Şerban NICHIFOR ( b.1954)
Two Dances for Andrew Simon (2003) [4:55]
Joseph HOROVITZ (b. 1926)
Two Majorcan Pieces (1956) [4:09]
Clarinet Sonatina (1981) [13:31]
Diversions on a Familiar Theme (1997) [7:46]
Witold LUTOSŁAWSKI ( 1913-1994)
Dance Preludes (1955) [11:03]
Arnold COOKE ( 1906-2005)
Clarinet Sonata in B flat (1959) [20:06]
Malcolm ARNOLD ( 1921-2006)
Clarinet Sonatina in G minor, op.29 (1951) [8:05]
Andrew Simon (clarinet)
Warren Lee (piano)
rec. Wyastone Concert Hall, Monmouth, Wales, 21-23 November 2012.
NAXOS 8.573022 [69:35]
To the non-specialist this may appear an unusual, if not lumpy, programme
that U.S. clarinettist Andrew Simon, Hong Kong Philharmonic principal,
has put together for his Naxos debut. The album title implies coherence,
or at least yin and yang, but there is no immediately obvious thread
linking composers whose names are by no means all universally recognised.
On the other hand, with experienced performers, a fairly generous running
time and good sonics as givens, clarinet-lovers and performers at least
will doubtless give the disc a try. They are unlikely to feel disappointed
by a pleasing mixture of light and virtuosic. However, agnostics should
be aware that Simon and Lee's recital has a good deal of the much-loved
lyrical 19th or early 20th century - Weber, Spohr, Müller, Poulenc
- feel about it. Only Lutosławski can be said to be a modernist,
yet with his folk-inspired Dance Preludes, even he is part of
what turns out to be a markedly terpsichorean theme.
In other words, this is after all a disc that can be enjoyed by all
those whose tastes are centred on tonal, melodic, well-proportioned
music. Cooke's and Arnold's are the standout works, arguably, but nothing
in the recital is without interest or indeed a sense of humour and warmth.
Andrew Simon is a fine virtuoso, but he is also master of a very impressive
tone which he applies to handsome expressive effect, even if his selection
does lean towards the lighter side. Pianist Warren Lee is a poised accompanist
throughout, but often much more - these are, after all, not 19th-century
clarinet showpieces. His playing is certainly better than his writing
- his booklet notes are enthusiastically informative, but sometimes
overly so. For example, Nichifor is, alas, not well known at all, let
alone "for his many compositions dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust".
Lee also wanders a bit - Arnold's attachment to the trumpet is as tangential
here as the elucidation of aleatoricism given under Lutosławski.
In a sense, Naxos have mistimed this release - Michael Collins and Michael
McHale's programme for Chandos (CHAN
10758) came out only a few months earlier to justified acclaim,
and included the works by Arnold, Cooke and Horovitz. In other words,
clarinet fans may already have invested in most of this programme only
a short while back and thus feel little inclination to pay out again
already. Incidentally, the claim by the Naxos in-house reviewer that
this recording "introduces to the record catalogue six 20th century
works for clarinet and piano" is wildly inaccurate. The Arnold, Horovitz,
Cooke and Lutosławski have all been recorded many times, staples
of the clarinettist's repertory that they are.
As briefly mentioned above, sound quality is very good, although it
must be said that a more intimate location than Wyastone Hall would
have served the solo clarinet better. Nichifor's Two Dances in
particular suffer somewhat from reverberation. Simon's breathing is
also much more audible than it need be.
Byzantion
Contact at artmusicreviews.co.uk
Support
us financially by purchasing this disc from |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |