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French Music For Clarinet And Piano / Van Spaendonck, Tharaud

Van Spaendonck / Tharaud / Judd
Release Date: 01/11/2011 
Label:  Harmonia Mundi   Catalog #: 1951596   Spars Code: DDD 
Composer:  Camille Saint-Saëns,  Francis Poulenc,  Arthur Honegger,  Jean Françaix,   ... 
Performer:  Ronald van Spaendonck,  Alexandre Tharaud
Number of Discs: 1 
Recorded in: Stereo 
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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 Read more 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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