 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2008-03-14 20:01
One of my favorite clarinetists, Michael Collins, is performing Saturday and Sunday at Georgetown University's "Schubert, Schubert and Schubert" event.
Saturday he's playing in the Brahms Quintet and Sunday he's doing the Schumann Fantasy Pieces and the Mozart Quintet (with basset clarinet I hope). Concerts are at Gaston Hall, Georgetown University 8pm. Admission is only $5 -- $3 for students and us senior citizens. As far as I know this is the first time he has appeared as a soloist in this neck of the woods!
[Note to moderators: last time I attempted to alert BBoard members to a Sabine Meyer and friends concert at the Library of Congress, my post was removed -- too bad because there were plenty of empty seats at a wonderful free concert! I'm throwing myself on your mercy here!]
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Author: Joseph Brenner, Jr.
Date: 2008-03-14 22:07
I'm pleased that you posted the notice, even though I'll not be in our nation's capital to hear him. I heard him play the Poulenc with Julian Quentin...thought he played it quite well. He gave it the drive, drama, and play that it needs. I had begun to think that only a French person could play it, but Collins disabused me of that notion.
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2008-03-14 23:53
See him, he's amazing!! I was fortunate enough to play for him a few times at the Royal College of Music while a student there. He's a legend and I learnt alot from him.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-03-15 00:19
Keep us posted if he's there again in mid-May!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Dileep Gangolli
Date: 2008-03-15 00:44
Alas...no Schubert....despite the title (a concert I would hear should I live in the land of Taxation with No Representation).
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2008-03-15 02:35
David, were you here with the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra? Sorry I missed that one -- got a great review!
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2008-03-17 00:52
At GBK's request, I'm posting a mini-review of Michael Collins' Washington DC debut last night, playing the Brahms Quintet with the [excellent] Auryn Quartet (from Germany).
Unfortunately I was unable to attend tonight's concert which is in progress as I write this.
This was my first opportunity to hear Collins in person, even though I was familiar with his work on recordings and in a film score (the name of which eludes me -- he had some great licks and his name in the credits. Hope someone can refresh my memory on this.) Arriving with high expectations, I'm pleased to report that I found his playing was just as fine as I anticipated.
What first impressed me, from the very opening on the Brahms was the smoothness of his tone. I was reminded of Bob Marcellus by the velvety, yet ringing, quality of his sound -- all the way from low E to the high G's in the Quintet. Technique was also very smooth -- all of the technically demanding passages were performed with ease. He played totally without vibrato -- something I had not expected from a "Brit" -- and used rubato to great effect, but only sparingly. The "gypsy" section in the slow movement was played almost metrically on first exposition, but with much more flash and dash on the repeat. I was charmed by his self-effacing blend with the strings -- the music seemed to come ahead of any kind of virtuoso display.
This was the first time I had ever seen a Peter Eaton clarinet, but on the basis of this one hearing I would have to say that its reputation is well earned (unlike that of some of the other "boutique" clarinets). Intonation was excellent; tone quality even and consistent in all registers!
The Auryn Quartet plays with a "lean" sound, not like the lush timbre of the Juilliard and Guarnerius, but with incredibly sensitive ensemble. Collins managed to sound like he had played this work with them many, many times!
The first half of the concert was also a treat, with two members of the Auryn joining with Russian pianist Polina Leschenko to play Schubert's Eb piano trio, best know to me as the source of some of the score for Stanley Kubrick's film "Barry Lyndon."
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Author: Daniel Frazelle
Date: 2008-03-17 01:11
There's very little I can add to what Larry has recounted here, as I agree with pretty much everything he said. Although I was only familiar with his recording of Gnarly Buttons and some YouTube videos, I had read frequently that he's highly regarded for his lyrical smoothness. This was really on full display, but some things came across that never would have in a recording. There were a number of moments on the Brahms where he surprised me with the "softness" of his tone. When I say this, I don't mean in volume, although he certainly sang beautifully at pianissimo in the second movement. When I say softness I mean in texture. There are an awful number of fine recordings of this quintet available today, but he did play a number of passages more sensitively than I've ever heard on recording or in live performances.
Thank you, Larry, for telling us about this concert. I'm not sure how many people made it out there, but I fully enjoyed it and I'm thankful to have received some notice. I agree that the German players were exceedingly sensitive. I got a kick out of hearing one of the variations in the last movement of the Schubert that reminded me that I had a teacher once make an articulation study out of that variation. It was an enjoyable, though hot, evening. I give Georgetown and the organizers credit for bringing in these fine musicians.
Post Edited (2008-03-17 01:32)
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-03-17 01:21
The BBC had an interview and him doing the Corigliano Concerto live a while back. Great player. His Carter concerto CD is quite good too.
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Author: Mark G Simon
Date: 2008-03-17 04:26
Everything Larry Bocaner said about Collins in the Brahms applied to this evening's performance of the Mozart Quintet. He's a team player, blends well with others, and has a legato which, as Mozart himself would say, "flows like oil". The slow movement was exquisite, of course. He played on a regular (not basset) clarinet in A and partook of a sparing and tasteful amount of ornamentation, including a little Eingang (Eingängchen?) at the cadence leading to the coda, after the slow variation in the last movement.
As much as I enjoy playing Schumann's op. 73, I usually prefer to listen to cellists perform the Phantasiestücke, either because the romanticism of the music is more attuned to string instruments or because clarinetists in general aren't attuned to Schumann's brand of romanticism. Collins definitely avoided the four-square playing I so often hear from clarinetists in this music. In fact his (and the pianist's) rhythmic permutations went far beyond mere rubato. This was more than just robbing one beat to fill out another, this was tempo modification as an extreme sport. Especially in the 2nd of the 3 pieces, the tempo would suddenly shoot ahead to presto and then relax at a cadence. Somehow Schumann's music absorbs all manner of temporal play, and my overall impression was of a free-spirited music with a natural flow, which expanded and contracted as in breathing.
Clarinetist, composer, arranger of music for clarinet ensemble
Post Edited (2008-03-17 04:30)
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