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Premier of Mizesko Divertimento for Clarinet and Strings

Author: Alseg
Date: 2006-11-16 15:59

Saint Mary's School Smedes Parlor Concert Series presented the unique opportunity to hear the world premier of "Divertimento for Clarinet and Strings" by Terry Mizesko.

The venue is an historic chapel in Raleigh NC, replete with oak ceilings. The event attracted a full house, and a recording was made, hopefully to be available commercially.

Terry Mizesko studied composition at East Carolina University, and is the bass trombonist with the North Carolina Symphony. His "Sketches from Pinehurst" Orchestral work was released on CD in 2005. His works have been performed by orchestras in Atlanta, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Louisville, Fort Worth, Syracuse, Buffalo, and by his own NC Symphony.

The Divertimento for Clarinet and String was commissioned for Michael Cyzewski, clarinetist with the NC Symphony, and for Scott Bridges, professor of clarinet at the University of Alabama.

It is a piece in 3 mvts, the third being a large rondo style with a variety of ethnic elements from Hungary, Slovakia, the British Isles, Poland, Russia, and Italy. Stylistically, it is most definitely tonal, with an almost baroque melody interwoven throughout (homage to Haydn, intentionally according to the author's notes) giving way to a Prokovfiev flavor as it progresses (again by intention). The ethnic elements, including a pipers dance, are references to the ethnicity of the clarinetists and their families, as well as to that of the composer.
It is scored for clarinet, 2 violins, cello, viola, and string bass.

The work is technically demanding, covering the full range of the instrumentation, with leaps, and shifts in mood, and dynamics. One interesting portion has the clarinet and string bass duplicating the melodic line in pianissimo, which yielded an interesting and engaging effect.
Mr. Mizesko originally wrote this portion for cello and clarinet, then changed it....and the result is pleasing.
The main melody is....dare I say this....hummable and easily remembered. The Yale school of composition would collapse at such a notion.
There is a mount Everest of a cadenza near the end. Its content is easily recalled, but not so easily played (I saw the clarinet part....and it is decidedly for the professional player).
The ensemble-Rebecca Binford, Oskar Ozolinch, violin, Sandra Schwarz, Viola, Lisa Howard Shaughnessy, cello, and Leonid Finkelsteyn, Bass, all members of the NC Symphony, accomplished the roles with aplomb and beautiful sound.

The Clarinetist: Mike Cyzewski is a MONSTER clarinetist. We were high school students in Philadelphia (at the time, a bastion of public school musical education). When I first heard him play I had one of those "geez, I am not the hot shot I thought I was" moments.
He studied with Joseph and Anthony Gigliotti, earning his bachelors degree at Temple University, a Masters at Catholic University, and served as soloist in Pershing's Own US Army Band. He also performed with the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra and has been a member of the NC Symphony since 1973. He has also studied with Donald Montanaro.
He has an active teaching career.
Sound? . Molten dark chocolate with crystaline highlights.... this is the classic Philly sound with depth and maturity. A pianissimo that never loses its core sound, and attacks that are at times hinted at (one change that differs from our high school days, and possibly shows the effects of hours spent with "the Don"), and technique to burn.
Set up? Vandoren M15 mouthpiece, V12 #4s, inverted Bonade ligature, R13 Buffet.

Mike's lovely and talented wife, soprano Judith Bruno, was also featured on the program, and her portion included beautifully performed and thought provoking works by Bach, Hugo Wolf, and Samuel Barber. I could add much more, but after all this IS a Clarinet Bulletin Board, and I must conserve space.

I will attempt to add an mp3 snippet and some photos if bandwidth permits.

{With the help of Mark Charette and Glenn Kantor, the following two replies contain the photos and the mp3 snipet.}

Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-

Post Edited (2006-11-16 20:53)

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