Mit Feuer und Leidenschaft
Carl Maria von WEBER (1786-1826)
Grand Duo concertant, Op.48 (1915-16) [21:55]
Max REGER (1873-1916)
Album Leaf and Tarantella, for Clarinet and Piano (1902) [3:37]
Witold LUTOSŁAWSKI (1913-1994)
Dance Preludes (1954-55) [10:23]
Francis POULENC (1899-1963)
Clarinet Sonata (1962) [14:07]
Sebastian Theile (clarinet), Nicholas Rimmer (piano)
rec. July 2009, Sendesaal des SWR, Stuttgart. DDD
THOROFON CTH 2568 [50:09]
From my modest knowledge of German, the album title can be translated as With
Fire and Passion. Two young musicians, Sebastian Theile and Nicholas Rimmer,
give us an excellent presentation of four beautiful and diverse works for
clarinet and piano. This is a real duo, as the piano has good presence, more
than in some clarinet-centered recordings. The effect is further helped by
the perfect balance found by the recording engineer. The sound of Theile’s
clarinet is rather sharp and concentrated. The piano sound is also very clearly
pronounced. The performers transcend mere technical brilliance and imbue the
music with emotion.
In the first movement of Weber’s Grand Duo Theile and Rimmer
have all the necessary bravura, and yet are gentle in the gentle places. Although
fast, the playing is not aggressive, and is very sympathetic. The viscous
sadness of the operatic second movement is heartfelt. Theile does very well
in the difficult task of playing those long, long notes expressively. Rimmer
creates the dark atmosphere, and is intense and powerful in the dramatic outbursts.
The cheerful Rondo is light and bouncy, its golden note-spinning well articulated.
I am sure that Weber himself would have loved this performance.
The two Reger’s miniatures also combine virtuosity with lyrical feeling.
Albumblatt, under a pastoral cover, hides tightly compressed emotion.
Tarantella is more energetic, propelled by the rhythm. It is essentially
a short, agitated scherzo. The two instruments weave around each other like
the two strains of DNA.
Lutosławski declared his Dance Preludes to be his farewell to
folklore. This is the last work he created in an idiom based on Polish folk
music, before he firmly turned to the avant-garde. The work is based on songs
from Northern Poland. These are preludes in the tradition of Chopin: each
is a compact elaboration of a mood or a short idea. Playful fast parts are
followed by pensive slow ones. The performance is very affectionate. I don’t
think this music would shine on its own in a less involved presentation, but
in Theile and Rimmer it finds real advocates.
The two instruments blend perfectly in Poulenc’s Sonata. The
first movement is muscular and youthful. The slow episode opens with terrifying
shrillness, which leads to wistful yearning and sadness. In the second movement,
again, Theile knows how to play the long notes so that they are alive and
breathing. The tempo is quite fast, but the emotion is throbbing, and the
simple melody speaks directly to the soul. This is a very beautiful, poignant
reading. The sonata and the disc end on an optimistic note: the third movement
returns to a friendly unbuttoned humor, although with some romantic thoughts
woven in.
I wish the disc contained more: with only 50 minutes of total time, it is
far from munificent. The liner-note also is rather economical in the description
of the music, although the performer biographies are apt. Nevertheless, the
performances are truly excellent, and combine technical prowess with fire
and passion, just as the title of the album promises.
Oleg Ledeniov
Fire and passion.