Fiterstein/Eco - A Clarinet in America

The clarinet has long been embraced by American composers for its jauntiness and jazzy flexibility (think of that slide opening Gershwin�s Rhapsody in Blue), qualities heard in abundance on this album. We hear Leonard Bernstein�s Cuban-influenced Sonata, and the Sonatina by Budapest-born Mikl�s R�zsa, who made his name as a Hollywood movie composer. These pieces are bookended by two Aaron Copland works, his Concerto, for American jazz clarinettist and �King of Swing�, Benny Goodman, and his Sonata. Fiterstein�s playing with the Tesla Quartet was praised by The Arts Desk as �impressive� and �heart-stopping�. The Washington Post described his playing as �dazzling in its spectrum of colours, agility, and range. Every sound he makes is finely measured without inhibiting expressiveness� and The New York Times described him as �a clarinettist with a warm tone and powerful technique.�