Debussy: Petite Pièce pour Clarinette et Piano

“this is beautifully detailed playing throughout. And a fine balance of just that clarity and colour, elegance and lyricism, that I was talking about right at the beginning. That’s why, of these three excellent new recordings, this is the one I would personally buy.” BBC R3 CD Review

The clarinetist Sebastian Manz and pianist Martin Klett founded Duo Riul in 2008 and in the same year the artist won the German Music competition. Since then, they have performed over 60 concerts. Their debut CD is a journey through the clarinet literature of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The cultural history of the clarinet is closely associated with 19th century musical tradition, Debussy being particularly influential. This CD includes works by him and also members of the Group of Six, Honegger, Milhaud and Poulenc who turned away from Impressionism and lead French music into the modern age. Here this exciting phase of music history is heard in all its glory.

This is the first recording in the West of Boris Tchaikovsky’s Clarinet Concerto. Composed in former USSR, this is a piece with a thoroughly Russian soul, but remains full of playful exuberance. Its very charm and nonchalance make for joyful music. Also included are Debussy’s Petite Pièce and Weber’s Clarinet Concerto.