Originally published in The Clarinet 51/2 (March 2024).

Copies of The Clarinet are available for ICA members.

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Audio Reviews

March 2023

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Two of a Kind. Radovan Cavallin, clarinet; Kristine Dizon, clarinet. G. Lewin: Two of a Kind; Views of the Blues; F. Poulenc: Sonata for Two Clarinets, FP 7; N. Bacri: Mondorf Sonatina No. 1; P. Harvey: Satiric Suite; R.R. Bennett: Crosstalk; E. Mandat: Ritual; B. Cabrera: Una sobre el mismo mar; N. Díaz: Ocho Pajazzadas; Roque Nublo. Modern Artist Project. Total Time: 56:00.

There is so much new and wonderful music for two clarinets that pushes the boundaries of composers and performers, and with that the proliferation of ensembles ready to tackle the new stuff. The duo of Cavallin and Dizon throw their hat into the ring with Two of a Kind, an album of recent music for two clarinets. Their performance at the 2023 Denver ClarinetFest® was enthusiastically received, and many of the works they played in Denver appear on this album.

Radovan Cavallin, principal clarinet of the Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria, pairs up with Kristine Dizon, CEO of the Modern Artist Project and co-founder of the Gran Canaria International Clarinet Festival and the American Single Reed Summit. Their performances throughout this album are uniformly excellent.

Gordon Lewin’s works for two clarinets come from an intimate knowledge of the instrument and a penchant for humor. Two of a Kind showcases the jazzy side of the clarinet, and the album finale Views of the Blues is a perfect vehicle of fun for both players. Video performances of these pieces demonstrate Cavallin’s full embrace of the high-note life and Dizon’s confident support. Their Poulenc has finely shaped dynamics and tapers, with some second movement subtleties among the best playing on the album. Dizon has championed the works of Nicolas Bacri, a prolific contemporary French composer. The counterpoint and echo techniques in the first movement of his Mondorf Sonatina No. 1 were spot on, and this is a piece that deserves more performances. Harvey’s Satiric Suite is appropriately titled. His clarinet music is tongue-in-cheek with a touch of sarcasm. Richard Rodney Bennett’s solo clarinet works are familiar to many, and Crosstalk continues his creative use of our instrument. An album of contemporary works must include an Eric Mandat work to show the instrument’s vast possibilities. The open intervals and slow pace of Ritual make a lovely contrast to the bravura playing in the other pieces.

Cavallin and Dizon would be remiss without including a few pieces written by composers with connections to the Canary Islands. Cabrera’s Una sobre el mismo mar is one of the most recognizable and heartwarming songs of the region, and it is a fitting tribute to the popular composer. Dizon has also premiered works by the clarinetist and publisher Nino Díaz. The Ocho Pajazzadas are charming little vignettes with gentle touches of jazz that are great fun. The calliope movement and the “Putting on the Ritz”-inspired movement are particularly effective. The duo is presenting the first recording of Díaz’s Roque Nublo, a wonderful piece wrapping up the Canary Islands portion of the program.

As someone who still uses a CD player—yes, I am clearly in the minority—the one thing the CD packaging lacked was a numbered delineation of tracks for each piece; only the piece and overall timing was listed. I am sure that reading the tracks on streaming services makes this problem obsolete for those who prefer the digital downloads. However, listening to it from the CD I wasn’t sure what movement belonged to which piece. A very small oversight on an otherwise excellent project.

Two of a Kind is an excellent album of works for two clarinets. Cavallin and Dizon are in fine form and for those who want to venture into this repertoire, this is a fine representation of what this genre can yield.

– Osiris Molina

 

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Solo Alone and More. Jonas Frølund, clarinets. C. Nielsen: “Cadenza” from Clarinet Concerto; I. Stravinsky: Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo; B. Sørensen: Lontanamente Fragments of a Waltz; M. Nielsen: Alone for basset clarinet: O. Messiaen: “Abîme des oiseaux” from Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps: G. Berg: Pour clarinette seule I; P. Ruders: Tattoo for One; R. Wagner: “Solo from Act III” of Tristan und Isolde; S. Steen-Andersen: De Profundis. OUR Recordings, 6.220681. Total Time: 73:40.

Jonas Frølund’s album Solo Alone and More is a wonderful exploration of solo performance on three different clarinets through familiar and unfamiliar repertoire and transcriptions, including five world-premiere recordings. Frølund showcases his talent through extended techniques, extreme dynamics, virtuosic passages, and a large range of tone colors.

Opening the album with the demanding cadenza from Carl Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto, Frølund sets the stage for the listener to begin an exploration of what the clarinet is capable of. From haunting pianissimos to assertive and bold fortissimos, there is not a moment where the core of his refined and warm clarinet sound waivers. His dazzling technique is even, confident, and liquid in nature. These attributes of his playing follow us through the album. Frølund introduces Stravinsky’s Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo with clear, sensitive musical lines, so the conversation between musical voices in the first movement are easily heard. He whips through technical gestures and bird-like grace notes with ease in the second movement, and the third movement grooves with Frølund’s effortless technique weaving between jazzy accents.

Bent Sørensen’s Lontanamente Fragments of a Waltz is the first world-premiere recording on the album. It is as alluring as it is lonely, evoking images of dancing alone, conjuring vivid memories only to have them disappear like smoke. Frølund dances between registers with the lightest of articulations at incredibly soft dynamics. His sweet tone is consistent throughout all the clarinet’s registers, and his control over the musical line is never lost as he bounces in and out of the altissimo. Frølund does not lose the musical line or his centered tone in the next world-premiere recording, Alone for basset clarinet by Mette Nielsen. The mysterious and sometimes ominous atmosphere provides Frølund with the space to not only highlight his exceptional basset clarinet skills, but to demonstrate his mastery of tone colors through extended techniques such as phenomenally accurate multiphonics and singing while playing.

“Abîme des oiseaux” from Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps is a perfect piece for Frølund’s wide range of skills. His ability to eerily sneak in from nowhere before screaming into the abyss is perfectly juxtaposed with some of the nimblest bird calls I have heard. As in “Abîme des oiseaux,” Frølund’s control of his sound throughout technical passages and long, sustained lines is again exemplified in the next world-premiere recording of Pour clarinette seule I by Gunnar Berg. Frølund flits between registers seemingly with ease, and gifts the listener with quick, luminous articulated and flutter-tongued passages that accent his compelling musical phrases. This leads the listener into the next work on the program, Poul Ruders Tattoo for One. Distinctly different than other pieces on the program, it is brilliantly upbeat, filled with punctuated passages. Frølund’s effortless, quick, and clean articulation in every register and dynamic range is nothing short of impressive.

Frølund closes out his album with two world premiere recordings on bass clarinet. The first is a transcription of the English horn solo from Act III of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde. As with his soprano clarinet, his bass clarinet tone is controlled, sweet, and consistent. He can, simply put, sing through the instrument. Every note he plays has a purpose. Frølund closes out his album with a transcription of a soprano saxophone piece by Simon Steen-Andersen called De Profundis. In this piece we hear Frølund perform bass clarinet alongside several percussion instruments. While flipping between growls, pitch bends, flutters, extreme dynamics and range, and resonance fingerings, the audience never loses sight of what is important in the music. Each effect has a purpose, and Frølund’s musicality and interpretation is never lost.

Solo Alone and More is a wonderful program of compelling music. Frølund’s performance is fascinating as he shows the world his virtuosic abilities with such suave sophistication. I highly recommend giving this album a listen!

– Sarah Manasreh-Decker

 

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Rummel: Chamber Music for Clarinet and Piano. Luigi Magistrelli, clarinet; Claudia Bracco, piano. C. Rummel: Fantaisie Brillante on motifs from the opera Oberon, op. 35; Nocturne No. 1 on motifs from the opera Robert le Diable, op. 85; Andante Variè for basset horn and piano; Variations on the “March” of the opera Aline, op. 36; Fantaisie on the “Cavatine” of the opera Tancredi. Brilliant Classics, 96608. Total Time: 79:29.

Italian clarinetist Luigi Magistrelli spotlights relatively unknown Bavarian composer Christian Rummel (1787-1849) in this recording of chamber music for clarinet or basset horn and piano. Magistrelli has an extensive discography; his website boasts almost 100 titles on multiple labels including several solo ventures. In addition, this Milan-born clarinetist has an active international performance career and needs little introduction here. The inspiration to produce this premiere recording of these works is noteworthy as he continues to research and shed light on obscure compositions, often focusing on the 19th century and earlier. Currently professor of clarinet at the Conservatory of Milan, Luigi Magistrelli owns a personal clarinet collection of 260 instruments and recorded this album on a 1920 German system clarinet by L. Warschewski that belonged to the late Dieter Kloecker.

The cover art features an attractive watercolor titled Oberon, Titania and Puck with Fairies Dancing by late 18th-century artist William Blake that hints at the opera themes that are the inspiration of much of this music. Thankfully, Magistrelli provides background information about this relatively obscure composer and the five works recorded here. Piano was the composer’s main instrument, however, Rummel also played violin, clarinet, and basset horn. His career included travel, military band and orchestra conducting, and teaching as well. Although most may not have heard of this composer, an interesting biographical tidbit is that Rummel may be responsible for the false attribution of Baermann’s Adagio to Wagner for many years. Magistrelli asserts that Rummel also deserves to be known for his appealing compositions. His familial connections to the Schott family enabled many works to be published in his lifetime. The five works recorded here are reminiscent of opera fantasies like those of L. Bassi or Lovreglio. Theme and variations form is featured, and most pieces are based on opera themes from well-known composers such as Rossini (Tancredi), Weber (Oberon) and Meyerbeer (Robert le Diable) along with the lesser-known composer Monsigny (Aline).

Rummel’s music demands highly virtuosic playing full of character, agile technique, and sensitive phrasing. Magistrelli meets this challenge with great conviction and even, round, sparkling sound throughout all registers. Most works are full-length, about 18 minutes each. Rummel’s Nocturne No. 1 after themes of Meyerbeer, however, is shorter, and is a favorite. The introduction is expressively presented; Magistrelli is most impassioned here, and there is a cantabile style throughout. The inclusion of the shorter Nocturne and Andante Variè (the only work on the recording for basset horn) are welcome contrasts. Magistrelli demonstrates command over the extended clarinet family and the basset horn shines with its distinctive timbre. His tone above the staff almost mimics that of the soprano clarinet cousin, and each descent below the staff warrants a smile!

Luigi Magistrelli is joined on this recording by most capable pianist Claudia Bracco. Rummel’s compositions have extended sections for solo piano that are beautifully played, and the coordination of rubato between Bracco and Magistrelli, so prevalent in this style of music, is seamless. Check out this light, delightful, entertaining recording that provides another option for recitalists looking for a theme and variation work based on opera themes!

– Gail Lehto Zugger

 

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Sources. Louise Campbell, clarinet and electronics. L. Campbell: Songbird; Swirl; Playing Guitar Gear; People of the Sea. Redshift Records, TK535. Total Time: 64:25.

Louise Campbell’s new album Sources: Music Inspired by the St. Lawrence Seaway combines her work as a clarinetist, composer, and sound artist into four tracks of largely ambient soundscape depicting the body of water that runs from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, separating Canada and the United States.

The first track, Songbird, uses what sounds to me like the mouthpiece on just the bottom half of the clarinet to masterfully create the unmistakable imitations of birds. Beginning sparsely with heavy reverb, the sounds continue to layer into a flock before dispersing and mixing with a landscape of electronic pads. The second track, Swirl, layers long, held pitches of clarinets, still saturated with reverb and delay effects, fading in and out at different times to evoke a sense of water lapping at the edge of the bank. The gradual introduction of more movement in the notes also elicits the sensation of the movement of the water before a gentle melody emerges in the second half of the track.

The busiest track on the album is Playing Guitar Gear, portraying the active city life of Montréal, which sits on the St. Lawrence River. The clarinet weaves in and out between spurts of hectic activity and solitude, like escaping from busy roads to stroll through quiet neighborhoods before finding yourself back on the main road, trying to get back to the peacefulness again. The neighborhoods are where Campbell explores the delicate construction of melodic material with her soft and warm approach to the clarinet. The final track, People of the Sea, is a 30-minute dive into an atmospheric world of ambient electronic sounds. A clarinet is not immediately discernible but may have been used to create some of the processed tones. Sounds reminiscent of breathing are present throughout, with long drone pitches fading in and out, creating a meditative scene.

Sources is not a clarinet album in the sense of being focused on clarinet playing and aptitude, but rather Campbell uses the clarinet as a tool along with her compositional and production techniques to take the listener along on her journey. One can close their eyes while listening to these works and imagine being in the presence of their inspiration. This is an enjoyable album for those interested in being immersed in this programmatic soundtrack of the St. Lawrence Seaway experience as curated by Louise Campbell through her compositions.

– Jason Alder

 

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Solitary Clarinet. Karem J. Simon, clarinet. J.S. Bach: “Bourées I and II” from Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009; B. Kovács: Hommage à J. S. Bach; Hommage à C. Debussy; Hommage à C. M. von Weber; Hommage à R. Strauss; C. Debussy: Syrinx; L. Cahuzac: Arlequin; H. Sutermeister: Capriccio; I. Stravinsky: Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo; T. Martin: Gryphon; J. Ryan: Grace Period; J. Lambert: Dissonant Grooves; P. Harvey: “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from Three Etudes on Themes of Gershwin. Digital Release. Total Time: 68:34.

Karem J. Simon, professor emeritus of the University of Prince Edward Island, recently released Solitary Clarinet to online streaming services. His recording of unaccompanied works for clarinet includes standard works such as Igor Stravinsky’s Three Pieces, selections from Béla Kovács’s Hommages, Heinrich Sutermeister’s Capriccio, Louis Cahuzac’s Arlequin, Paul Harvey’s “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” transcriptions from J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites and Claude Debussy’s Syrinx, as well as newer repertoire including Jeff Lambert’s Dissonant Grooves, Jeffrey Ryan’s Grace Period, and Theresa Martin’s Gryphon. The recording took place during the pandemic and is inspired by Simon’s ideas of “being alone on stage, exploring and creating his sound, practicing his craft and artistry and filling the silence.” The album jacket features several photos of Simon on stage and brief but informative program notes on all the works.

Overall, Simon’s recorded tone quality is full and round and sounds very resonant in the recording space. However, there is a general lack of softer dynamics throughout, except in Martin’s Gryphon, Lambert’s Dissonant Grooves, and Ryan’s Grace Period which were the best the album had to offer. These three works feature the most dynamic range and expression as well as excellent extended technique performances from Simon. The recording quality is mostly even and up-close sounding, however Bach’s two “Bourées” and Stravinsky’s Three Pieces are noticeably brighter and louder than the rest of the recordings, giving way at times to a slightly overblown quality.

The collection of works are Simon’s favorite monologues for clarinet. The musical selections and presentation begin with a pairing of Bach’s two “Bourées” from the third Cello Suite, played in a slightly slower than expected tempo, and Kovács’s Hommage à J.S. Bach followed by another pairing of Debussy’s unaccompanied flute solo Syrinx with Kovács’s Hommage à C. Debussy. The pairings are interesting and give both a baroque and impressionistic flavor to the album before moving to Arlequin, a more contemporary French work, by Cahuzac. Kovács’s Hommage à C. M. von Weber, Sutermeister’s Capriccio and Kovács’s Hommage à R. Strauss follow, and even though all these works are performed in an interpretively similar style, they feature Simon’s even technique and solid finger and rhythm work throughout. Sutermeister’s Capriccio has especially nice musical pacing but suffers from an overall lack of softer dynamics which is crucial for the musical characterization of the work. Stravinsky’s Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo finishes the standard section of the recording.

The highlight of the album follows with more difficult and recent works by Martin, Lambert, and Ryan. Martin’s Gryphon showcases growls, flutter-tongue, and other special effects well executed by Simon with musicality and color. Ryan’s Grace Period is a vastly different work, constructed in 17-second repeating sections where variations grow from the sustained beginnings of each section into interesting and surprising technical variations. American guitarist Jeffrey Lambert’s brief Dissonant Grooves, with its jazz-like riffs, is performed with finesse and a lighter character. The album ends with the standard “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from Harvey’s Three Etudes on Themes of Gershwin. Overall, the album presents the works in a pleasing order, with the most interesting and difficult pieces placed last. The Harvey movement ties it together nicely and provides an excellent ending to Karem J. Simon’s favorite monologues in Solitary Clarinet.

– Karen Dannessa

 

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Isotonic: Commissions for Clarinet. Robert Plane, clarinet; Gould Piano Trio: Lucy Gould, violin; Richard Lester, cello; Benjamin Frith, piano; BBC Philharmonic: Yuri Torchinsky, leader; Geoffrey Paterson, conductor. M.D. Boden: Clarinet Concerto; H. Watkins: Four Fables for clarinet and piano trio; D. Burrell: Clarinet Concerto; S.F. Jenkins: Shivelight. Resonus Classics, RES10319. Total Time: 73:50.

The nearly 74-minute album covers four different world-premiere recordings of works composed between 1995 and 2021. Clarinetist Robert Plane chose to feature these four works because they are, as he describes, “intense and very personal collaborations between composer and dedicatee.”

Both Plane and composer Mark Boden share a love of long-distance running; his concerto reflects that shared passion. Boden’s Clarinet Concerto makes its clear from the beginning of the first movement, “Adrenaline,” that the clarinet is the star of the show. Plane’s virtuosity is the first thing we hear—smooth, even lines, and effortless precision as the intervals get progressively larger and more treacherous. Just when it seems like the width of the intervals will break the line, we hear the shining and ethereal adrenaline melody that is pure joy. Plane makes the most of the opportunity, phrasing through these long lines in a way that feels like he is carrying us with him on this run. The full and voluptuous beauty of his tone really shines in this melody. Movement two, “Isotonic,” begins with the clarinet alone and we can clearly hear Plane’s sterling execution of staccato—so pointed it could pierce, but juxtaposing beautifully against the lyrical and almost film-like character of the movement. Plane’s sound is full of excitement and direction, singing over the orchestra with intense resonance. Movement three makes the audience wait for the clarinet entrance and instead begins with an English horn solo. Plane enters with passionate delicacy, a strange and nostalgic combination making the “Threshold” movement sound dreamlike. Plane’s cadenza shows off his musical tenderness and command of audience expectation, his crystalline altissimo register, and masterful execution of soft playing. The final movement, “Hypertension,” begins where the third movement left off, in the altissimo but in a much more extroverted and playful style. Plane expertly navigates the complicated technical lines, crafting beauty throughout.

Huw Watkins’s Four Fables for clarinet and piano trio (2018) is an interesting configuration of three distinctly different lento movements and one allegro. The first movement, Lento, opens with piano, followed quickly by the strings. The use of the harmonics in the strings mimics a clarinet-like effect, creating a beautiful canvas for Plane to enter. The melody feels both vast and intimate, played with power and beauty by Plane, accentuating the full darkness of his lowest register and ability to blend with the lower strings. The next movement, Allegro, is in stark contrast to the first not only in tempo, but in style as well. Plane’s playing sparkles here, along with the light work in the piano and strings. Intermingled with moments that seem to have fallen from the first lento, Watkins presents us with an emotionally complex movement, illuminated beautifully by the ensemble’s sensitivity and expression. Interestingly, both final movements are lento but they couldn’t be farther from each other in style. The movement three lento feels akin to the keening of ancient cultures in the way each instrument oscillates between dramatic cries and intimate moments of melancholy introspection. Though the clarinet takes less of a leading role here, it suits the texture of the movement well and makes those looking for the clarinet timbre listen even more closely to the wonderful blend and style Plane presents. Effortless playing in the altissimo register makes it hard to delineate Plane’s crystalline and pure timbre from the violin. The work closes as it opened, with a lento movement. This time the lento is retrospective and thoughtful, with the clarinet taking an even less prominent role. Plane’s performance is in perfect dialogue with the strings and piano creating a wave of sound that washes over and connects the more disjunct violin and piano parts.

Composer Diana Burrell writes that, “I dislike prettiness. I loathe all blandness, safe, pale, and tasteful nice-ness. Give me instead strong, rough-edged things, brave disrespectful shapes and sounds, imperfect instruments that jangle and jar. I love both savage nature and the brutal modernism of the city’s concrete—there is passion and beauty in both.” Her Clarinet Concerto reflects the uneasiness and primal nature of her style. The work is through-composed, with three distinct sections that flow into each other. The first section is heavy and rough with lots of intense and angular playing with power we haven’t yet heard from Plane. The second section sounds distinctly like walking through a city at night after an evening out, with an easy style and prominence of the clarinet, whose sound isn’t overwhelmed by the intensity of the orchestral part. Plane’s tone is colorful yet restrained here, until the segue into the final section of the concerto which is similar in intensity to the first, but much louder and more active with a thick texture that the clarinet must cut through. Here, the edginess of Plane’s tone complements the orchestra while projecting above the ensemble, without ever sounding unpleasant.

The final work on the album was composed by Sarah Frances Jenkins, Plane’s student. The title, Shivelight, refers to the, “splintered, fast-changing shafts of light that pierce the canopy of treetops in a forest.” The opening’s laser focus tone evokes the way light cuts through the leaves on a sunny day. Plane’s tone shape shifts throughout this section in much the same manner as light—from dark, to bright, to barely visible, to feeling like it’s the only thing we can see. The more expansive middle section highlights Plane’s virtuosic phrasing ability, spinning his sound up in unexpected and shimmering ways. The final section brings us back to a gentle walk in the woods, and again ends with thoughtful piano ostinato above which Plane’s melody soars and dances as the light would during the golden hour.

– Vanessa Davis

 

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Around Baermann. Maryse Legault, clarinet; Gili Loftus, fortepiano. C.M. von Weber: Variations on a Theme from the Opera “Silvana,” op. 33; Grand Duo Concertant, op. 48; H. Baermann: Introduction and Polonaise, op. 25; Nocturno; F. Mendelssohn: Clarinet Sonata in EÌ Major, MWV Q15; C. Schleicher-Krähmer: Sonatina for clarinet and piano. Leaf Music, LM265. Total Time: 88:28.

The Québécoise clarinetist Maryse Legault studied historical clarinet with Eric Hoeprich at The Hague, graduating in 2017. This recording, made in collaboration with fortepianist Gili Loftus, is her debut album, and as the title suggests, it features a group of composers centered around (and including) the 19th-century clarinet virtuoso Heinrich Baermann (1784–1847). On the recording Legault plays a replica of an instrument by Heinrich Grenser from about 1810 with 11 keys, judging by the publicity photo in the liner notes.

Apart from perhaps the Grand Duo Concertant, we might classify the works on this recording as salon music; but as anyone who has had a good look at 19th-century concert programs will attest, audiences of the time would have heard plenty of this music on the public stage as well. For example, all of these works except the Schleicher-Krähmer were performed by American clarinetists in the 19th century. A number of the pieces here, especially those of Weber and Mendelssohn, have been well served by previous recordings, including some on period clarinets, but as far as I can tell the two works by Baermann and the Sonatina by Schleicher-Krähmer have each been recorded only once before, on modern instruments.

Maryse Legault shows excellent technical command of her 11-key clarinet, and produces a smooth and flexible sound. She excels when the music asks for a cantabile approach, and in general her phrasing is well shaped, apart from the occasional lack of attention to rounded phrase endings. At times I found myself wishing for a more generous handling of pacing and rubato. For example, in the opening “Introduction” to Baermann’s op. 25, the cadenza-like sweeps of notes often seem simply rushed, rather than expressing a flow of varying rhythmic inflections. These small complaints are outweighed, however, by the many excellent qualities of the recording. Weber’s Grand Duo Concertant, in particular, receives a dramatic and highly imaginative treatment that is well worth listening to. I would be remiss not to make special mention of Gili Loftus on fortepiano, whose playing throughout the recording is absolutely first-rate.

Short but informative liner notes, written by Legault, focus on Baermann and his circle, rather than on the music itself. Around Baermann signals an auspicious beginning for the career of Maryse Legault as a performer on historical clarinets, and certainly bodes well for what we can expect from her in the future.

– Jane Ellsworth

 

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