TCO Audio Reviews: March 2024
Looking Back, Moving On. Richard Stoltzman, clarinet; Warsaw Philharmonic, George Manahan, conductor; Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Jiménez, conductor. A. Iannaccone: Night Rivers, Symphony No. 3; Bridges, Symphony No. 4; Waiting for Sunrise on the Sound; Concertante for Clarinet and Orchestra; From Time to Time, Fantasias on Two Appalachian Folksongs. Navona, NV6487. Total time: 90:30.
Looking Back, Moving On is a two-disc set of works by American composer Anthony Iannaccone. One of the pieces included, Concertante for clarinet and orchestra, particularly showcases the outstanding skill and artistry of Richard Stoltzman and the Warsaw Philharmonic. Comprised of three continuous movements, it is very much a conversation between two characters: the clarinet and the orchestra. The opening is gentle, magical, and mysterious with the percussion’s shimmering and sparkly part highlighting each note in the string melody. The clarinet enters with a warm and gentle running line, to which the orchestra responds with forceful turbulence. Stoltzman displays artistry and sensitivity as the two characters trade motifs and his brilliant use of vibrato adds a shimmer to his already warm, liquid tone. Like a butterfly caught in a storm, it is as if the clarinet is attempting to escape the tumultuous orchestra. Stolzman’s melodies, at times effortlessly fluttering into the altissimo register, become more hurried and violent as the piece progresses. Ultimately, the clarinet is consumed by the orchestral storm.
A respite from the vehemence of movement one, movement two displays Stolzman’s masterful musicianship, as his sound alternates between blending beautifully into the texture of the orchestra and bursting out energetically. Demonstrating exquisite tone and control, Stoltzman’s long melodic lines masterfully explore the range of the instrument. Conductor Alexander Jiménez aptly describes the third movement as “scherzo-esque,” which quickly emerges from the languid second movement with a bouncy, energetic theme. Stolzman demonstrates ease across all registers of the clarinet. This theme becomes more frenzied as the movement progresses, but this time, the clarinet emerges victorious along with the orchestra, rather than being swallowed by it. This piece offers an incredible display of Stoltzman’s technical prowess, musical and artistic sensitivity, and storytelling that will captivate listeners. I thoroughly enjoyed this musical journey.
– Sarah Korneisel Jaegers
Voyagers. Narek Arutyunian, clarinet; Colin Williams, trombone; Cassatt String Quartet: Muneko Otani, violin; Jennifer Leshnower, violin; Ah Ling Neu, viola; Elizabeth Anderson, cello. G. Cohen: Voyagers; Playing for our lives; Preludes and Debka. Innova, IN1090. Total Time: 64:44.
Voyagers presents three works by composer, Jewish cantor, and baritone Gerald Cohen. In this album, Armenian clarinetist Narek Arutyunian and American trombonist Colin Williams appear alongside the Cassatt String Quartet, an all-female ensemble with violinists Muneko Otani and Jennifer Leshnower, violist Ah Ling Neu, and cellist Elizabeth Anderson. This review will focus on the first work, which features clarinet.
The works on the album are united by the composer’s passion for storytelling: “Telling stories through music is central to all I do as a composer and performer…The stories in Voyagers and Playing for our lives are told by weaving together music that is strongly associated with important events in history, creating an emotional and narrative arc.”
The first work is the namesake of the album, Voyagers for clarinet and string quartet. Conceived as an homage to the 1970s NASA Voyager space mission, Cohen was inspired by the audio excerpts included on the Voyager Golden Record, which he said was supposed to “give extra-terrestrial beings an impression of human culture on Planet Earth.” Cohen uses each movement as an opportunity to explore the vibrancy and depth of musical traditions around the world.
The first movement, “Cavatina,” plays with themes from Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 130. The ensemble explores many styles within this movement, from etherealism reminiscent of Messiaen to the rhythmic groove akin to Bernstein’s West Side Story. The ensemble masterfully produces a wide range of colors and texture, skillfully jumping from one style to the next with ease.
The second movement, “Bhairavi,” is inspired by the Indian classical tradition with its basis in the vocal raga Bhairavi. Cohen captures the meditative quality of Indian music with frequent ornamentation, use of short-range gilssandi, and simple ostinati in the bass line.
The third movement, “Galliard,” is a light-hearted and jaunty scherzo containing themes based on the Renaissance dance, The Fairie Round, by Anthony Holborne. This movement features quick stylistic turns, alternating between Shostakovich-esque pointedness and predictable symphonic textures. The ensemble’s artistry shines in the delicate minimal textures and brisk, rhythmic dashes.
The final movement, “Beyond the Heliosphere,” is cinematic. The play of frequent textural shifts, delicate shimmering sustains, and lush homophonic string melodies evokes a sense of profound beauty and awe of the vastness of the universe. The maturity of the ensemble is fully on display in this movement. While each player’s sound is distinctly lovely, the string quartet’s blend is quite remarkable. Arutyunian’s control in the upper clarion register throughout is strikingly beautiful.
Arutyunian and the Cassatt String Quartet join together for an outstanding collaboration in this album. The ensemble is precise, flexible, and vibrant, artfully showcasing the intricacies of Cohen’s complex and vivid musical storytelling. Arutyunian’s playing is technically masterful and the flexibility of tone color, precision of articulation and finger dexterity, and seamless dynamic range are world-class. Voyagers is worthy of high praise.
– Kelsey Paquin
Mythical Creatures. Rianne Wilschut, clarinet; Paul Kopetz, clarinet; Leanne Kenneally, soprano; Michal Rosiak, flute; Vivienne Brooke, oboe; Peter Luff, French horn; Katharine Willison, bassoon; Mitchell Leigh, piano; Leon Warnock, baritone; David Quinn, percussion; Eve Newsome, oboe; Ysolt Clark, French horn; Nicole Tait, bassoon; Steven Emmerson, piano; Brent Miller, percussion. P. Kopetz: Armadillo; Mythical Creatures; Yakini; Viracocha. Navona, NV6566. Total Time: 64:01.
On Mythical Creatures: the Lunaire Collective gives an exciting rendition of chamber music by Polish-born and Australian-raised composer Paul Kopetz. The featured clarinetists include Rianne Wilschut on B♭ and E♭ clarinets, and the composer on bass clarinet.
Kopetz describes Armadillo for wind quintet, the first piece on the album, as a “musical portrait of a very unusual creature going about his daily business of foraging, playing, and simply surviving.” The ensemble performs with infectious style and flair akin to a spy thriller movie. Wilschut plays with fearless technique and great aplomb.
Mythical Creatures is a song cycle depicting ten mythical creatures from various cultural folklores. Six of the ten songs use Wilschut on clarinet, and two feature Kopetz on bass clarinet. In “Jaguar,” the clarinet, muted horn and piano set the stage for soprano Leanne Kenneally, with Wilschut blending her sound admirably in an unusual combination of timbres. Kopetz demonstrates absolute mastery of the bass clarinet in “Bunyip” through spectral multiphonics and lyrical ease throughout the range of the instrument. Wilschut demonstrates immaculate articulation in “Unicorn” (a movement reminiscent of the third of Ligeti’s six bagatelles for wind quintet). Wilschut displays her technical prowess again in the final movement, “Leprechaun,” albeit with some questionable intonation in the highest register.
Yakini, a tribute to a baby gorilla born in Melbourne in 2000, features a groovy and whimsical solo for Wilschut amongst various rhythmic grooves. The final piece, Viracocha, refers to the Incan myth of the deity Viracocha rising from Lake Titicaca to create light, darkness and all life. Wilschut gives a spirited performance in the ensemble, with flawless cadenzas and effortless blending of timbre and style with her colleagues all the while switching between E♭ and B♭ clarinets. Viracocha is a thrilling conclusion to this all-around worthwhile album.
– David Cook
Pamela Harrison: Chamber Works. Robert Plane, clarinet; David Adams, violin; Gary Pomeroy, viola; Florence Plane, bassoon; Gould Piano Trio: Lucy Gould, violin; Richard Lester, cello; Benjamin Frith, piano. P. Harrison: Quintet for Clarinet and Strings; Sonnet for Clarinet and Cello; Sonatina for Violin and Piano; Faggott Dance for Bassoon and Piano; Sonata for Clarinet and Piano; Idel Dan; Drifting Away. Resonus 10289. Total Time: 71:23.
Featuring a variety of chamber works by Pamela Harrison, this album is a wonderful addition to any chamber music enthusiast’s library. Each of the tracks are a world premiere recording and are incredibly well done by the artists, including clarinetist Robert Plane who also wrote the very informative liner notes. Rather than writing individual notes in track order, I appreciated the biographical information about the composer and included the pieces chronologically within the historical background. While this review will mainly focus on pieces featuring clarinet, the entire album is equally enjoyable.
The album begins with Harrison’s Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, a three-movement work that features beautiful harmonies and is progressively moving forward musically, often building intensity through repetition. The artists’ ability to pass melodic ideas back and forth seems effortless, as if it were a conversation between friends. Throughout this entire work Plane’s clarinet playing not only shows great control throughout all registers, but also a rich, colorful sound that blends well with the strings. Like the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, Harrison’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano was written for clarinetist Jack Brymer. This sonata begins with a heavily syncopated first movement, which makes use of repeated rhythms to build intensity. The second movement is gorgeous, with well-shaped phrasing and the occasional crunch of dissonance. The third and final movement features tri-tone tremolos, which Plane performs effortlessly. The last work on the album featuring clarinet is entitled Drifting Away and definitely provides musical imagery of drifting away. Plane adds a little shimmer of vibrato at phrase endings, providing the final touch to a magnificent recording.
– Jeremy Wohlez
