“Extraordinary” Clarinet-Piano Duo Set to Perform February 23

Concerts at St James’s is pleased to present a recital by clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois and pianist Alan Murchie on Sunday, February 23, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. at St James’s Episcopal Church, 1018 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford. Tickets ($15/$25) will be available at the door.

Clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois, described as “extraordinary” and “a formidable clarinetist” by The New York Times, is highly sought-after as a soloist and chamber musician. Alan Murchie, well-known across the region as a pianist, organist, and conductor, has been praised for playing with “relaxed mastery and a lovely singing tone.”

Together, the two musicians will present a wide-ranging program of sonatas for clarinet and piano by Camille Saint-Saëns, Francis Poulenc, Johannes Brahms, and Joseph Horovitz.

Though perhaps best known for his symphonies, concertos, and his opera Carmen, Camille Saint-Saëns (French, 1825-1921) composed many chamber works, among which the sonatas are considered to be superior. During what turned out to be the last year of his life, he had the idea to compose a sonata for each of the woodwind instruments. Among the three he completed is the Sonata for Clarinet, op. 167 (1921), composed on classical lines and imbued with rich Romantic melodies and lush harmonies.

Perhaps inspired by Saint-Saëns, Francis Poulenc (French, 1899-1963) also undertook to compose a set of sonatas for woodwind instruments, and, as it happened, also composed these in the last year of his life. He, too, completed only three, including the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (1962), commissioned and premiered by jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman. The Sonata is a wonderful example of Poulenc’s engaging style, with sparkling, witty outer movements that frame a languidly beautiful central portion.

One of the earliest to compose in this genre was Johannes Brahms (German, 1833-1897), whose two clarinet sonatas are considered to be the best in the repertoire and established the clarinet-piano duo as a standard form. Brahms was fascinated by the beautiful tonal color of the clarinet, and his late clarinet works, including the Sonata No. 1 in F minor (1894) that will be heard on this program, contain some of his most beautiful and poignant melodies.

Among the dozens of composers who have written clarinet sonatas since Brahms laid down the pattern is Joseph Horovitz (Austrian-English, b. 1926), whose Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano (1981) concludes the program. Infused with jazz rhythms, the light-hearted Sonatina features a “breathtakingly beautiful” central movement framed by virtuosic, rhythmic outer movements that require the utmost skill from both clarinetist and pianist.

Tickets for this concert (sold at the door only) are $25 adults, $15 seniors and students. There is ample free parking on surrounding streets and in the bank lot on Walden Street. Accessible parking is in the church lot.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHAT: Chamber music recital by clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois and pianist Alan Murchie

WHEN: Sunday, February 23, 2020, 4:00 p.m.

WHERE: St James’s Episcopal Church, 1018 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford, CT.

PARKING: There is ample free parking on surrounding streets and in the bank lot on Walden Street. Accessible parking is in the church lot.

ADMISSION: Tickets for this concert (sold at the door only) are $25 adults, $15 seniors and students.