New Classical Tracks: The Clarinet's Singing Voice

For generations, exceptional players have been the inspiration for many composers. Clarinetist Jon Manasse is one of those distinguished players. A number of works have been written with Manasse's talent in mind, including the world premiere in 2009 of the clarinet concerto by Lowell Liebermann, a work commissioned by a consortium of orchestras throughout the United States. On his latest recording with Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony, Manasse plays two concertos, both of which were inspired by outstanding performers: the Mozart Clarinet Concerto and Louis Spohr's Clarinet Concerto No. 2.

Mozart composed his concerto just two months before he died in 1791. He wrote it for Anton Stadler, a Viennese clarinet virtuoso--and one of Mozart's drinking buddies--whose beautiful tone captivated the composer. Jon Manasse's tone is equally captivating. In the first movement of Mozart's concerto, Manasse's clarinet sings through each phrase with agile eloquence. This work is a like a mini-opera, packed with drama, passion and beautiful melodies. The sublime adagio is an instrumental aria, performed in the luscious lower range of the clarinet. As he floats through this gorgeous movement, Manasse reveals the iridescent quality of his instrument. Mozart puts the full range of the instrument to the test in the finale, requiring the soloist to tumble gently through arpeggios. Toward the end of this final rondo Mozart takes our breath away by including unexpected brief pauses, which Manasse milks just enough to grab our attention.

Louis Spohr was a conductor, a composer, a teacher and a violinist of the early Romantic period. Spohr was an avid supporter of Wagner, yet he used Mozart as his guide when he composed works like his Clarinet Concerto No. 2. We hear Mozart's influence on Spohr within the first few measures of the first movement. Here the composer allows the clarinet to respond briefly to the orchestra's opening line. Spohr composed this concerto and three others for the virtuoso Johann Simon Hermstedt. Because of the technical demands Spohr required of the soloist, Hermstedt modified his instrument to increase the clarinet's range and flexibility. Jon Manasse never forces the jaunty melody. His acrobatic trills are never overplayed. The first movement requires the stamina of a trained musical athlete, as Manasse demonstrates with little effort. The adagio begins in a sea of tranquility. Manasse sets the mood beautifully, rising and falling carefully and tenderly through a series of gradual melodic runs. The final Rondo is a Polish dance with sparkling passages, some of which sail up to the very top of the instrument's range.

Jon Manasse's playing on this new release reminds us why Mozart and Spohr were so eager to write for this instrument. Beautiful tone and impressive technique can make the clarinet sing--almost as if we were hearing the human voice. As a critic once told Anton Stadler, "no one with a heart can resist it!"

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