Rhapsodie Archive

Vladimir Soltan – “Clarinet Concertos” by NIELSEN, DEBUSSY & FRANCAIX – MD&G

by Audiophile Audition | Sep 4, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Some very fine playing worth having and comparing. Vladimir Soltan – “Clarinet Concertos” = CARL NIELSEN: Clarinet Concerto, Op.57; CLAUDE DEBUSSY: Premiere Rhapsodie; JEAN FRANÇAIX: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra – Vladimir Soltan, clarinet/Hamburger Symphoniker/Jose Luis Gomez – MD&G multichannel SACD MDG901-1964-6, 57:41 (2+2+2) (8/05/16) [Distr. by E1] ***1/2: This collection of clarinet masterworks is very interesting in that it gives us a bit of a different look at the much performed Nielsen Concerto and perhaps an introduction to the not nearly as well known Françaix Concerto. All of these performances, including that of another clarinet staple; the Debussy Rhapsodie, are very well-done and worth your attention. Vladimir Soltan is a very fine young player who studied with Karl Leister, among others. He has nice, warm tone and a very supple technique. There are moments in the Nielsen where intonation and warmth seem not as well-defined in the uppermost register as in the rest of the work and Soltan’s lower register but this is a minor issue. He is a very good player, indeed, whose career so far has been exclusively in the solo realm. His performance of the Nielsen is a little unusual in that the pace and tempi […]