Notes and Editorial Reviews
VIRTUOSO • Matthias Müller (cl); David Philip Hefti, cond; Zero Ens • NEOS 20904 (SACD: 57:02) & MÜLLER Clarinet Concerto. 6 Concert Etudes. ROSSINI Clarinet Concerto. STRAVINSKY 3 Pieces. PAGANINI Moto perpetuo & MÜLLER 6 Concert Etudes. STOCKHAUSEN Der kleine Harlekin (DVD: PAL and NTSC)
"Clarinetist Matthias Müller is a performer of no mean ability, with a warm though somewhat clinical sound that is consistently satisfactory from top to bottom. I have rarely heard his equal technically, and he plays with a self-assured swagger and bravura temperament that we don’t see too often in the self-conscious classical world.
Müller’s concerto is full of interesting ideas, with a
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tonal palette that feels very French to me, almost reminiscent of Les Six composers in many ways with the hint of jazz chords and indeterminate resolutions of phrases. It is worthy of many performances, and I hope the piece catches on. The Six Concert Etudes are bewilderingly delightful; though rather abstract they also do have an internal logic that the listener can hang on to, and their technical difficulties are formidable, leaving the clarinet as a smoking stick by the time all is finished.
The Stravinsky work is now a repertoire standard, being the first-ever piece of substance for unaccompanied clarinet, and has never been bettered than here. The fluffy Rossini is played very well with a lot of spunk, though I don’t think the otherwise excellent Ensemble Zero is as comfortable in this element as in others. The Paganini is pure show-off, and why not? If you’ve got it, flaunt it.
The DVD is offered in PAL and NTSC formats, one per disc. Most DVD players in the states will not handle PAL—thought by some to give a better picture, but that is debatable. It would not play on my Panasonic Blu-ray player."
FANFARE: Steven E. Ritter
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Works on This Recording
1.
Concerto for Clarinet by Matthias Müller
Performer:
Matthias Müller (Clarinet)
Conductor:
David Philip Hefti
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble Zero
2.
Concert Etudes (6) by Matthias Müller
Performer:
Matthias Müller (Clarinet)
Conductor:
David Philip Hefti
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble Zero
3.
Pieces (3) for Clarinet solo by Igor Stravinsky
Performer:
Matthias Müller (Clarinet)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1919; Switzerland
4.
Variations for Clarinet and Orchestra in C major by Gioachino Rossini
Performer:
Matthias Müller (Clarinet)
Conductor:
David Philip Hefti
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble Zero
Period: Romantic
Written: circa 1809; Bologna, Italy
5.
Moto perpetuo for Violin and Orchestra in C major, Op. 11 by Niccolò Paganini
Performer:
Matthias Müller (Clarinet)
Conductor:
David Philip Hefti
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ensemble Zero
Period: Romantic
Written: 1835
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