Kaleidoscope Elizabeth Jordan, Northern Chamber Orchestra & Stephen Barlow

• Jean Françaix (1912 - 1997): Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra:
• 1 Françaix: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra: Allegro 08:10
• 2 Françaix: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra: Scherzando 06:05
• 3 Françaix: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra: Andantino 04:53
• 4 Françaix: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra: Allegrissimo 06:28
• Johann Melchior Molter (1696 - 1765): Concerto No.5 in D Major for Clarinet in D, Strings and Harpsichord, MWV 6.36:
• 5 Molter: Concerto No.5 in D Major for Clarinet in D, Strings and Harpsichord, MWV 6.36: Allegro 04:25
• 6 Molter: Concerto No.5 in D Major for Clarinet in D, Strings and Harpsichord, MWV 6.36: Andante 04:39
• 7 Molter: Concerto No.5 in D Major for Clarinet in D, Strings and Harpsichord, MWV 6.36: Tempo di menuetto 02:26
• Concerto No.1 in A Major for Clarinet in D, Strings and Harpsichord, MWV 6.41:
• 8 Molter: Concerto No.1 in A Major for Clarinet in D, Strings and Harpsichord, MWV 6.41: Moderato 04:08
• 9 Molter: Concerto No.1 in A Major for Clarinet in D, Strings and Harpsichord, MWV 6.41: Largo 04:12
• 10 Molter: Concerto No.1 in A Major for Clarinet in D, Strings and Harpsichord, MWV 6.41: Allegro 03:20
• Stephen Barlow (b. 1954): ‘Nocturne’ for Clarinet, String Orchestra and Marimba:
• 11 Barlow: ‘Nocturne’ for Clarinet, String Orchestra and Marimba 19:49
• Total Runtime 01:08:35

Info zu Kaleidoscope

Diese neue Aufnahme von Elizabeth Jordan und dem Northern Chamber Orchestra demonstriert die bemerkenswerte Vielseitigkeit der Klarinette mit Musik aus dem 18., 20. und 21. Jahrhundert. Von Johann Melchior Molters Konzerten – geschrieben für die D-Klarinette – über Jean Francaix’ verspieltes Konzert bis hin zu Stephen Barlows eindrucksvollem Nocturne unterstreicht das Album den vielfältigen Charakter und die Ausdrucksstärke des Instruments. Francaix’ Klarinettenkonzert von 1967/68, das zunächst als nahezu unspielbar galt, ist eine beeindruckende Demonstration der Virtuosität. Vom Komponisten als „Kunstflug für das Ohr“ beschrieben, besticht es durch helle, tonale Bewegungen mit komplexen Kadenzen und verspielten Schnörkeln. Stephen Barlows Nocturne für Klarinette, Streicher und Marimba (2008) wurde von einem Auftragswerk der Klarinettistin Emma Johnson inspiriert. Barlow folgte nicht der traditionellen Konzertform, sondern fühlte sich zu etwas Abstrakterem hingezogen, das die vielfältigen Farben und virtuosen Fähigkeiten der Klarinette einfing. Er beschrieb das Stück als „Reise“ und verglich es mit der Unberechenbarkeit von Träumen, in denen die Logik oft dem Unterbewusstsein weicht. Die Marimba, zunächst leise Begleiterin und später dramatische Katalysatorin, tritt in einen dynamischen Dialog mit der Klarinette, während die Streicher eine atmosphärische Landschaft bilden und eine Geschichte entfalten, die flüchtig greifbar, aber nie vollständig erklärt wird. Molters Konzerte spiegeln einen entscheidenden Moment in der Geschichte der Klarinette wider, indem sie ihre trompetenartigen Qualitäten aufgreifen und barocke Eleganz mit dem Charme der Frühklassik verbinden.

Elizabeth Jordan, Klarinette
Northern Chamber Orchestra
Stephen Barlow, Dirigent
Tim Williams, Marimba

Elizabeth Jordan
first studied as a Junior at the Royal College of Music then at the Royal Northern College of Music, assisted by a Countess of Munster Scholarship.

Alongside playing principal clarinet with the Northern Chamber Orchestra, she has pursued a busy and varied freelance career involving many interesting and different roles, solo performances, chamber music and orchestras including opera, ballet and contemporary music. This has led to many appearances as guest principal with ensembles including: the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Halle and BBC Philharmonic, Northern Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, Ensemble 10:10 and the Psappha Ensemble.

Highlights have included concerts at the Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Aldeburgh Festival, BBC Proms, the 1998 Halle Orchestra’s Residency at the Salzburg Festival, a rare opportunity to perform and record Messiaen’s monumental opera ‘St Francis of Assisi’. Also, many solo and chamber music appearances with cherished colleagues within NCO.

The clarinet family comprises many different sized instruments and Elizabeth enjoys championing some of the less commonly used ones. Here, the piccolo clarinet in D, previous recording with the Basset-Horn and frequent outings for the Basset-Clarinet. This has involved extensive touring throughout Europe, USA, South America, China and a particular favourite, some seven tours around Japan. For this recording, Elizabeth is playing on a soprano clarinet ‘Yamaha Custom CS’ and the D sopranino is a well-seasoned old Leblanc Paris.

Northern Chamber Orchestra
The oldest established professional Chamber Orchestra in the North-West of England, the Northern Chamber Orchestra (NCO) has a reputation for outstanding performances and world-class collaborations. Striving for excellence and musical innovation, the NCO presently comprises approximately twenty-five musicians. The orchestra boasts an ensemble of distinguished chamber players, many of whom frequently step into the limelight as soloists. The NCO consistently draws internationally renowned soloists of the highest calibre to its stage, esteemed artists such as Jennifer Pike, Martin Roscoe, Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and Raphael Wallfisch.

The NCO is embarking on a thrilling new chapter, with the appointments of both Zöe Beyers as Music Director and Sarah Brandwood-Spencer as Associate Director, and by further expanding its concert series to Chester and Stockport with a brand-new program of orchestral brilliance.

With key prestigious collaborations including the ‘Orchestras Live’ initiative, Manchester Metropolitan University Faculty of Education and Chethams School of Music, NCO reaches new audiences and broadens its horizons.

The orchestra has enjoyed working closely with Stephen Barlow before in his capacity as Artistic Director of Buxton Festival. In 2016, together they recorded ‘Mind Music’, a highly reviewed CD including works by Richard Strauss, John Adams, Mendelssohn and Kevin Malone.

The orchestra’s remarkable influence extends beyond live performances, with a further thirty critically acclaimed recordings in its discography.

Stephen Barlow
Stephen’s career as a symphonic and opera conductor has taken him all over the world stretching over nearly five decades. Engagements have included San Francisco, Detroit, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, Florida Grand Opera in Miami, Vienna, Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Stuttgart, Nancy, Seville, Bilbao, Lisbon, Catania, Palermo, Amsterdam, Sofia, Riga, Belgrade, Tirana, Beijing, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Auckland, Wellington, Aarhus, Copenhagen, Dublin and Wexford Festival. At home his work has been with all the major orchestras and opera companies, including a long association with both Glyndebourne Festival Opera and ENO, and engagements at the ROH. He was a founding conductor of Opera80 and the Garsington Opera Festival, and Artistic Director of Buxton Festival, Opera Northern Ireland in Belfast and Brisbane’s QPO.

Stephen’s operatic and symphonic repertoire is vast, from Bach to contemporary music, the bulk of which has included specialisms in Mozart, Verdi, Puccini and Strauss.

A composer throughout his working life, his additional work as a pianist includes many recordings along with recitals of Winterreise with Mark Stone, and project work with soprano Bibi Heal in partnership with Parkinson’s UK. Stephen and his wife Joanna Lumley also produce a popular podcast titled Joanna and the Maestro.

Tim Williams
joined the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra as Associate Principal, Timpani and Percussion in 2023. Prior to that he enjoyed a freelance career, performing internationally with chamber ensembles, orchestras and opera and ballet companies. He is also one of the few UK musicians skilled in the cimbalom, Hungary’s national hammered dulcimer.

His particular interest in new music led him to form the Manchester-based ensemble Psappha in 1991, and he served as its Artistic Director, General Manager and percussionist for 30 years. He led Psappha through the commissioning of over 500 works, tours to five continents, the development of schemes to support emerging composers, the creation of a record label and the filming of more than 350 works. He has performed with the group throughout the UK, Europe, North America, South America, Hong Kong, Australia and at the Jerusalem Festival.

He has appeared as a soloist on various recordings, including Steven Mackey’s works for percussion, cimbalom and ensemble; Anthony Gilbert’s Moonfaring; Gordon McPherson’s Moses; Ninfea Cruttwell-Reade’s Patdeep Studies; and Ryan Latimer’s Slink and Stride.

In recognition of his contribution to music, Tim Williams was awarded Honorary Membership of the Royal Academy of Music in 2022.

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet