Cuillin Sound
Stefan KLAVERDAL
Liten Statymusik
Leonardo de LORENZO
Divertimento No. 1, Op. 24
Traditional
The Day Dawns (Two traditional Shetland folk melodies, arr.
Laurence Perkins)
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
Variations on Là ci darem la mano
Francis POULENC
Sonata for clarinet and bassoon
Laurence PERKINS
Variations on La Follia
Eugène BOZZA
Sérénade en trio
Charles KOECHLIN
Trio
Leonardo de LORENZO
Divertimento No. 2, Op. 29
Traditional
From the Western Isles (Hebridean folk melodies arr. Perkins):
Skye Fisher’s Song; I shall take a trip to Tobermor; Love Lilt
and Lullaby from Eriska; The St. Kilda Wedding
Cuillin Sound (Lynda Coffin (flute); Sarah Watts (bass clarinet); Laurence
Perkins (bassoon))
rec. Community Hall, Isle of Raasay, Western Scotland, November 2011
CUILLIN SOUND CUILL1001 [77:42]
This pleasing collection of melodious chamber music
for wind instruments is performed by the trio, Cuillin Sound. It has
been vibrantly recorded under the aegis of doyen producer, Andrew Keener.
The sound really takes you by the lapels so be warned. It's quite a
peppery and variegated mix.
We start with Klaverdal's Liten Statymusik with its piercing,
rasping and keening challenge balanced with de Lorenzo's pastiche baroquerie
in the shape of two Divertimenti. The Day Dawns marries up a
lamenting and avian melody with a Shetland jig in arrangements by bassoonist
Laurence Perkins. After this we are back to one classical composer joining
hands with another across the years: this in Beethoven's freewheeling
variations on Mozart's famous melody. Then it’s all change again
for the clarinet/bassoon Poulenc which is his usual garnish of grotesque
enchantment and flâneur romance.
Bozza's Sérénade en Trio bustles, implores and
bubbles most delightfully. It sits lightly on the mind yet keeps it
engaged. Koechlin's Trio is more serious, haunting and consoling. It
stands for gravity among so much that charms and entreats. It only relents
from this posture in the final Allegro. The last four tracks are Perkins'
arrangements of four Hebridean melodies. After the dreamy Skye Fisher's
song comes the jaunty I shall take a trip to Tobermory and
the conjoined Love Lilt and Eriskay Lullaby - magical
stuff. The St Kilda Wedding movement pipes high and bubbles low.
We end with this light effusion.
Thus we have here a nicely calculated wind trio confectionery selection.
This little label with a big heart has also produced what looks like
a promising collection of modern-ish British music for bass clarinet
and piano. The details are shown after the end of this review.
Rob Barnett
Timeless Shades - Music for bass clarinet and piano by British composers
CUILLIN SOUNDS CUILL1002
CD 1
[1] Minnesang - Piers Hellawell
[2] Darkness Visible - George Nicholson
[3] Ding Dong Bell - Elizabeth Winters
[4] Those sweet sweet melodies - Graham Fitkin
[5] Soliloquy IV - Thomas Simaku
CD 2
[1] Timeless Shades of Green - Stephen Davismoon
[2] child to the black faced night - Marc Yeats
[3] Taking Shape - Iain Matheson
[4] Fall of the King - Antony Clare
Sarah Watts (bass clarinet) Antony Clare (piano)
