The classical woodwind cadenza

by David Lasocki

Many modern performers of Classical woodwind music use cadenzas that have a harmonic vocabulary, length, range and expression more suitable for late Romantic than Classical music. The Romantic period directly followed the Classical one, and its performer-composers wrote cadenzas in the style of their own music for use in their performances of earlier music. Hummel's cadenzas for Mozart's piano concertos are prime examples. In the same spirit, the modern performer separated in time from both Classical and Romantic performance practices would compose cadenzas in a style familiar to him, such...