John Bruce Yeh, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s internationally admired and long-serving assistant principal clarinet and solo E-flat clarinet, features intimate works by noteworthy Windy City composers of the past and present on his latest Cedille Records album, Chicago Clarinet Classics...

Chicago Clarinet Classics was conceived, researched, and assembled during the Covid-19 pandemic and delivers world-premiere recordings of Leo Sowerby’s 'Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, H 240a', Shulamit Ran’s 'Spirit for Solo Clarinet' (in Memory of Laura Flax), Teresa Reilly’s 'The Forgiveness Train' for two clarinets, and Stacy Garrop’s 'Phoenix Rising for Solo Clarinet'

The album opens with Alexander Tcherepnin’s 'Sonata in one movement for clarinet and piano', and concludes with Yeh's former student Robert Muczynski’s 'Time Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 43', the only widely known work on the album, even among clarinetists).

The tracks flow beautifully together and it's interesting to note that as much care and attention to detail has been poured into the structure of the album has been injected into the recordings.

A beautifully presented album that you'll get years of pleasure out of.

Track listing:

Alexanxer Tcherepnin (1899 - 1977)
01. Sonata in one movement for clarinet and piano (5:04)

Stacy Garrop (B. 1969)
02. Phoenix Rising for Solo Clarinet - I. Dying in embers (4:59)
03. Phoenix Rising for Solo Clarinet - I. Reborn in flames (5:49)

Leo Sowerby (1859 - 1968)
04. Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - I. Slow and Sombre (5:46)
05. Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - II. Exuberantly, but not too fast (5:07)
06. Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - III. Quietly flowing (7:43)
07. Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - IV. Bright and merry (7:45)

Shulamit Ran (B. 1945)
08. Spirit for Solo Clarinet (5:45)

Teresa Reilly (B. 1976)
09. The Forgiveness Train for two clarinets - I. The Derailment of Fear (3:22)
10. The Forgiveness Train for two clarinets - II. The Gifts Beneath the Wounds (3:54)
11. The Forgiveness Train for two clarinets - III. The Rhythm of Birth (4:06)

Robert Mucsynski (1929 - 2010)
12. Time Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 43 - I. Allegro risoluto (2:44)
13. Time Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 43 - II. Andante espressiv (6:06)
14. Time Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 43 - III. Allegro moderato (2:12)
15. Time Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 43 - IV. Introduction: Andante molto – Allegro energico (5:24)

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Darren Rea