Sabine Meyer

Álvaro Teixeira: Which are your favourite contemporary composers?

Sabine Meyer: Living?

AT: Yes.

SM: Many have written for me. The last one was Manfred Trojan who dedicated a very beautiful concert to me. Castiglioni, an Italian composer. He wrote a piece for my wind ensemble. And other German composers. Pedrem, who is very famous in Germany, wrote me a solo piece. Many composers. Good composers. Wüthrich...

AT: ?

SM: You don't know? He's very well known in Germany. He wrote a piece for two clarinets. For me and my brother.

(laughs)

AT: Why do you think the clarinet is used a lot in contemporary music?

SM: The clarinet offers many technical and sonic possibilities, offering many, many colours. It is very interesting. Music for clarinet resembles the human voice. Many composers write for this instrument.

AT: You never thought of playing with old instruments?

SM: Yes. I have played Mozart's concerto on a Basset Clarinet which is the original instrument. I've also played with Quartour Mosaiques.

AT: Christophe Coin...

SM: Exactly! I used a clarinet of the time. And I played the Brahms with a Wuestefeld clarinet...

AT: Have you interpreted, for example, French composers?

SM: French composers?

AT: You never played French music?

SM: Modern?

AT: Yes.

SM: No. Not so far.