Devienne: Clarinet Sonata No. 1; Poulenc: Clarinet Sonata; Saint-Saëns: Clarinet Sonata

Advantages: Rarely heard clarinet repertoire
Disadvantages: No other CDs to compare it with

...I confess to never having heard the music of two out of the four composers featured on this disc, I feel I have found some true gems which will inspire me to look beyond the normal confines of established clarinet repertoire. Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 129 by Charles Villiers Stanford starts with a 'matter of a fact' silky tempo that shows the listener they are going to be immersed and lullabied by the vocal quality associated with de Peyer's trademark tone and superior technique. Arnold Bax Sonata for Clarinet and Piano is delivered with a smooth yet vibrant confidence and is a true joy to the ear, the symbioses achieved by him and pianist Gwenneth Pryor is rewarding to say the least. Arthur Benjamin's 'Le Tombeau de Ravel' stands out as a comparatively modern piece and best displays de Peyer's virtuosity. I highly... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good example of early 20th century French/European music. Cheap price
Disadvantages: Not distinct or ground-breaking enough

...--- INTRODUCTION --- -QUICK FACTS- Nationality: French Born: Paris 1899 Died: Paris 1963 Specialist genres: Stage works, concertos, piano music. Francis Poulenc had a relatively well-supported life, being born into a family of pharmaceutical manufacturers he never had to earn a living. Like many famous composers he began learning his skill at a very young age, at five he started the piano. He specifically tried not to in his learning process to be influenced by other major composers, so to keep his music as much his own as possible as stated by his self-description "I am a musician without a label". Influences which did affect him though were the immediate post-ww1 years which in certain parts of France had created a new atmosphere of hope and vision away from the horrors of war. Additionally the Parisian street life of cafe's, music... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: a new take on a familiar warhorse
Disadvantages: is it worth full price?

...It's unlikely that any music lover who has a good recording of Beethoven's violin concerto on CD (say: Perlman, Grumiaux or Szigeti) would ever say to him or herself: 'boy, I wonder what that sounds like on the clarinet'. In fact, the only people who might would be clarinetists, for they tend to feel (mistakenly, as it happens)that there just isn't enough original repertoire written for their instrument. So here, spanking new, is a Deutsche Grammophon CD offering us an original work in Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and an arrangement of the Beethoven prepared by Russian pianist/conductor Mikhail Pletnev. The soloist is Michael Collins, who plays the familiar Mozart on his basset horn with all the joy and panache we expect. The Beethoven is a different cup of tea. It's difficult to listen to the famous melodies without hearing the fiddle (or... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful