H - & C - Baermann : Musique pour clarinette et piano, vol. 2 - Zingales, Quintaba

Description

The romantic virtuosity of the great clarinettists of the 19th century, with several world premiere recordings. Italian clarinettist Dario Zingales studied in Milan with Luigi Magistrelli, another emblematic figure of the Brilliant Classics catalogue, renowned for his pioneering curiosity in the field of classical and early Romantic chamber music. Zingales made his Brilliant Classics debut in 2018 with the first volume of a fascinating series dedicated to the father and son who revolutionised clarinet playing – and consequently composition for this instrument – during the first half of the 19th century. Heinrich Baermann inspired Weber for his concertos and bravura pieces for clarinet. His son Carl later developed the instrument's range and mechanism so that it could ever more faithfully imitate the human voice through its fluidity and tonal nuances. Father and son also composed, and their playing and technical innovations were thus showcased by a repertoire exploiting their virtuosity. This second volume of chamber music presents five pieces, four of which are previously unpublished and recorded here for the first time. It includes three sets of themes and variations by Heinrich Baermann, originally written for clarinet and orchestra and performed here with piano accompaniment. They alternate passages of demanding virtuosity with cantabile sections, perfectly suited to the vocal nature of the clarinet, highlighted by Baermann himself through lyrically inspired recitatives. The two works composed by his son Carl, Ein Traum op. 47 (also a world premiere recording) and Souvenirs de Bellini op. 52, offer a very different musical flavour: a much more pronounced intimacy in the dialogue between clarinet and piano, an absence of virtuosic display, even in the lyrical fantasy, and a much more balanced relationship between the two instruments. This juxtaposition thus creates a fascinating interplay of styles and musical contrasts.