Michael Newsworthy Archive

“Traceur – American Music for Clarinet and Piano” = Works of ROBERT BEASER, JOSEPH SCHWANTNER, LUKAS FOSS, MARTI EPSTEIN, DEREK BERMEL & DAVID GOMPPER – Michael Norsworthy, clar. – New Focus

by Audiophile Audition | Oct 31, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

An outstanding set of modern works played and recorded flawlessly. “Traceur – American Music for Clarinet and Piano” = ROBERT BEASER: Souvenirs; JOSEPH SCHWANTNER: Black Anemones; LUKAS FOSS: Three American Pieces; MARTI EPSTEIN: Nebraska Impromptu; DEREK BERMEL: SchiZm; DAVID GOMPPER: Traceur – Michael Norsworthy, clarinet/David Gompper, p. – New Focus Recordings FCR172, 68:47 [Distr. by Naxos] (8/12/16) *****: Michael Norsworthy is one of the country’s great clarinetists with a real feel for modern music and jazz-inflected works and with a tone quality and style that reminds me a bit of that of one of his main teachers, Richard Stoltzman.  Norsworthy is also a professor of clarinet at Berklee College in Boston and has done a lot of work pioneering new works for clarinet. His accompanist in this very fine set is David Gompper, who is also a composer and pianist who has also done a lot with modern music.  The opening work is also my favorite on this recording. Robert Beaser’s Souvenirs was originally written for piccolo and piano and are here presented in the composer’s transcription for clarinet and piano. They are a charming and very effective set of works that reflect destinations and people the composer has experienced and have a very nice, accessible somewhat […]