A place toward other places

Richard Hawkins, clarinet
The Oberlin Comtemporary Music Ensemble
Timothy Weiss, conductor
Release: January 2013

This recording was made in Clonick Recording Studio at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music between 2010 and 2012. All of the works on this recording are licensed and reproduced with permission of the composers and publishers. © 2012 Oberlin Conservatory of Music

The possibilities of the clarinet seem inexhaustible. The enormous range of the instrument includes the gorgeous low register (known as the chalumeau) and, for an accomplished player, the sky is the limit at the top (well, almost). Adept at playing lyrical melodies, but also capable of surprising dramatic effects, the instrument sees its contemporary repertoire growing rapidly. In this recording, Richard Hawkins brings together four American works written during the last quarter of a century, by four generations of composers born between 1908 and 1982.

Weiss explains the genesis of the CD project:  “Richard and I chose the repertory together. We started with the idea of recording Elliot Carter's Clarinet Concerto. In crafting the architecture of the disc as a whole, we liked the idea of each piece involving a successively smaller ensemble. So, the disc moves from concertos with chamber orchestra, through a chamber music ensemble, to a solo clarinet work. We also wanted to put forth some lesser-known composers. The works by Broening and Helgeson were written for Richard and the ensemble.”

“The finished product is a stunning collection of vastly different musical styles and personalities,” Weiss adds.

Hawkins says he is especially “proud to showcase Oberlin's new recording studio and highlight the professional-level talents of the conservatory students."

The Contemporary Music Ensemble debut recording on the Oberlin Music label was released at the DiMenna Center concert in New York City during the Oberlin in NYC tour on Friday, January 18, 2013.