TCO Audio Reviews: July 2025

Karl Kolbeck, Audio Review Editor

Natalie Szabo, Associate Audio Review Editor, TCO

Tendresse. Tobias Klein, bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet; Marta Warelis, piano; Frank Rosaly, percussion. T. Klein, M. Warelis, F. Rosaly: Thick of it; Levensnevel; Avec toute la tendresse possible; Gestalt switch. Relative Pitch Records 1186. Total time: 1:04:19.

Tendresse, released by Relative Pitch Records, features Tobias Klein on bass and contrabass clarinets joined by his trio colleagues, Marta Warelis on piano and Frank Rosaly on drums and percussion. The three musicians mentioned their “remarkable chemistry” in the album release–this special spark easily heard by the listener.

Thick of it opens the album with relaxing yet mysterious percussion stick work and plucked piano strings performed skillfully by Rosaly and Warelis, respectively. Klein enters with some low grumbles, slowly making his way up to the middle range. The silence in this work feels equally important as the heard audio, creating anticipation under a long drawn out crescendo, leading toward an eventual groove. Slap tongue, prepared piano melodies, and snare brushes lead into a dense climax sans silence, where each player individually sings out yet combines with the others to form an upbeat and intimate texture.

The second work, levensnevel, features Klein’s soulful, quiet clarion (middle) register. He plays every note with immense clarity and focus despite the soft dynamic, creating a feeling of geographic distance between himself and the listener. Avec toute la tendresse possible opens with this same quiet texture, slowly growing into the group’s signature groove. Every so often a light-hearted growl in Klein’s contrabass clarinet appears, and the work ends with a low note you wouldn’t think existed. Gestalt switch ends the album, displaying the true technical, improvisational, and collaborative skills of this fine ensemble. Each performer flawlessly showcases their abilities in every possible dynamic. It is easy to hear their chemistry throughout the album.

–Lara Mitofsky-Neuss

Notes of the Observer. Stefan Kristinkov, clarinet and synthesizers; S. Kristinkov: Notes of the Observer; Legacy or Due; On a Fading Rustle; Silent Guardians; Mirrored Lake; Cracked Roots; Missing Voices; Fog Veiled Wonders; Granite and Pine; Eagle’s Solitude; Rusted Pathways. Ulterground Records. Total Time: 54:39.

Notes Of the Observer, released in August 2024, is an album of electronic clarinet music composed, arranged, and produced by New York-based clarinetist Stefan Kristinkov. The project is striking in its simplicity. Each track sports an evocative title, including On a Fading Rustle, Fog Veiled Wonders, and Rusted Pathways. Each track is a meditative vignette, exploring different soundscapes comprised of slow-moving clarinet recitations against an undulating synthesizer progression. The vastness of the soundscape is created by the thoughtful movement of the clarinet from one pitch to the next, often in large intervals, in interaction with the ever-present synthesizer, which offers unending sustain, flecks of sonic diversity, and moments of profundity when aligned with the arrival of the clarinet line. The sparseness of technical virtuosity in the clarinet creates an ambient contemplativeness that transcends the listener to the artist’s world.

Kristinkov’s performance on this album is humbling, showcasing how music and art do not have to be flashy or ornate to be moving and meaningful. The minimalist and sustained clarinet writing showcases his capacity for creating long and carefully crafted phrases, as well as his mastery of connection throughout all registers of the instrument.

With each listen it becomes clearer the thoughtfulness and care that was involved in creating this album. Notes Of the Observer is worthy of a listen from those interested in ambient, cross-genre, electronic clarinet music.

The album is available for streaming on Apple Music, Spotify, and Bandcamp.

– Kelsey Paquin

Noctuary Duos. Johanna Rose, viola da gamba; Diego Montes, bass clarinet. G. Dirié: Noctuary Duos. La Alameda de Ida- del sur, calle Trejano, hacia el Café Central al norte; Bronza into the Water; Hand-wound Fermions; La Alameda de Vuelta, desde calle Peral hacia Calle Trajano. Ravello Records 8104. Total Time: 1:01:44.

Noctuary Duos is a new album performed by Johanna Rose (viola da gamba) and Diego Montes (bass clarinet), which features works by Argentinian American composer Gerardo Dirié. The album includes Noctuary Duos for viola da gamba and bass clarinet, as well as four other solo works. The majority of the album’s runtime is devoted to the Noctuary Duos, a 10-movement masterwork related to Aboriginal symbolism of the constellations. The instrument pair is perfectly matched, alike enough in timbre but capable of widely varying articulations and colors. The two instruments at times blend seamlessly, and at others trade motifs and interact argumentatively. A standout movement is the “Interlude, Glimmers of Hoagy’s ‘Stardust,’” a jazzy and expressive solo bass clarinet movement expertly performed by Montes.

On the whole, the Noctuary Duos reward a different type of listening, one which recognizes the beauty of individual, fleeting sound moments. While there are moments of ecstasy, it can be difficult as a listener to make sense of the many brief musical ideas; that said, there are numerous stunning moments to be found within this work.

The album also features two bass clarinet solo pieces: La Alameda de Ida for bass clarinet and soundwalk (recorded outdoor sounds), and Hand-Wound Fermions (solo bass clarinet). Hand-Wound Fermions is a particularly compelling work which explores the full timbral and expressive range of the bass clarinet. Montes is an expert guide through this particle physics-inspired piece. La alameda de Vuelta (solo viola da gamba and soundwalk) is another very rewarding listen, and Rose’s playing truly explores the full scope of her instrument’s capabilities.

– Erin Cameron