Bowling with Mozart: 2 Clarinets Book

Helmut Eisel's klezmer-inflected arrangement transforms Mozart's divertimenti into something with genuine personality and swing, giving clarinetists permission to ornament, bend, and reshape the material rather than approach it with reverence. The built-in improvisation opportunities mean each performance becomes a collaboration between the composer's framework and the players' sensibilities, making every rehearsal and performance feel fresh.

Playful and conversational, with the feel of two friends trading musical jokes and variations on a theme. The klezmer styling brings rhythmic swing and ornamentation that sits between classical phrasing and folk naturalness, creating a sound that's both grounded in Mozart's melodic gift and alive with spontaneous energy.

Clarinet duos at the intermediate level and above will find rewarding material here, especially pairs ready to move beyond strictly classical interpretations into a more folk-inflected, idiomatic sound. The built-in improvisation framework makes this ideal for clarinetists who want to develop ornamental and spontaneous playing skills within structured repertoire.

• Treat the notated variations and written-out ornaments as models rather than rules. Eisel's examples signal where your own ideas belong; add your own figurations, trills, and rhythmic variations once you have the basic melody secure.
• Listen to klezmer recordings or clarinet duo recordings of this arrangement to hear how swing and slight rhythmic looseness create the style's character. Precise, metronomic playing will flatten the idiom.
• Balance your dynamic shaping between the two parts. One clarinetist should anchor the harmonic foundation while the other floats melody and improvisation above; switch roles between sections so both players get prominent material.
• Use the lower register of the clarinet for harmonic foundation passages, and save the vibrant upper register for your improvisatory moments and variations.

These duets work as a complete set for a chamber concert focused on wind repertoire, or select individual pieces to scatter through a recital program as palate-cleansing interludes between larger works. The accessible, entertaining character also makes them suitable for outreach concerts or informal community performances where the klezmer framing helps audiences connect to Mozart through a living musical tradition.

• Playing in klezmer style and idiom
• Melodic ornamentation and variation techniques
• Improvisation within a structured harmonic framework
• Rhythmic flexibility and swing phrasing
• Duo balance and conversational ensemble listening