Special offer. A Clarinet in America
Copland - Bernstein - Rozsa
Alexander Fiterstein (clarinet), English Chamber Orchestra, Chris Hopkins
Technically there is plenty to admire: in the Copland alone, there’s the smooth beauty of his liquid flow, plus peerless breath control, and a strong alliance with conductor Chris Hopkins and...
Special offer. A Clarinet in America
Copland - Bernstein - Rozsa
Alexander Fiterstein (clarinet), English Chamber Orchestra, Chris Hopkins
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Technically there is plenty to admire: in the Copland alone, there’s the smooth beauty of his liquid flow, plus peerless breath control, and a strong alliance with conductor Chris Hopkins and...
About
The clarinet has long been embraced by American composers for its jauntiness and jazzy flexibility (think of that slide opening Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue), qualities heard in abundance on this album. We hear Leonard Bernstein's Cuban-influenced Sonata, and the Sonatina by Budapest-born Miklós Rózsa, who made his name as a Hollywood movie composer. These pieces are bookended by two Aaron Copland works, his Concerto, for American jazz clarinettist and King of Swing, Benny Goodman, and his Sonata. Fiterstein's playing with the Tesla Quartet was praised by The Arts Desk as impressive and heart-stopping. The Washington Post described his playing as dazzling in its spectrum of colours, agility, and range. Every sound he makes is finely measured without inhibiting expressiveness and The New York Times described him as a clarinettist with a warm tone and powerful technique.
Contents and tracklist
- Alexander Fiterstein (clarinet)
- English Chamber Orchestra
- Chris Hopkins
- Alexander Fiterstein (clarinet), Chris Hopkins (piano)
- Alexander Fiterstein (clarinet)
Awards and reviews
May 2021
Technically there is plenty to admire: in the Copland alone, there’s the smooth beauty of his liquid flow, plus peerless breath control, and a strong alliance with conductor Chris Hopkins and the English Chamber Orchestra...Yet once the music turns more animated or heartfelt, Fiterstein often seems too well-behaved and cautious.