Joel Rosen, Reginald Kell

# Sonata for Clarinet (or viola) & Piano No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 120/2
Composed by Johannes Brahms
with Joel Rosen, Reginald Kell

# Sonata for clarinet & piano in E flat major, Op. 167
Composed by Camille Saint-Saens
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Pocket Size Sonata No. 1
Composed by Alec Templeton
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Sonatina for clarinet and piano
Composed by Antoni Szalowski
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Rhapsodie for clarinet & piano (or orchestra), L. 116
Composed by Claude Debussy
with Joel Rosen, Reginald Kell

# Sonata for clarinet & piano in B flat major
Composed by Paul Hindemith
with Joel Rosen, Reginald Kell

# Pieces (3) for solo clarinet
Composed by Igor Stravinsky
with Reginald Kell

# Contrasts, pieces (3) for clarinet, violin & piano, Sz. 111, BB 116
Composed by Bela Bartok
with Joel Rosen, Melvin Ritter, Reginald Kell

# La plus que lente, waltz for piano (or orchestra), L. 121
Composed by Claude Debussy
with Reginald Kell

# La fille aux cheveux de lin, prelude for piano, L. 117/8
Composed by Claude Debussy
with Reginald Kell

# Rêverie, for piano, L. 68
Composed by Claude Debussy
with Reginald Kell

# Children’s Corner, suite for piano (or orchestra), L. 113 Le Petit Berger
Composed by Claude Debussy
with Reginald Kell

# Ecstasy, for clarinet, harp, celesta & orchestra
Composed by Walter Mourant
with Reginald Kell

# The Pied Piper, for clarinet, string orchestra & celesta
Composed by Walter Mourant
with Reginald Kell

# Blue Haze, for clarinet & orchestra
Composed by Walter Mourant
with Reginald Kell

# Dance of the Three Old Maids
Composed by Reginald Porter-Brown
Performed by Salvatore Camarata Orchestra
with Reginald Kell
Conducted by Salvatore “Tutti” Camarata

# Suite, for violin, clarinet & piano, Op. 157b
Composed by Darius Milhaud
with Joel Rosen, Melvin Ritter, Reginald Kell

# Studies in English Folk Song (6) for cello (or violin, viola, clarinet) & piano
Composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Recorder Sonata in F major, Op.1/11, HWV 369 Siciliana and Gigue
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Violin Sonata in F, Op.1/12, HWV 370 (doubtful) Adagio
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Oboe Sonata in F major, HWV 363a Allegro
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Sonata for violin & continuo in A major, Op. 5/9 Giga
Composed by Arcangelo Corelli
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Rondino on a Theme by Beethoven for violin & piano
Composed by Fritz Kreisler
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Pièce en forme de Habanera, for solo instrument & keyboard (arr.)
Composed by Maurice Ravel
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Petite pièce, for clarinet & piano (or orchestra), L. 120
Composed by Claude Debussy
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Roundelay, for clarinet & piano
Composed by Alan Richardson
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Jocelyn, opera Berceuse
Composed by Benjamin Godard
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Jamaican Rumba for 2 pianos or orchestra
Composed by Arthur Benjamin
with Brooks Smith, Reginald Kell

# Caprice Viennois for violin & piano/orchestra, Op.2
Composed by Fritz Kreisler
Performed by Salvatore Camarata Orchestra
with Reginald Kell
Conducted by Salvatore “Tutti” Camarata

# Liebesleid “Love’s Sorrow” for violin & piano
Composed by Fritz Kreisler
Performed by Salvatore Camarata Orchestra
with Reginald Kell
Conducted by Salvatore “Tutti” Camarata

# Liebesfreud “Love’s Joy” for violin & piano
Composed by Fritz Kreisler
Performed by Salvatore Camarata Orchestra
with Reginald Kell
Conducted by Salvatore “Tutti” Camarata

# The King Steps Out, film score Stars in My Eyes
Composed by Fritz Kreisler
Performed by Salvatore Camarata Orchestra
with Reginald Kell
Conducted by Salvatore “Tutti” Camarata

# Schön Rosmarin, for violin & piano
Composed by Fritz Kreisler
Performed by Salvatore Camarata Orchestra
with Reginald Kell
Conducted by Salvatore “Tutti” Camarata

Mr. Kell – AT LAST!!!

When I studied clarinet in university (late 1960’s, early 1970’s), Kell was almost suppressed. I am not sure whether that was done intentionally or not. But we were all told that it was “hard” to get a good recording of Kell, because they were almost all “old” and “scratched up” 78s. I don’t remember if there were any 33 & 1/3 LPs out on his later 1950’s recordings, but the whole attitude was: “You WILL NOT be interested in Reginald Kell!” Well, that did not stop me, but with the twists and turns of life, I never got back to trying to find any recording of his work, until I learned DG had published this 6 CD set, off original Decca masters, as I understand it.

Yes. There is his tone. It is, to me, a deep, throaty, “big band” tone, and there is also the vibrato. I have intensely studied the horn for over 50 years, and I have perfected my tone and it is my tone. I am too old a bear to try to change that. BUT, his breathing, his articulation, his phrasing, etc., those can and will benefit me, and they are benefiting me, if for no other reason, than I get to hear his take on many of the pieces I have studied and performed all my life.

Personally, I LIKE HIS TONE, because of what he was trying to do with it (try and project his tone as a human voice through the horn). But it seems that when I studied clarinet, every teacher was almost paranoid about his tone. There are also his water color / pencil works of visual art, where he tried to give to the hearing-impaired some kind of subconscious or even unconscious awareness, via their eyes, as to what his playing sounded like. Now, I do not know if he knew this, but if you take, say, a mid-range “F” scale on the piano, and take those notes up 40 octaves, you no longer have sound, but VISIBLE LIGHT!

Perhaps he did consciously know this when he executed his water color / pencil works (which I believe are STUNNING, no other word describes them), or, perhaps he did. If he did not consciously know, did his intuition some how guide him when he did the visual art? I don’t know.

But if you put ALL the pieces of Mr. Kell together, his performances on the clarinet, what he was trying to do, his visual art, and I suspect other aspects of him, I believe you come up with a real genius, and, over all, the BEST Clarinetist of the 20th Century.

Young folks need to hear him now, so if they are serious about the clarinet, as I was, am, and will be, they can factor Mr. Kell into what they want to do with the horn. This is as it should be. I know I will do such factoring myself, now that we can REALLY LISTEN TO HIM.