 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-03-20 04:13
Is anyone here familiar with the Clarinet Duo, "Portraits," by the late George Camilleri?
I'd like to know if it is a good candidate for some work. Thanks in advance
Bob Phillips
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2009-03-20 19:57
Is that duo the same as "American Portraits"?
By coincidence I bought a second hand CD of clarinet works by Camilleri just last saturday from a charity shop. Haven't had chance to even listen to it yet but I see that last item on disc is American Portraits. The inside text says its for clarinet and bass clarinet although the back cover only mentions 2 clarinets.
The artists are David Campbell and Godfrey Mifsud and the CD is on the Meridian Records label and produced in 2000.
Will try to listen in next day and report back.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2009-03-20 20:02
p.s. The CD cover says CAMILLERI but just noticed inside text calls him Charles Camilleri - born in Malta. Is this same chap or are there 2 composers with similar names ?
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-03-20 23:20
Mr. Smale,
I'm looking for Charles Camilleri, Prof of Music at University of Malta, composer (and euphonium player?) who wrote movie music as well as concert pieces.
Prof Michele Gingras played the middle movement of his Concertino for Clarinet and Strings at CLARInexus last Saturday, and it is gorgeous. the "strings" portion of the score seems to have been lost --replaced by a piano.
I found references to three other Camilleri compositions for Clarinet:
A Concerto,
A duo, Pictures, (I can not verify that it American Pictures or that it is for mixed clarinets,
A trio, Images (perhaps with band).
I'm going to get a copy of the Concertino and am looking for an intermediate/advanced duo for two Bb clarinets and am considering the purchase of Pictures/ American Pictures on the same order.
I'm looking forward to your record review. Thank you for posting.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2009-03-20 23:45
Bob, just had a quick listen to American Portraits, it was scored originally for oboe and bassoon but later re-composed by Camilleri for clarinet and bass clarinet according to my sleeve notes.
4 short movements Manhattan Arpeggios/Apollo II/Miles of Silence(for Miles Davis)/Pollock.
Seems approachable modern music but sounds quite challenging in places
and probably great fun to play if one's technique is up to it!
I knew nothing of this composer until I found this disc and there is precious little shown in record catalogs/reviews although I understand he was quite a prolific composer.
My CD contains 7 works by him, all including clarinet
Trio "New York" (clarinet/violin/piano)
Divertimento No.1 (2 clarinets/piano)
Sarajevo 99 (clarinet/piano)
Sonatina (clarinet/piano)
Orbits (clarinet solo)
American Portraits (clarinet/bass clarinet)
David Campbell (whom I've met several times and used to live quite close to me in Hampshire) apparently did a lot of work with this composer including premiers of some of his works.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-03-21 17:07
Isn't the 2nd move of the Concertino glorious?
How is the Diverimento? It costs $120 Austrailian, and $60 (oh, plus shipping) USD.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2009-03-21 23:09
I found Divertimento No 1 (Hommage a Manuel de Falla) an appealling work written in a not overtly contemporary style with distinct Spanish overtones.
According to the text included with CD it was written in 1957 and... "is the composer's first significant work for clarinet although, in this recorded version, the work is arranged for two clarinets and piano."
No specifics on whom or when arranged but assuming the artists close connection with Camilleri (and the second clarinetist was actually born in Malta) I would guess it was done, or sanctioned, by the composer.
It certainly works well with the two clarinets. Total performance time for the 3 movements is approx 8 minutes.
Mention is also made of a (jazz) Divertimento No 2 written for Jack Brymer.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-03-23 16:18
Interesting that Bella Kovacs has written an(other) Hommage a Manuel de Falla!
thank you
Bob Phillips
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