The electronics are comprised of layers of drone sounds along with delays from the live clarinet. This is intentional, as Nicholson states in the liner notes that the idea of the album is for the listener to be drawn in closer with every piece up to requiem, and then begin slipping away, as if passing the clarinetist, like a boat approaching and then passing the gyre of birds. Every nuance of Nicholson’s breathing is audible. The microphones were recorded quite close to the clarinet, and it is very much in the front of the mix, creating the sense of being very close to the listener. Kerry Hagan’s requiem for clarinet and electronics is next on the album. The acoustic bass clarinet sound melds fluidly into the droning bed of reverb and delay underneath. Nicholson has complete control over the multiphonics and the high register of the bass clarinet and is able to maintain the gentle mood with this material that otherwise has the potential to turn into a harsh sound world. The following track is Matthew Whiteside’s Three Pieces for Bass Clarinet and Electronics: Piece Three which focuses on multiphonics. The electronics are subtle, no more than some reverb and delay, and the audible key clicks in the recording add a percussive element and become a feature before the final section of the piece. Gyre is for clarinet and electronics, and features swirling three- and four-note patterns with Nicholson’s clean technique and pure sound, allowing the listener to invoke the image of the gyre of birds. The recording quality of the story sounds like it could have been coming through the radio in the 1960s and sets a mood for the remainder of the album. It begins with a spoken introduction of the title track, written by Nicholson herself, recalling a kayaking trip in which she saw a spiral of birds that was the inspiration for the piece. I don’t hear many concept albums released by clarinetists, but Joanna Nicholson presents us with her debut solo album Gyre, embracing the idea of The Album, with a set of works for clarinet or bass clarinet and electronics creating a full listening experience. Nangle: our headlights blew softly into the black, illuminating very little W. Whiteside: Three Pieces for Bass Clarinet and Electronics: Piece Three K. Printed copies of The Clarinet are available for ICA members. Originally published in The Clarinet 50/2 (March 2023).
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