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Ries: Clarinet Chamber Music

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This CD contains three chamber works for clarinet by Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838) who is best known for his association with Beethoven. He was Beethoven's piano student and gave the premiere of his Third Piano Concerto. He was also a composer well-known in his day; his composition teacher was not Beethoven, but Johann Albrechtsberger. His music sounds a bit like Spohr or Hummel, a bit like Carl Maria von Weber. (On this CD the latter association is possibly because of Weber's penchant for composing for the clarinet.) At any rate, his chamber music is delightful if not particularly profound. It is no surprise that it was well-liked by professional and amateur musicians alike during his era.

This CD has the Clarinet Trio from 1810, and two clarinet and piano sonatas from 1809 and 1814 respectively. The trio is a bit unusual in that it is in four movements -- the usual classical format is for three movements -- and has a scherzo in second position. It is extremely virtuosic for both the clarinetist and the pianist; the cellist's part is a bit less obviously so although the cellists gets some nice solo passages. Particularly effective is the adagio; it has a long-limbed cantabile melody (principally for cello) that sticks in the mind's ear. Actually, though, this movement simply serves as a long introduction for the sprightly rondo finale which follows it without pause.

The two clarinet sonatas are rather more dramatic than one might have expected and, again, they are extremely virtuosic for both players. Kl?cker, long a well-regarded clarinet soloist who seems to have recorded just about everything written for clarinet solo and increasingly familiar as conductor of his own group, the Consortium Classicum, is his usual suave self. For me the big surprise (and a pleasant one) is the playing of pianist Thomas Duis with whom I was not heretofore familiar. His technique is spectacular and it is coupled with superb musicianship.

This recording may not be for everyone; for many a little solo clarinet goes a long way. But for those who love the instrument in chamber settings, as I do, this CD is quite a find.

Scott Morrison

Ries: Clarinet Chamber Music

Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838) was a German composer and pupil/friend of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). Ries and Franz Wegeler (1769-1848) Beethoven's first boyhood, lifelong friend and a physician, co-published in 1838 the reminiscences of Beethoven. Ries composed symphonies, a violin concerto, piano concertos, chamber works and string quartets that transition between the Classic and Romantic eras of classical music. Ries worked as a copyist for Beethoven, but his music may reflect some aspects of his masters works, but they are truly original with some interesting twists of harmonics and tonal bridging uniquely to Ries. Ries's composition instructor was Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736-1809), at that time, was well known and regarded as Vienna's best and Beethoven recognized this as well

Around the year 1809, Ferdinand Ries began his composition of chamber music. With this genre, he chose the clarinet as it had become an instrument that, by this time, established itself as an integral part of the musical scene. By the 18th century other composers were using the clarinet with success, Molter, Baden-Durlach, Pokorny and Stamitz, as solo concertos. The clarinet was fast becoming and instrument pleasing to the ear with the travels of clarinet virtuosos such as Beer, Hermstedt and Baermann. About this time Louis Spohr and Carl Marie von Weber were writing some major works to further the repertoire of the clarinet. But the works of Mozart and Beethoven were the most influential in forming the classical model for the clarinet in the concerto over and above all other woodwind instruments, flute, oboe, or the bassoon at that time.

On this CD we have a trio and two concertos written by Ries that are well-written compositions with piano accompaniment on all of them, and an interesting choice of a cello in the trio. Mozart chose a viola, but Beethoven liked the cello, giving an even greater full-bodied base for the trio. The structure of the music follows that of both Mozart and Beethoven, but there is an originality, by adding a scherzo movement, he breaks away from Beethoven. This creates interesting and lively movement between the instruments.

The concertos have greater piano parts that follow the clarinet solo, or at times, work as a lead for a counter statement by the clarinet accents. Listening to the piano parts in these concertos reminds my of the old time cinema parts where the piano would play in the back-ground as the movie played out on the screen. A particular scene that came to mind was the damsel in distress, the villain, the hero, and the speeding locomotive bearing down spelling ultimate doom, but in the end the hero prevails. If you listen closely you'll hear what I mean, the clarinet being the voice of the damsel and the hero, the piano plays the action of the locomotive and the wily villain. Clarinet and piano were first used by Johann Baptist Vanhal (1739-1813) a Czech composer.

Clarinet Chamber Music by Ferdinand Ries CD: Total Time 69:18

Clarinet Trio Op.28 written 1810 23:53

1. Allegro 8:36

2. Scherzo. Allegro vivace 4:58

3. Adagio 4:17

4. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo 6:02

Clarinet Sonata Op.29 written 1809 24:59

1. Adagio - Allegro 11:56

2. Adagio con moto 4:58

3. Adagio - Allegro non troppo 8:05

Clarinet Sonata op.169 written 1814 20:23

1. Allegro moderato 9:12

2. Adagio con moto 4:54

3. Rondo. Allegro 6:17

The principals:

Dieter Klocker, Clarinet

Armin Fromm, Cello

Thomas Duis, Piano

The clarinet played by Dieter Klocker has a ripe, rounded, full-bodied sound giving to his artistic interpretation, lending this music to have a mature original sound, with harmonic and melodic parts that are well-played. There are surprising areas and modulations, but this lends credit to the originality of these musical compositions. The extensive piano part played by Thomas Duis has vitality, exhibits great technique, and skill.

This CD has a SPARS Code: DDD. Played back on a quality A/V system you'll hear the depth gradation, very good dynamics, and the quality of the tonal colors. The acoustics on the CD are excellent. This is a CPO musical recording, made in Germany, recorded on November 17-21, 2003 and May 10-11, 2004 at Heidelberg. CPO is one of several audio labels that bring to classical music listener music that is either neglected or ignored for one reason or another. There are a whole class of composers that musical historians are now beginning to realize composed music that is of quality and interesting. I really enjoyed this music for its originality in composition and musicianship by the people playing.