20th Century Clarinet Trios

ROGER J. HENRY (b.1969): Trio No. 2 for Clarinet, Violin and Piano, PETER SCHICKELE (b.1935): Serenade for Three, DARIUS MILHAUD (1892-1974): Suite for Clarinet, Violin and Piano, Op. 157b, ARAM KHACHATURIAN (1903-1978): Trio in G Minor for Clarinet, Violin and Piano.

Description: Khachaturian's youthful trio, with its rich textures and characteristically Armenian melodies, and Milhaud's diverting little suite are pretty well known. They are joined here by two equally attractive, tonal works of arguably greater substance. Peter Schickele, when not wearing his P.D.Q. Bach hat (wig?) continues to write clever, enjoyable, "serious"(-ish) music under his own name. This 3-Movement suite begins with an jubilant movement entitled "Dances", with a breezy, jazz-inflected New York, sunny day in Central Park vibe. The slow movement is a gently wistful, slightly melancholy duet between clarinet and cello. The rollicking finale is a set of short explorations in variation form on a baroque-tinged cowboy theme from P.D.Q.'s Oedipus Tex, in pitch-perfect hoe-down style with piano boogie interjections. Roger J. Henry is a Trinidad and Tobago composer who proudly celebrates his national heritage in his compositions, incorporating, for instance, steel drums in his symphonies and ensemble pieces, and employing characteristic melodies in his colourful, neo-romantic works. His Trio explores the rhythms, accents and colours of the music of Trinidad and Tobago, shifting in mood from introverted introspection in the first movement to conflict and resolution in the second, pathos in the third, and playfulness in the finale. Ensemble Next Parallel.