Corigliano’s Clarinet
Concerto may be one of his most
popular works, at least on record. Stanley
Drucker, its dedicatee and long-time
principal clarinettist of the New York
Philharmonic in which Corigliano’s father
also served as concertmaster for many
years, recorded it several years ago.
The NYPO was conducted by Zubin Mehta
(New World NW 309-2). Another recording
by Richard Stoltzman with the LSO conducted
by Lawrence Leighton Smith was – and
may still be – available on RCA RD 87762.
The present performance by Michael Collins
was recorded during the Proms 2004.
The work is in three movements, of which
the first, Cadenzas, is somewhat
unusual. It consists of two contrasted
accompanied cadenzas separated by a
short, energetic interlude. The second
movement Elegy, in memory of
the composer’s father, is the weightiest
and the most deeply felt of the whole
work. "I still find it hard to
think of the orchestra [NYPO] without
him [Corigliano’s father] sitting in
the first chair" (the composer’s
words). The movement includes several
duos for the soloist and the leader.
The third movement Antiphonal Toccata
fully lives up to its title, and is
bustling and energetic bringing the
work to a jubilant conclusion. Corigliano’s
music is often overtly – and deliberately
– eclectic, except when the composer
manages to keep his muse under control,
as he brilliantly does in his imposing
and very satisfying Symphony No.2
for strings. The Clarinet Concerto is
no exception. Corigliano’s sincerity
and will to communicate as directly
as possible are never in doubt, which
is why audiences generally react with
enthusiasm to performances. Michael
Collins plays superbly and gets fine
support from the BBC Symphony Orchestra
under Slatkin.
Zhou Long’s The
Immortal, first performed during
the 2004 Proms, is another fine example
of this endearing composer’s music.
The piece was written as a tribute to
contemporary Chinese artists and intellectuals
who firmly stuck to their ideals, especially
during the intellectually bleak years
of the ‘Cultural Revolution’. It is
also a good example of Zhou Long’s ability
to reconcile Western and Eastern musical
traditions without falling into all-too-easy
picturesqueness. This beautiful piece
is no exception.
Over the last few years,
Saariaho’s music has acquired a new
sensuality that has considerably enriched
her expressive palette without lessening
her technical and formal grip on the
material. Orion is her
largest orchestral piece so far, and
one that also dispenses with electronics.
That Saariaho can write for large orchestral
forces has already been fully demonstrated
in her impressive diptych Du cristal
(1989/90) and ...à
la fumée (1990). Thus,
the orchestral mastery displayed in
Orion does not come as
a surprise. The main difference is a
greater refinement in her handling of
the orchestra. Orion opens
in indeterminacy, with amorphous sound
clouds out of which an expansive string
melody unfolds supported by insistent
rhythms in the woodwinds. The music
builds up to a massive climax abruptly
cut short. The central section Winter
Sky is a beautiful impressionistic
nocturne, and – to my mind – contains
some of the loveliest and most atmospheric
music that Saariaho ever penned. All
through this movement, I could not help
thinking of Robert Bridges’ words ("A
frosty Christmas night, and the bright
stars shining..."). The final section
Hunter is for the most part a
study in perpetual motion. In the coda,
the pace increases whereas textures
become thinner; and the music swiftly
dissolves into thin air, high up in
the sky, where Orion assumes its fixed
position.
All three pieces receive
excellent performances; and make up
an attractive and varied programme of
accessible music fully repaying repeated
hearings. The recorded sound is very
fine, with very few of the unwanted
noises that often mar live recordings.
I hope that Warner will continue releasing
similar recordings made either during
the Proms or during the Ars Musica festival
in Brussels.
Hubert Culot
Michael Collins (clarinet)a 
