Clarinetist Jeremy Reynolds, a member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, has assembled a contemporary program of solo clarinet works of diverse moods and colors. Each of the selections is a world premiere recording.

Jean Rivier (1896-1987): Les Trio “S” (1972) title refers to Sillages (Wakes), Soliloque (Soliloquy), and Serpentines (Streamers). The work pays homage to Stravinsky’s 1918 3 Pieces for Solo Clarinet.

Both composers utilize a neo-Classical style. In 3 mvmts of varying moods, the first being syncopated and lyrically playful. The mvmt is dedicated to Paris Conservatory clarinetist-teacher Jacques Lancelot. The 2nd mvmt is slow and meditative, dedicated to Guy Dangain, Paris Conservatory teacher. The last is a nervous, bouncy, jazzy movement, dedicated to teacher Guy Deplus. Rivier himself taught composition at the Paris Conservatory from 1948-1966.

Eberhard Werdin (1911-1991): Impressions for Clarinet Solo (1987) is a suite of six pieces, created by a teacher of the Cologne University of Music. Werdin wrote the suite for Franz Klein, clarinetist for the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, committed to Wagner opera productions. The moods embrace reflection, burlesque, and homage (“Tempo di Menuetto”) to Dvorak’s Op. 44 Serenade for Woodwinds. The general tenor of the pieces remains optimistic and lyrical.

Karl Maria Kubizek (1825-1995): Capriccio – 6 Pieces for Clarinet Solo (1969) comes from Austria, a family devoted to music. The pieces reflect post-WWII and the sense of rebuilding a musical identity. The composer allows the performer to choose the chronology of the movements. The essentially light-hearted moods test the performer’s quick musical reflexes in rhythm and registration. The second movement, Adagio sensibile, is slow but occasionally pert in its accents. The longest movement, Allegretto capriccioso, sets a moodily playful tone, frequently digging deep into the low chalumeau register or soaring into broken, high leaps. The fourth movement is slow but “naughty” in a jazzy tone of mockery. The last two movements engage in quick tempos, challenging in the metric shifts and bubbly or shrieking effects.

Daron Hagen (b. 1961): Icarus for Solo Clarinet (2007) takes its cue from Greek myth and a statue of the doomed youth by the composer’s mother. The piece depicts the boy’s thoughts the night before his attempt to escape the island of Crete. The monologue expresses fear and anticipation of flight, the liberation from all forms of physical and political gravity. The piece was written for clarinetist Susan Martula of the Albany Symphony and is dedicated to her.

James Lee III (b. 1975): Principal Brothers No. 3 for Solo Clarinet (2020) is an African-American composer from the University of Michigan. The piece was written during the COVID crisis for Anthony McGill, Principal Clarinet for the New York Philharmonic. In three movements, the pieces have a rhapsodic, virtuoso character, improvisational in feeling. NOTE: Tracks for Hagen and Lee II could not be added to the Zookeeper track listing. They are shown on the back cover of the disc insert.