English Music for Clarinet Michael Collins & Michael McHale

• Malcolm Arnold (1921 - 2006): Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 29:
• 1 Arnold: Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 29: I. Allegro con brio 02:45
• 2 Arnold: Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 29: II. Andantino 03:04
• 3 Arnold: Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 29: III. Furioso 02:18
• Joseph Horovitz (1926 - 2022): Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano:
• 4 Horovitz: Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano: I. Allegro calmato 04:58
• 5 Horovitz: Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano: II. Lento, quasi andante 04:07
• 6 Horovitz: Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano: III. Con brio 03:41
• Charles Villiers Stanford (1852 - 1924): Three Intermezzi, Op. 13:
• 7 Stanford: Three Intermezzi, Op. 13: I. Andante espressivo 03:34
• 8 Stanford: Three Intermezzi, Op. 13: II. Allegro agitato 02:32
• 9 Stanford: Three Intermezzi, Op. 13: III. Allegretto scherzando 02:43
• Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956): Five Bagatelles, Op. 23:
• 10 Finzi: Five Bagatelles, Op. 23: I. Prelude 03:33
• 11 Finzi: Five Bagatelles, Op. 23: II. Romance 04:24
• 12 Finzi: Five Bagatelles, Op. 23: III. Carol 01:58
• 13 Finzi: Five Bagatelles, Op. 23: IV. Forlana 02:30
• 14 Finzi: Five Bagatelles, Op. 23: V. Fughetta 02:02
• Charles Villiers Stanford: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 129:
• 15 Stanford: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 129: I. Allegro moderato 07:16
• 16 Stanford: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 129: II. Caoine 05:49
• 17 Stanford: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 129: III. Allegretto grazioso 05:22
• Joseph Horovitz: Two Majorcan Pieces:
• 18 Horovitz: Two Majorcan Pieces: I. Paguera 02:15
• 19 Horovitz: Two Majorcan Pieces: II. Valdemosa 01:19
• Total Runtime 01:06:10

Info for English Music for Clarinet

Together with pianist Michael McHale, Michael Collins continues his exploration of the chamber repertoire for clarinet, turning to British music with this recital covering a hundred years of music for clarinet and piano which reflects the special relationship between English composers and this instrument. The earliest works on this recording are the Three Intermezzi and the Sonata by Charles Villiers Stanford, who made no secret of his debt to Brahms. As with his Viennese counterpart, Stanford’s music is poised yet seductive and, in this case, beautifully conceived for both instruments. Known for the strength of his vocal music, Gerald Finzi also makes the clarinet sing in his Five Bagatelles composed during the Second World War. Light and touching, they appear as a personal reinterpretation of the baroque dances found in Bach’s instrumental suites. Not surprisingly, Malcolm Arnold’s Sonatina has always been popular with clarinettists, with its energy and its nods to jazz and dance music. Last but not least, Joseph Horovitz, the last composer in chronological order, is represented by his Two Majorcan Pieces and his Sonatina. Once again, the music is playful and makes an excellent showcase for the clarinet.

Michael Collins, clarinet
Michael McHale, piano

Michael Collins
is one of the most complete musicians of his generation. With a continuing, distinguished career as a soloist, he has in recent years also become highly regarded as a conductor and in 2010 took the position of Principal Conductor of the City of London Sinfonia. Recent guest conducting and play-directing highlights have included engagements with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Ulster Orchestra, and the HPAC Orchestra in Kyoto, Japan.

This season Michael will also conduct and perform wth the BBC Symphony Orchestra in a studio concert and work with the Kymi Sinfonietta and Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra for play-direct programmes. He also and makes his debut with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, playing and directing a programme of Mozart, Weber and Rossini. As a soloist, he will work with the Charlotte Symphony and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Future plans include OSESP Sao Paulo, as well as a return to the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

Michael Collins has been committed to expanding the repertoire of the clarinet for many years. He has given premières of works such as John Adams’ Gnarly Buttons, Elliott Carter’s Clarinet Concerto - for which he won a Gramophone award for his recording on Deutsche Grammophon - Brett Dean’s Ariel’s Music and Turnage’s Riffs and Refrains, which was commissioned by the Hallé Orchestra. Collins has gone on to perform Turnage’s work with the Residentie Orkest, Royal Flanders and Helsinki Philharmonics, as well as the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Collins has received the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Instrumentalist of the Year Award in 2007 in recognition of his pivotal role in premièring repertoire by some of today’s most highly regarded composers.

In great demand as a chamber musician, Collins performs regularly with the Borodin and Takács quartets, András Schiff, Martha Argerich, Stephen Hough, Mikhail Pletnev, Lars Vogt, Joshua Bell and Steven Isserlis. His ensemble, London Winds, celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2013 and the group maintains a busy diary with high calibre engagements such as the BBC Proms, Aldeburgh Festival, Edinburgh Festival, City of London Festival, Cheltenham International Festival and Bath Mozartfest. He has a regular relationship with the Wigmore Hall and was one of their Artists in Residence in 2015/16, which includes concerts with London Winds and Christine Rice, Ailish Tynan and with the Borodin Quartet – with whom he will also work at the Cite de la Musique in Paris. Collins is also Artistic Director of the Liberation International Music Festival in Jersey.

Michael Collins records exclusively for Chandos and has covered a wide range of repertoire in his prolific recording career, which also includes releases on Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, EMI and Sony. Recent releases include a disc of British Clarinet Concertos with the BBC Symphony Orchestra which features Collins as soloist and conductor, as well as a disc of Brahms and Reinicke Clarinet Sonatas with pianist Michael McHale. Collins’s 50th Birthday was celebrated with a Chandos release of Weber Concertos conducted and performed by himself with the City of London Sinfonia. He has also recorded concertos by Corigliano, Adams, Carter, as well as Spohr, Copland and of course Mozart. In the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2015, Michael Collins was awarded an MBE for his services to music. He plays exclusively on Yamaha clarinets.

Booklet for English Music for Clarinet