TCO Audio Reviews: January 2025
Karl Kolbeck, Audio Review Editor
Natalie Szabo, Associate Audio Review Editor, TCO
The Song in Our Soul. Dan Levinson, clarinet and tenor saxophone; Mark Shane, piano; Kevin Dorn, drums. F. Waller and A. Hill: Keep a Song in Your Soul; A. Hill: Delta Bound; J. Young, L. J. Little, and J. Siras: In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town; J. Trent and W. Robison: Wake Up! Chill’un, Wake Up!; F. Rose: El Rado Scuffle; H. Magidson, B. Oakland, and G. Jessel: Roses in December; H. Adamson and W. Donaldson: It’s Been So Long; A. Johnston and S. Coslow: The Day You Came Along; P. S. Sandiford and E. Hall: Rompin’ in ’44; W. Melrose and J. R. Morton: Sweetheart O’ Mine; M. Dixon and H. Woods: River, Stay ‘way from My Door. Turtle Bay Records. Total time: 42:46.
In their 2023 album, The Song in Our Soul, The Palomar Trio, comprised by Dan Levinson (clarinet and tenor saxophone), Mark Shane (piano), and Kevin Dorn (drums), provides a glimpse into the 1920s and ‘30s, an era the trio remarks “is brimming with a wealth of great music waiting, and needing, to be rediscovered.” Levinson describes these works as “buried treasures” and likens himself and his colleagues to archeologists. They carefully study the score of each work to be sure their substitutions honor the original harmonies intended by the composer. The chemistry between the musicians in this ensemble is evident throughout, each member drawing inspiration from a member of the Benny Goodman Trio. The musicians are perfectly in sync from start to finish.
Levinson effortlessly alternates between clarinet and tenor saxophone, much the way this album flows between blues and swing, engaging the listener with each shift in style and tone. Opening with the light, cheerful sound of the saxophone, the mood shifts in “Delta Bound;” Levinson describes this track as “positively hypnotic,” and I couldn’t agree more. The strong beat in the piano and drums, along with Levinson’s gorgeous, dark, soulful tone make this my favorite track. Levinson plays with dexterity, fluidity, flexibility, and brilliance on each tune. His playing conveys a sense of grace that transcends technical challenges and allows the soul of the music to shine through. His love for this genre is clear from his sound. This album was a joy to listen to and the liner notes provided insight into the process of creating this album and honing their sound as an ensemble. Deep and soulful, fun, and uplifting, the irresistible swing presented on this album accomplished Shane’s goal: it got my “feet pattin’ and [my] fingers poppin’.”
– Sarah Korneisel Jaegers
Voyage Within. Stephanie Key, clarinet; Diane Heffner, clarinet; Garrison Gerard, conductor; Theodore Antoniou, conductor; Bronwyn White, soprano; Elizabeth McNutt, flute; Linda Antas, flute; Mehrdad Gholami, alto flute; Jung Choi, oboe; Janet Underhill, bassoon; Seth Budahl, trombone; Mia Detwiler, violin; Buckland Reisner, violin; Mark Berger, viola; Asli Gültekin, Özek, viola; Mark Simcox, cello; Yukiko Shimazaki, piano; Darryl Friesen, piano; Craig McNutt, percussion; Colleen Potter Thorburn, harp; Orchestre de la Francophonie, Jean-Philippe Tremblay, conductor . H.Y. Kim: R.I.P. 2020; White Rock Lake; Bit; Reversion is the Movement of Tao; Aftertone; Lethe: The River of Forgetfulness; Folksong I: Kunbam Taryeong. Ravello, RR8098. Total time: 1:03:32.
Korean composer Hee Yun Kim (b. 1971) has assembled an intriguing collection of her own chamber music on Voyage Within, with the recordings ranging from 2004 to 2023 as a celebration of Kim’s return to composition after a period of life devoted to working as a stay-at-home mother. Of the seven pieces Kim includes on the album, two feature the clarinet: R.I.P. 2020 for soprano and clarinet and Reversion is the Movement of Tao for mixed octet.
R.I.P. 2020 (2021) is Kim’s reaction and response to the year 2020, specifically three major events: the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the California wildfires, and the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd that catapulted the Black Lives Matter movement into the national spotlight. Clarinetist Stephanie Key presents a stunning canvas for soprano Bronwyn White to sing and speak over, portraying the horrific brutalities of 2020 with nuance not typically associated with such tragedies. Key’s performance is equally compelling, alternating between introspection and harshness, aggression and elegance. Key’s ability to seamlessly conjure sonic images ranging from police sirens to Dixieland jazz with absolute ease is a testament to her exemplary flexibility as a musician, all while making cascades of passagework seem effortless
When writing Reversion is the Movement of Tao (2003), Kim was inspired by the Chinese philosopher Laozi, one of the founders of Taosim in China. In navigating the eight motifs for the clarinet (each member of the octet has eight unique motifs, associated with the Eight Immortals of Taoist legend), clarinetist Dianne Heffner of the contemporary music ensemble ALEA III plays with great style and aplomb, featuring impressive technical skills and commendable sensitivity in dense musical textures that could easily be overwhelming to the audience if not handled strategically.
The overwhelmingly humanistic nature of this recording, featuring works centered on philosophy, social justice and mythology, makes it appealing to all listeners. Voyage Within should be appreciated and enjoyed by anyone who appreciates contemporary music, and even more by clarinetists!
– David Cook
After. Aaron Irwin, bass clarinet and alto saxophone; Mike Baggetta, guitar; Jeff Hirshfield, drums. Irwin: Recuerdo (after Edna St. Vincent Millay); Frederick Douglass (after Robert Hayden); Five Bells (after Kenneth Slessor); The Hill (after Joshua Mehigan); Pikes Peak (after Sarah Holland-Batt); When I Heard at the Close of the Day (after Walt Whitman); The Cemetary (after Steve Scafidi); Daniel Boone (after Stephen Vincent Benét); The President Visits the Storm (after Shane McCrae). Adhyâropa Records. Total time: 47:29.
Featuring the Aaron Irwin Trio, a jazz combo led by multi-woodwind performer and composer Aaron Irwin, this album delivers a collection of works composed by Irwin. Drawing inspiration from poetry, each of the compositions are titled after poems and three of the tracks feature readings of the poems set to music. Whether playing a free, arrhythmical section or Latin groove, this entire album is wildly creative and just plain fun. This review primarily focuses on the tracks that include bass clarinet.
The first track to feature bass clarinet, The Hill (after Joshua Mehigan), also features the poem’s author Joshua Mehigan reading his work over a subtle guitar groove. Irwin then mimics this groove on bass clarinet, before starting a reflective and almost meditative melody. The tune goes back and forth between spoken words and this melody performed by Irwin.
The next track to feature Irwin on bass clarinet is When I Heard at the Close of the Day (after Walt Whitman), which begins with the guitar setting up a funky groove that Irwin solos over in an almost “Mangione-like” style. Overall, Irwin has a great bass clarinet sound. Despite a bit less of a color palette than on saxophone, he still delivers with an evenness over all the registers and harmonious note choice in his solos. The guitar solo that follows utilizes effects pedals to create a slight distortion, which, coupled with more space between notes, creates a contrast with the more connected bass clarinet solo heard earlier. Drummer Jeff Hirschfield perfectly complements the differences with each of the solos, while never losing the groove set-up at the beginning of the song.
The last two tracks on the album also feature Irwin on bass clarinet. Daniel Boone (after Stephen Vincent Benét) begins with an ostinato performed on the bass, with drums and a reading of the poem. Fitting with the title of the poem, the guitar performs a solo with a twangy, country sound. The album concludes with bass clarinet performing another ostinato-like line that is paired with a guitar solo over the top that resembles the sound of jazz fusion captured on Miles Davis’s iconic album Bitches Brew before fading away.
The other tracks on this album are equally as impressive with both creativity and ensemble cohesiveness.
– Jeremy Wohletz
Spanish Clarinet Music of the 20th Century. Agnieszka Dąbrowska-Kras, clarinet; Wioletta Fluda-Tkaczyk, piano. M.Y. Moreno: Capricho Pintoresco, op. 41; J. Menéndez: Introduccion, Andante y Danza; J. Guinjoan: Fantasia; S. Brotons: Sonata, op. 46. SPMK 35. Total time: 41:47.
Spanish Clarinet Music of the 20th Century showcases the colorful, dynamic, and varied clarinet works of the Iberian Peninsula. This vibrant album is performed by clarinetist Agnieszka Dąbrowska-Kras in collaboration with pianist Wioletta Fluda-Tkaczyk, and features the works of Miguel Yuste Moreno, Julián Menéndez, Joan Guinjoan, and Salvador Brotons. Spain’s intricate history includes both celebratory and turbulent events, which results in its music portraying a rich landscape of color, creativity, and emotion.
The album opens with Moreno’s Capricho Pintoresco, op. 41, written at a time when orchestra and dance were at the forefront of musical culture. Dąbrowska-Kras expertly performs the lyrical and soloistic opening with a sweet, resonant timbre, and Fluda-Tkaczyk soon after joins her with an equally warm and inviting sound. As a capriccio, the work has a naturally improvised form, and this is excellently portrayed through the musicians’ relaxed and cheerful energy. Their technical lines sound floating and connected, yet free, encompassing that improvisatory nature. Menéndez’s Introduccion, Andante y Danza continues this relaxed and technically powerful nature with a twist of romanticism. It showcases the clarinet’s broad range and register fluidity, a clear strength of Dąbrowska-Kras. Each interval, scale, and technically challenging line is performed with ease—one would never guess the difficulty these parts entail. Guinjoan’s Fantasia brings serialism and neoclassicism into the album while exploring characters and colors, and the album ends with Broton’s multi-movement Sonata for clarinet and piano, op. 46. Dąbrowska-Kras and Fluda-Tkaczyk showcase their technical and lyrical prowess through the piece’s free-flowing, melodic, rhythmic, and dynamic caliber.
–Lara Mitofsky Neuss
Wild Swans. Diane Maltester, clarinet; Michelle Caimotto, flute; Deborah Shidler, oboe; Alicia Telford, horn; Deborah Kramer, bassoon; Ann Moss, soprano; Wendy Tamis, harp; Nancy Bachmann, piano. N. Bachmann: Two Songs on Poems by William Butler Yeats; Latin Dances; American Quilt Sketches; California Romances; Pastoral and Romp; The Nocturnal Ones; Aviata; Ave Maria. Navona, NV6547 35. Total time: 1:18:50.
Released in August of 2023, Wild Swans is a recording of California-based composer Nancy Bachmann’s music featuring clarinet. The pieces are varied both in instrumentation and style but are always intriguing and expertly performed by San Francisco Bay Area clarinetist, Diane Maltester. The album opens with the somewhat esoteric Two Songs on Poems by William Butler Yeats for clarinet, soprano and harp. This work ranges from dazzling runs and trills in the clarinet to mysterious and haunting melodies from the vocalist. The next work featured is Latin Dances, a three-movement piece for clarinet and piano with Bachmann herself performing. It is a fun exploration of familiar ideas of Latin music without being clichéd. In the third movement particularly, the communication between the duo belies a long working relationship, and both performers play with impressive articulation and passion.
For this reviewer, the highlight of the album is Bachmann’s woodwind quintet, American Quilt Sketches which features five movements inspired by traditional quilting patterns. The work is distinctly American in style and harmony, often bringing to mind the works of Copland, but again, manages to remain fresh. Maltester’s lovely chalumeau register sings throughout and her impressive technique is particularly showcased in the fifth movement, “Wild Goose Chase” with rapid runs interweaving through all parts. This work is followed by California Romances for clarinet, soprano, and piano and then Pastorale and Romp, for flute, clarinet, and oboe. In the two solo clarinet works, The Nocturnal Ones and Aviata, Maltester displays her warm, rich tone on both A clarinet and E♭ clarinet. The quick, explosive bird calls in Aviata display her light, deft technique. Finally, the album concludes with a setting of Ave Maria for clarinet and soprano. This work is another demonstration of Bachmann’s ability to write fresh melodies and harmonies that still feel familiar and enjoyable to the listener. Ave Maria makes for a somber, reverent and finally hopeful end to this truly enjoyable album.
– Madelyn Moore
Singles. Christopher Graham, clarinet; Domagoj Ivanovic, violin; Marie-Elaine Gagnon, cello; Biljana Milovanovic, piano. F. Glesser: Wait for Me; Insensible Choices. Independent Release: 14:00.
Wait for Me was composed by Frederic Glesser for Italian clarinetist Arianna Tieghi in 2012. The work is scored for solo clarinet and has harmonic and melodic influence of jazz and blues throughout. The technical challenges are moderate with the work being appropriate for undergraduate university student through professional level. With a length of just about three and a half minutes, it would be an ideal way to include a living composer on a recital program without worrying about a difficulty level that is unapproachable both for the performer and the audience. This work is charming and worth adding to the repertoire list for any clarinetist.
Insensible Choices was written by Glesser and the recording is a track from the album Glisten which was digitally released by Albany records in 2006. The performers are Domagoj Ivanovic, violin, Christopher Graham, clarinet, Marie-Elaine Gagnon, cello and Biljana Milovanovic, piano. This work is light and approachable both from the perspective of the performers. Because the technical demands for each of the instruments are few, it allows the melodic ideas to be the feature of the work. The tonal nature of this work is also approachable and would be appreciated by virtually any audience. This is a terrific addition to the mixed chamber ensemble repertoire involving strings, piano, and clarinet that would be worthy of consideration to be included on any recital program.
– Spencer Prewitt
Cooler by the Lake. Nora Shaffer, clarinet and E♭ clarinet; Erin Miesner, clarinet; Cally Laughlin, clarinet; Joseph Sánchez, bass clarinet. G. Gershwin: Three Preludes; F. Mendelssohn: “Overture” and “Scherzo” from Incidental Music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, op. 61; S. Joplin; Bethena, A Concert Waltz; The Ragtime Dance; A. Beach: Amy Beach Triptych; J. Brahms: Intermezzo in A Major, op. 118, no. 2; G. Holst: St. Paul’s Suite in C Major, op. 29, no. 2. Lake Effect Clarinet Quartet. Total time: 58:50.
Cooler by the Lake is infectiously fun, with fantastic blend and balance, and most importantly, an ace arranger who is not afraid of using the E♭ clarinet to great advantage. This fact is probably due to Nora Shaffer’s fearless ensemble playing and the long-time collaboration of these colleagues. The album opens with a clarinet staple and long-time favorite, George Gershwin’s Three Preludes, and it is true that the fun is multiplied by the number of people! Bethena is classic nostalgia with its sad carousel waltz feel, and the careful layering of clarinet sounds upon each other creates a true squeezebox effect. This composition is little known and worthy of multiple listens as it defies the tropes attributed to Scott Joplin. Amy Beach is well represented with three songs featuring gracious trading of melodic material and ethereal accompaniments from the remaining clarinets in “Empress of Night,” managing the gracious rubato of a singer with four parts. “Within Thy Heart” layers drama with great tone and luscious phrasing while “The Candy Lion” captures a more playful side of the ensemble. Brahms’s Intermezzo in A Major, a beautiful piece that is hard to coordinate with one clarinetist, benefits from impossible softs and beautiful phrasing from all four clarinetists with well-calculated rubato, meaningful pauses, and musicality that allows Brahms’s music to soar. The Ragtime Dance by Joplin provides wholesome fun and resists the amateur mistake of rushing Joplin’s golden melodies.
The timbre of the E♭ clarinet is so pure on the opening of the overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream that the listener is transported to the original edition. While it is no small feat to match articulations within the orchestral version of this piece, a clarinet audience will especially appreciate the feat when it includes clarinets of such different sizes. The symphonic scope of this movement alone is impressive as a feat of endurance, and the humming, pulsing effect of the bouncing string articulations in all the clarinets is worthy of admiration. The album closes with Holst’s St. Paul’s Suite, whose jig-like opening and closing lends itself well to the feel of a clarinet quartet. The ostinato is remarkable for its seamless trading of the moving notes, and the intermezzo, in its sparseness, sets up the satisfying finale. The order of the program may seem original, but maintains interest and vitality by separating the “Scherzo” and the “Overture” to Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and not combining the Joplin works, but creating space by including Amy Beach Triptych between them. A good argument lies in the tendency of orchestras to give the “Overture” to Midsummer Night’s Dream solo billing, and the difference between Joplin’s works: one a true ragtime, the other a concert piece that marries his classical sensibilities with his calling card, the rag.
The Lake Effect Clarinet Quartet truly shines in its balance and intonation during ensemble tuttis, creating a vitality and liveliness that will make the most stubborn listener reconsider their reticence to playing in a clarinet quartet, as it is a rewarding and fulfilling experience where these four players are concerned. The thoughtful programming of this album highlights different approaches to the clarinet and spotlights its versatility and playfulness, especially benefiting from Erin Miesner’s arrangements and how they put a new shine on a familiar genre like the mixed clarinet quartet.
– Andrea Vos-Rochefort
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