Notes and Editorial Reviews
FRENCH MUSIC FOR CLARINET AND PIANO
•
Ronald van Spaendonck (cl); Alexandre Tharaud (pn)
•
HARMONIA MUNDI 1951596 (74:26)
POULENC
Clarinet Sonata.
DEBUSSY
Petite pièce.
Rhapsody.
MILHAUD
Scaramouche.
GAUBERT
Fantasy.
SAINT-SAËNS
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Clarinet Sonata.
PIERNÉ
Canzonetta.
HONEGGER
Sonatine.
FRANÇAIX
Tema con variazioni
This recital, issued in 2011, was recorded back in 1996; it was apparently first issued in 1997, but I don’t remember ever coming across it before, and it has likely been unavailable for some time.
I reviewed Ronald van Spaendonck’s recital of sonatinas on Fuga Libera in
Fanfare
33:5; the Belgian clarinetist was and is a fluent player with a clear, bright sound that’s quite suitable for this music. If anything, the sound was a bit firmer in the 2009 program than in this one, but the present disc features well-controlled
pianissimos
and impressive breath control along with a formidable technique in compositions, such as the Milhaud and Françaix, whose technical demands are rather out of proportion to their musical content.
Most of the works here are basic clarinet recital repertoire; those that are not, such as the Gaubert Fantasy, are attractive if of no major musical significance. The only substandard performance here is the Saint-Saëns sonata, which is a particularly difficult piece to pull off convincingly; I find Spaendonck overblows in the opening section of the third-movement Lento. Indeed, while I prefer performances of individual works by Anna Hashimoto on Meridian (Poulenc, Debussy), Jonathan Cohler on Ongaku and Crystal (Saint-Saëns and Honegger), and Sabine Meyer on EMI (Milhaud), this CD is as attractive a way as I know of to have a substantial portion of the French recital repertoire for clarinet in one package. Recommended on that basis.
FANFARE: Richard A. Kaplan
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Works on This Recording
1.
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in E flat major, Op. 167 by Camille Saint-Saëns
Performer:
Ronald van Spaendonck (Clarinet),
Alexandre Tharaud (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1921; France
2.
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Ronald van Spaendonck (Clarinet),
Alexandre Tharaud (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1962; France
3.
Sonatina for Cello and Piano by Arthur Honegger
Performer:
Ronald van Spaendonck (Clarinet),
Alexandre Tharaud (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
4.
Variations for Clarinet and Piano by Jean Françaix
Performer:
Ronald van Spaendonck (Clarinet),
Alexandre Tharaud (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
5.
Canzonetta for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 19 by Gabriel Pierné
Performer:
Ronald van Spaendonck (Clarinet),
Alexandre Tharaud (Piano)
Written: 1888
6.
Scaramouche, Op. 165b by Darius Milhaud
Performer:
Ronald van Spaendonck (Clarinet),
Alexandre Tharaud (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1937; France
7.
Petite pièce for Clarinet and Piano by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Ronald van Spaendonck (Clarinet),
Alexandre Tharaud (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1910; France
8.
Première Rhapsodie for Clarinet and Piano by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Ronald van Spaendonck (Clarinet),
Alexandre Tharaud (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1909-1910; France
9.
Fantasie for Clarinet and Piano by Philippe Gaubert
Performer:
Ronald van Spaendonck (Clarinet),
Alexandre Tharaud (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1911; France
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