Luminos: Contemporary Music for Clarinets
Elisabeth Lutyens (1906-1983)
This Green Tide, op. 103 for basset horn and piano (1975)
Angela Elizabeth Slater (b. 1989)
Around the Darkening Sun for bass clarinet and piano (2020)
Morris Pert (1947-2010)
Luminos, op. 16a for basset horn and piano (1972)
Christopher Fox (b. 1955)
This has happened before, for four multitracked bass clarinets (2020)
Elisabeth Lutyens
Five Little Pieces, op. 14/1 for clarinet and piano (1945)
Liz Dilnot Johnson (b. 1964)
The Space Between Heaven and Earth for basset horn and piano (c.2020?)
Edward Cowie (b. 1943)
Heather Jean Nocturnes for bass clarinet and piano (2023)
Ronald Woodley (clarinet, basset horn, bass clarinet)
Andrew West (piano)
rec. 2023, Ayriel Studios, UK
Métier MEX77118 [77]
The programme is built around four pieces written for clarinettist Ronald Woodley since the first Covid lockdown in 2020. There also are three earlier compositions. My review discusses them in chronological order.
Elisabeth Lutyens wrote Five Little Pieces for Frederick Thurston as serial music, unsurprising for “Twelve Tone Lizzie”. Yet, her unique interpretation of this modernist technique does not eschew lyricism. Each concise piece reflects on a single idea: Lirico, Drammatico, Doloroso, Pastorale and Declamatorio. And do not worry, the “pastorale” does not have a cow pat in sight or sound.
Percussionist and composer Morris Pert is barely remembered now. He had a wide-ranging career, from classical to jazz fusion by way of being a sidesman to Bryan Ferry, Wings and Caravan, amongst many other pop and rock performers. Luminos is a significant study for basset horn and piano. It is certainly a work of its time, with a functional balance between modernism and nods to past eras. The liner notes explain that the “[musical] lines are at times questing and lyrical, at other times rising to a relentless energy; Messiaen-like block chordal movement sits alongside jazz-inflected points of relaxation and rather trippy, semi-improvised wanderings”. Certain “extended” techniques include playing inside the piano with fingers and mallets. It is a valuable exposition in classical terms of the “cosmological” inspiration that was informing progressive rock bands fifty years ago.
Lutyens’s This Green Tide for basset horn and piano was inspired by the eponymous book of verse published by the artist Valentine Dobrée (1894-1974). The book title was derived from a pamphlet John Ruskin published in the 1870s and 1880s, Fors Clavigera. In it, he set out his “social and moral vision [for] the workforce in Britain”. The sound-world balances moments of tranquillity, with much protest and defiance. The liner notes provide a good hermeneutic for appreciating this piece. They cite Ruskin scholar Paul L. Sawyer’s view: ‘Comparing the “green tide” with the “black and sulphurous tides” of English rivers and with “Death, and Hell also, more cruel than cliff or sea”, [Ruskin] presents a world on the brink of that Moment when “the Sea shall give up the dead which are in it, and Death, and Hell, give up the dead which are in them.’ There is, therefore, a spiritual and an environmental aspect to this music.
Never mind Christopher Fox’s pretentious programme note, I found This has happened before for four multitracked bass clarinets long-winded and frankly boring. It may be played by four clarinettists or one multi-track performer. The technicalities involve canonical entries, variable speeds of “melodic” patterns and “accidental” harmonies. It does not inspire or entertain. Hopefully, it won’t happen again…
Angela Elizabeth Slater’s piece for bass clarinet and piano was commissioned by the present performers in 2020. Slater writes that she “felt a sense of relentless timelessness and disconnection, with an overriding sense of foreboding about what was to come, almost as though world events were spinning out of control. At this time, I came across an article by NASA which reported that the sun is getting dimmer year on year, inspiring the title Around the Darkening Sun”. All very depressing musings. It is hardly surprising to find little optimism in the progress of this music – but often considerable beauty in the interaction of the soloists. There is supressed energy at every turn, packed into just over five minutes.
Four brief numbers form Liz Dilnot Johnson’s The Space Between Heaven and Earth for basset horn and piano. She explains that it is “a glowing, positive statement of hopefulness, embracing Greek mythology, medieval song, and a very modern response to human healing from trauma”. It majors on the story of the Greek nymph Daphne, her metamorphosis into a tree, her ability to heal and, finally, the restitution of her body. The movements are seasonal. Winter, the longest, is slow and expressive. Spring is vibrant, whilst Summer is a jocund dance. The finale, Autumn, is positive. It reflects the moment that “the healing role of the deep-rooted tree is complete – and Daphne is able to skip away”. Johnson shows a deep understanding of the performative characteristics of the basset horn. The overall effect is positive. The style is modernist, often chromatic but always lyrical.
The longest piece here is Edward Cowie’s Heather Jean Nocturnes completed for this disc in April 2023 at “white hot speed”. The Nocturnes are a response to five paintings by Cowie’s wife, Heather. To get to grips with these five imaginative movements, it is necessary to see the illustrations that inspired them. Fortunately, the cover features Earth Nocturnal as an example of her style. The booklet contains photographs of the other four. Cowie gives a long, detailed descriptive analysis which bears reading before exploring the music. The first four movements are The Singing Stream – Evening, Sun and Moon Dancing, Okavango Dream Streams and Lake Eacham Blue. Heather Cowie, discussing the work, declared that “what moved me profoundly was the fact that the sense of mood and colour, as well as their formal integrity, was so beautifully articulated by the sonic (inter)relationships of the bass clarinet and piano”.
Ronald Woodley’s liner notes are helpful in every way (thanks!). Dates of compositions in the track listing would have been nice. There are resumes of both soloists. The recording is ideal. I found the performances illuminating and typically inspiring.
The blurb perfectly sums up this disc: “This collection is a valuable addition for clarinet enthusiasts and music lovers, shedding light on the lesser-known gems […] and showcasing the power of artistic collaboration across mediums, offering a glimpse into the evolution of British music.”
John France
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