American Stories
Cedille, 2022
9/10
The esteemed clarinetist Anthony McGill is joined by the inimitable Pacifica Quartet for these works by 4 living American composers that are fleshed out with an unparalleled attention to detail.
“Four Angels”, by Richard Danielpour”, starts the listen with much intimacy thanks to McGill’s stirring playing amid the soothing strings, and James Lee III’s “Quintet” follows with the frisky string manipulation flowing across 4 chapters that benefit from McGill’s diverse prowess.
On the back half, “High Sierra Sonata”, by Ben Shirley, emits much beauty thanks to the agile clarinet and quivering strings, while Valerie Coleman’s “Shotgun Houses” exits the listen with plenty of emphasis on mood, where chilling moments are met with the sounds of a bell from the clarinet as the focus is placed on the life of Muhammad Ali.
It certainly isn’t surprising that the Pacifica Quartet have netted several Grammy Awards, and together with McGill’s amazing skills on clarinet, it makes for a poignant, rich and unpredictable body of work that will please fans of classical, chamber and orchestral music.
Travels well with: Dover Quartet- Beethoven Complete String Quartets: Volume 3; Anthony McGill & Gloria Chien- Here With You