Composer: Aaron Copland, Claude Achille Debussy, Witold Lutosławski, Carl August Nielsen
Performer: Blaž Šparovec
Orchestra: Odense Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Vincenzo Milletarì, Anna Skryleva
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Orchid
Release: 2021
Size: 1.02 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Debussy: Première rhapsodie, L. 116 (Version for Clarinet & Orchestra) [Live]
Nielsen: Clarinet Concerto Op. 57 (FS129)
02. Allegretto un poco
03. Poco adagio
04. Allegro non troppo
05. Allegro vivace
Lutosławski: Dance Preludes (Version for Clarinet & Chamber Orchestra)
06. I. Allegro molto
07. II. Andantino
08. III. Allegro giocoso
09. IV. Andante
10. V. Allegro molto
Copland: Clarinet Concerto
11. I. Slowly and Expressively
12. Cadenza. Freely
13. II. Rather Fast
Orchid Classics presents one of two releases showcasing winners of the Carl Nielsen Competition 2019 (see also the programme of flautist Josephine Olech). Hailed as “One to Watch” by Gramophone magazine, Slovenian clarinettist Blaž Šparovec was praised by jury member Michael Collins as “the deserving winner … he showed immense qualities from the start and is able to communicate with the audience his joy of music-making. His technical skill and warm sound will make him stand out as a true individual”.
With the Odense Symphony Orchestra, Blaž Šparovec performs four masterpieces: Debussy’s breathtaking Première rhapsodie, written as a competition piece for the Paris Conservatoire; Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto, often described as the greatest of the 20th century; Lutoslawski’s folk-like Dance Preludes; and Copland’s demanding, jazzy Clarinet Concerto, performed in its original state – unaltered by simplifications made by its dedicatee, Benny Goodman.