Various Composers - The French Clarinet Collection [Hinson & Puddy/Martineau] And a second French Clarinet recital in a row, i don't really plan these things, it's almost the next disc on the shelf, like two buses come at the same time!, but it was good to listen to another similar disc, which must be two thirds the same works as yesterdays disc, and to compare the two, i found this disc in a second hand shop in London, it wasn't very expensive either, and i just had to have it!.
Nigel Hinson i take it is English, i don't really know too much about him, but he did study with Keith Puddy, who is also represented on this disc, and i have an inkling Puddy is Irish [huh!, or is that me thinking Paddy!], Hinson plays the shorter pieces, and Puddy plays the Sonatas, the booklet front cover is one of the major things which attracted me to buying the disc in the first place, a great shot [by Robert Carpenter-Turner], with Hinson & Puddy in a nice mood, good use of hands, nice to see those clarinets, the pink / rose background adds that splash of brightness, going from dark to light, and the lettering / logo is nicely laid out too.
The two pieces i liked here were Saint-Saen's Clarinet Sonata [tracks 3-6], and Messager's Solo De Concours [track 17], the piece by Messager is a lovely examination test piece, which shows up the Clarinetists skills, and also their shortcomings too!, but it's not just an exercise, it's also pure clarinet music at its very best, Nigel Hinson is the Clarinetist here, he takes it a tad slow to begin with, and it's not quite recorded as well as yesterdays disc, the bravura introduction is certainly nice, but it's the more lyrical and introspective middle section which is such a delight [1:37-3:13], where the clarinet sings a melancholy tune in the lower registers [1:37-2:22], very breathy, and then some nice magic, the piano takes over the tune, while the clarinet bubbles away up and down scales [2:22-2:47], now in higher registers, and both instruments get higher and louder, until the clarinet takes over the main melody again [2:47-3:13], this central section is the very best part of the whole piece, afterwards comes a solo clarinet cadenza [3:19-4:28], and a bravura finale, a piece that seems to have a bit of everything.
Here's Jose Franch-Ballester playing this pieces on YouTube.
