Clarinet player Kilian Herold writes for The Classic Review about three classical music albums he couldn’t live without.
Sibelius – The Complete Symphonies – Chamber Orchestra of Europe – Paavo Berglund
What has always fascinated me about Sibelius, is the unmistakable tone of his works and the immense personal and musical development from the 1st to the 7th symphony.
Paavo Berglund has recorded these works with other orchestras, but I took this cycle with the COE to my heart because it shows so clearly the many layers these works are built upon, and doing so in an uncompromising and transparent way. Under Berglund’s hand, Sibelius’ music sounds less softly drawn, and put more emphasis on structure and musical phrasing.
For those who know these works well, I would recommend approaching this version by starting with the most famous symphonies – the Second and the Fifth. In both cases, the interpretation of Berglund and the excellent musicians of the COE makes the music sound as if improvised. And I just love how the musicians of the COE act like a large chamber ensemble, especially the strong solo wind players.
Elly Ameling – Schubert and Schumann songs
This 1967 recording by the young Elly Ameling, with songs by Schubert and Schumann, is one of my favorite recordings ever.
Ameling touches with her youthful, bright-warm and light soprano. Nothing pushes or struggles in her voice, and the results are like hearing the sound of a golden bell or even the singing of a nightingale.
One has rarely heard Schubert’s “Shepherd on the Rock” so naturally and effortlessly. The great pianist Jörg Demus plays beautifully on a period pianoforte and Hans Deinzer on the classical clarinet. Period instruments in the 1960s – quite a rare thing.
Sarah Maria Sun – Killer Instincts
Another great singer, but a completely different direction and genre. Sarah Maria Sun is perhaps one of the most sought-after singers in the contemporary music scene. She has sung more than 300 world premieres in recent years, and works together with the most important living composers.
“Killer Instincts” is a highly creative concept album, a collection of songs about “bad people doing bad things“, as Sun says. It’s a musical kaleidoscope that is just super fun and very entertaining to listen to this. The different songs are brought from a very wide range of genres, with beautiful arrangements by Sun and fellow musicians. We hear an intelligent compilation of songs from the world of Broadway and Cabaret, to movie music and political songs. All of this diversity find a match in Sun’s breathtaking singing technique. Almost chamaeleon-like, she can sing Bernsteins’s aria “Glitter and be gay“ with ease and virtuosity as well as a folky ballad or a trenchant Kurt Weill song.
Known as a multifaceted chamber musician, a renowned clarinet soloist, and a high-profile orchestra musician, Kilian Herold is one of the most interesting and versatile clarinetists of his generation. After having held the post of Principal Clarinet at the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra, he was appointed Professor of Clarinet at Freiburg University of Music in 2016. Herold is frequently invited to play as a guest with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and can be regularly seen and heard at a number of international chamber music and contemporary music festivals.
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