Alexander Fiterstein, English Chamber Orchestra & Chris Hopkins - A Clarinet in America (2021) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Clarinet Concerto: I. Slowly & Expressively
02. Clarinet Concerto: II. Rather Fast
03. Clarinet Sonata: I. Grazioso
04. Clarinet Sonata: II. Andantino - Vivace e leggiero
05. Sonatina for Clarinet Solo, Op. 27: I. Tema con variazioni
06. Sonatina for Clarinet Solo, Op. 27: II. Vivo e giocoso
07. Violin Sonata (Version for Clarinet & Piano): I. Andante semplice
08. Violin Sonata (Version for Clarinet & Piano): II. Lento
09. Violin Sonata (Version for Clarinet & Piano): III. Allegretto giusto


The clarinet has long been embraced by American composers for its jauntiness and jazzy flexibility (think of that slide opening Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue), qualities heard in abundance on this album. We hear Leonard Bernstein’s Cuban-influenced Sonata, and the Sonatina by Budapest-born Miklós Rózsa, who made his name as a Hollywood movie composer.

These pieces are bookended by two Aaron Copland works, his Concerto, writen for American jazz clarinettist and ‘King of Swing’, Benny Goodman, and his Sonata. Fiterstein’s playing with the Tesla Quartet was praised by "The Arts Des"k as “impressive” and “heart-stopping”. "The Washington Post" described his playing as “dazzling in its spectrum of colours, agility, and range. Every sound he makes is finely measured without inhibiting expressiveness” and "The New York Times" described him as “a clarinettist with a warm tone and powerful technique”.

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