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BIS

Mozart & Birchall: Clarinet Concertos / Collins, Wigmore Soloists, Philharmonia Orchestra

$21.99

Details

Composer
Birchall, Mozart
Artist
Collins, Wigmore Soloists, O'Neill
Format
SACD
Label
BIS
Released
Apr 01, 2022
Catalog #
BIS-2647
UPC
7318599926476

About

The two concertos performed here by Michael Collins and the Philharmonia Orchestra were both intended for a specific player – Mozart composed his for Anton Stadler and Richard Birchall for Michael Collins himself. Both works – as well as Mozart's Clarinet Quintet – were also written for a particular instrument: the basset clarinet, a slightly larger and deeper clarinet than the one in A which soon after Mozart had written his concerto became the standard. At the very core of the clarinet repertoire, the two works by Mozart have until recently been played on the A clarinet, with necessary adjustments being made to the solo part. Nowadays, however, they are more and more often performed on the instrument they were intended for. Richard Birchall, in his Concerto for Basset Clarinet, also makes the most of the basset clarinet's extended range, for instance in the third movement, "Impossible Construction." That movement, and indeed the whole work, is inspired by the artwork of M. C. Escher and its combination of surreal elements and mathematical precision. With the two concertos, Michael Collins continues his long-standing collaboration with the Philharmonia Orchestra, which includes an acclaimed recording on BIS of works by Vaughan Williams and Finzi. For the Clarinet Quintet he has invited his colleagues from the Wigmore Soloists, the chamber ensemble that he leads together with Isabelle van Keulen.

Tracklist 10 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro 12:18
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    12:18
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Michael Collins
  2. 2 II. Adagio 07:37
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    07:37
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Michael Collins
  3. 3 III. Rondo: Allegro 08:28
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Rondo: Allegro
    Duration
    08:28
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Michael Collins
  4. 4 I. Allegro 09:17
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    09:17
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Annabelle Meare, Isabelle van Keulen, Adrian Brendel
  5. 5 II. Larghetto 06:33
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Larghetto
    Duration
    06:33
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Annabelle Meare, Isabelle van Keulen, Adrian Brendel
  6. 6 III. Menuetto - Trio I-II 06:52
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Menuetto - Trio I-II
    Duration
    06:52
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Annabelle Meare, Isabelle van Keulen, Adrian Brendel
  7. 7 IV. Allegretto con variazioni 09:14
    Track
    7
    Title
    IV. Allegretto con variazioni
    Duration
    09:14
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Annabelle Meare, Isabelle van Keulen, Adrian Brendel
  8. 8 I. Metamorphosis 08:42
    Track
    8
    Title
    I. Metamorphosis
    Duration
    08:42
    Composer
    Richard Birchall
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Robin O'Neill
  9. 9 II. Still Life 06:17
    Track
    9
    Title
    II. Still Life
    Duration
    06:17
    Composer
    Richard Birchall
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Robin O'Neill
  10. 10 III. Impossible Construction 04:46
    Track
    10
    Title
    III. Impossible Construction
    Duration
    04:46
    Composer
    Richard Birchall
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Robin O'Neill