Album Review – Clarinet Notes from France by Marion Harrington (cl) and Jenny di Paolo (pno)

Marion Harrington and Jenny di Paolo’s new recording Clarinet Notes from France is really a delight to listen to.  The whole thing was “recorded over just two sessions” and what comes across is a sense of immediacy that we don’t often get to hear anymore.  Before we go further, this is not a “perfect” recording.  There are some technical errors, and Marion is very open about this on her website.  But, if that’s all you can hear, you’ve completely missed the point about why this album is worth listening to.  In fact when it comes to technical perfection, given enough studio and editing time pretty much any professional can put out a completely polished recording.  One of the most admirable aspects of this recording is the constant dialogue between the two performers.  Too often in recitals and recordings the pianist seems to be in the background.  This never really made sense to me.  How one can play any of these pieces without conceiving of them as real partnerships is a total mystery.  In this recording though it’s wonderful to hear great ensemble work between clarinet and piano.  But the thing that I like best about this recording is the artists decisions about pacing.  Their sense of pulse flows easily and beautifully.  For example listen to the opening of the Saint-Saens and you’ll here a relaxation that never devolves into stagnation, a fault all too common in this seemingly simple music.  Or, check out the Debussy.  The characteristic clarinet flourishes come off with a liquid feel that’s so easy to enjoy and so difficult to execute.  Even so, they glide right into the piano’s lines.  But, I have to admit that perhaps my favorite piece of the collection is the Messager Solo de Concours and of that piece my favorite section is the finale.  Here, we can experience the full effect of careful and well thought out pacing.  Rather than blast through the notes, Marion pulls and pushes the time to give a rendition full of humor and style.  With repeated listening there’s a lot to learn from this recording about how to make good musical decisions.  I look forward to more recordings in the future and especially the eventual release of a recording of Brahms’ work.