Miniatures - Pieces for Clarinet & Piano Anastasia Schmidlin & Denis Zhdanov

• Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953): Five Pieces from “Romeo and Juliet” (Arr. for Clarinet & Piano by Federico Kurtz de Griñó):
• 1 Prokofiev: Five Pieces from “Romeo and Juliet” (Arr. for Clarinet & Piano by Federico Kurtz de Griñó): No. 1, Introduction. The Young Juliet 03:13
• 2 Prokofiev: Five Pieces from “Romeo and Juliet” (Arr. for Clarinet & Piano by Federico Kurtz de Griñó): No. 2, Dance of the Knights 03:13
• 3 Prokofiev: Five Pieces from “Romeo and Juliet” (Arr. for Clarinet & Piano by Federico Kurtz de Griñó): No. 3, Romeo with Father Lorenzo 02:18
• 4 Prokofiev: Five Pieces from “Romeo and Juliet” (Arr. for Clarinet & Piano by Federico Kurtz de Griñó): No. 4, Tybalt’s and Mercutio’s Fight 01:21
• 5 Prokofiev: Five Pieces from “Romeo and Juliet” (Arr. for Clarinet & Piano by Federico Kurtz de Griñó): No. 5, Farewell Before Parting. Juliet Alone 04:54
• Germaine Tailleferre (1892 - 1983): Trois danses de "La Nouvelle Cythère", for Clarinet and Piano:
• 6 Tailleferre: Trois danses de "La Nouvelle Cythère", for Clarinet and Piano: No. 1, Pavane. Assez lent 02:59
• 7 Tailleferre: Trois danses de "La Nouvelle Cythère", for Clarinet and Piano: No. 2, Nocturne. Très lent 01:36
• 8 Tailleferre: Trois danses de "La Nouvelle Cythère", for Clarinet and Piano: No. 3, Galop. Très vite 02:02
• Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957): Andante for Clarinet and Piano in E-flat Major:
• 9 Schoeck: Andante for Clarinet and Piano in E-flat Major 02:59
• Joseph Horovitz (1926 - 2022): Two Majorcan Pieces for Clarinet and Piano:
• 10 Horovitz: Two Majorcan Pieces for Clarinet and Piano: No. 1, Paguera 02:20
• 11 Horovitz: Two Majorcan Pieces for Clarinet and Piano: No. 2, Valldemossa 01:07
• Krzysztof Penderecki (1933 - 2020): Three Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano:
• 12 Penderecki: Three Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano: No. 1, Allegro 00:56
• 13 Penderecki: Three Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano: No. 2, Andante cantabile 01:49
• 14 Penderecki: Three Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano: No. 3, Allegro ma non troppo 01:17
• Witold Lutosławski (1913 - 1994): Dance Preludes for Clarinet and Piano:
• 15 Lutosławski: Dance Preludes for Clarinet and Piano: No. 1, Allegro molto 00:51
• 16 Lutosławski: Dance Preludes for Clarinet and Piano: No. 2, Andantino 02:48
• 17 Lutosławski: Dance Preludes for Clarinet and Piano: No. 3, Allegro giocoso 01:08
• 18 Lutosławski: Dance Preludes for Clarinet and Piano: No. 4, Andante 03:23
• 19 Lutosławski: Dance Preludes for Clarinet and Piano: No. 5, Allegro molto 01:23
• Total Runtime 41:37

Info for Miniatures - Pieces for Clarinet & Piano

This richly varied program takes listeners on a journey through 20th-century Europe, with music from Russia, France, Switzerland, Great Britain, and Poland. At its heart are vivid stage scenes, delicate miniatures, spirited dances, and impressionistic soundscapes – all infused with poetic intensity and rhythmic vitality.

It begins with a selection from Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, heard here in a beguiling arrangement for clarinet and piano. These snapshots from Shakespeare’s drama blend striking contrasts: moments of tenderness, bursts of passion, and irresistible dance rhythms.

From there we travel to Germaine Tailleferre’s whimsical suite La nouvelle Cythère – a colorful, slyly humorous portrait of an imaginary island.

The three dances (Galop, Nocturne, Pavane) are presented in a fresh, musically inspired sequence that highlights their charm and variety. Othmar Schoeck’s rarely performed Andante offers a lyrical, dream-like interlude from Switzerland, while Joseph Horovitz’s Two Majorcan Pieces add a splash of Mediterranean warmth and wit.

Krzysztof Penderecki’s Three Miniatures surprise with their concise expressiveness and unexpected accessibility, leading into Witold Lutosławski’s Dance Preludes – a compact masterpiece of rhythmic vitality, folkloric sparkle, and compositional finesse.

Blending virtuosity with tonal imagination, this program offers a vibrant cross-section of Europe’s musical voices in the 20th century, brought to life through the intimacy of chamber music.

Anastasia Schmidlin, clarinet
Denis Zhdanov, piano

Anastasia Schmidlin
is a clarinetist who performs as a soloist and chamber musician in a wide variety of musical settings. She is a member of the contemporary music ensemble Dissolution, performs with her duo partner, pianist Denis Zhdanov, and regularly collaborates with numerous musicians of different styles. Her artistic interests include collaborating with composers and performing new works.

As a soloist, she has performed with renowned Swiss orchestras such as the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and the argovia philharmonic, and has worked with personalities such as Yuri Temirkanov, Heinz Holliger, and Dieter Ammann. She previously served as principal clarinetist of the Ensemble Symphonique de Genève and has played in other Swiss and Russian orchestras.

Anastasia Schmidlin has performed at numerous festivals, including the Lucerne Festival, the Davos Festival, and the Boswiler Sommer. Her recordings are released on the Prospero Classical label. In addition to her concert activities, she teaches clarinet and music education at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Music and at the Lucerne Music School. She is a Silverstein Pro Team Artist, a Gleichweit Artist, an external expert at the Zurich University of the Arts, and regularly serves as a juror at competitions.

Booklet for Miniatures - Pieces for Clarinet & Piano