Julian Bliss

“unfailingly musical” Fanfare Magazine

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Julian Bliss Selected Concert Reviews “ “ “ Clear technical mastery ofthe concerto leftplenty ofscope to create afairly personal andengaging reading unfussy, he reserved his subtlest powers for the end ofthe sublimeadagio, delivered so quietly that 6,000 It isn “ stageserved to highlight these. In the outer movements his playing was fluid and agile, even in the lower for such afamiliar work. His own dynamics and phrasing wereobvious throughout, and his physicality on “ A show Bliss, on top ofhis game, roseto the occasion with great skill and versatility, especially in the passages of But the Queen did hear onetop (with its vital extra bass notes) by the 17

"Bliss is capableof swinging mightily and adapting his formidable technique to the task at hand." ’ t just his technique, though that is astonishing enough. It "Julian Bliss is arara avis: adistinguished classical musician alsoenraptured with great jazz." [email protected] - stopper saw Bliss wander through the hall, letting rip on his conveniently wireless [email protected] gnawing conflict between clarinet and snare drum,finely played byGraham Johns. Claire Long,Manager short, it is the pure intuition leading him straight to the heart of what heplays Meg Davies Meg register, where the darker colours ofthe basset wereshown. while drummer Matt Skelton thunderedfrom the stage.

- class performance: Mozart 783739 1753 +44Tel: (0) UK SL0 0NH. Bucks. Iver Heath. Road, Pinewood Studios, Pinewood Ltd Productions Music “ energy, wit and compassion peopleheld their breath. AcousticMusic.com The Jazz Times The Scotsman The Journal. Irish Times The Times The Times Bachtrack

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Contact

Julian Bliss

General Management: Music Productions Ltd Claire Long: [email protected] Tel: +44 1753 783 739

Australia & New Zealand John Cristian Productions Cristian Pilditch: [email protected] +64 431 098 222

France Philippe Maillard Productions Philippe Maillard: [email protected] +33 1 48 24 16 29

Julian Bliss Septet

General Management: Music Productions Ltd Claire Long: [email protected] Tel: +44 1753 783 739

IMG Artist (North America) Stephanie Reiss: [email protected] Tel: +1 212 994 3521

Live: Julian Bliss & Julien Quentin. Wigmore Hall By Richard Morrison

JULIAN BLISS had not even taken the safety-catch off his clarinet, and already I was amazed.

Was it the sentence in his programme biography which told us that he is now studying at the Royal Academy of Music “after graduating from Indiana University with a postgraduate Artists Diploma”? Or the bits about his Japanese tour, his CD, his television series, his performances at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, the Proms...

It isn’t just his technique, though that is astonishing enough. It’s the wit, poise and vivacity in his playing. In short, it is the pure intuition leading him straight to the heart of much of what he plays.

I write “much of” rather than “all”, because this Wigmore recital, with Bliss alertly accompanied by the young pianist Julien Quentin, revealed that he still has some areas to develop (thank goodness). He can cartwheel and somersault through a whizzbang showcase such as André Messager’s Solo de concours with insouciant ease, throwing in a riotous cadenza of supersonic arpeggios for good measure. Similarly, the wacky flutter-tonguings of Jean Françaix’s exuberant 1974 Tema con variazioni hold no terrors for him.

He was less persuasive in more introspective music, particularly early in the recital, when his timbre seemed a little breathy. Martinù’s humdrum Clarinet Sonatina needed more interpretative fantasy to justify its inclusion. The long, lyrical lines of Schumann’s Fantasiestücke were admirably phrased, but a creamier tone would have enhanced them further.

Fittingly, perhaps, Bliss reserved his best playing for the best work: Poulenc’s 1962 , written as a homage to the Swiss composer Arthur Honegger, but full of impish humour as well as a genuinely elegiac slow movement. Because its character shifts so suddenly and disconcertingly it is a difficult piece to sustain. Here it made complete sense.

The anguish; the anger; the violent mood swings; the determination to pursue joie de vivre no matter what — all these contrasts and contradictions were presented as if in a crazy mosaic: bracingly unreconciled, like the jumble of life itself. A blissful insight, you might say. Album: Krommer: Concerto for two clarinets Op 91. Spohr: Clarinet Concertos Nos 2 & 4 , Julian Bliss (clarinets)

Krommer's Double Clarinet Concerto offers the perfect display piece for teacher and pupil: the former clarinettist Sabine Meyer and her British protégé Julian Bliss, just turned 18. In fact, they are ideally matched in terms of tone, and their phrasing in the work's many passages in octaves, thirds and sixths has amazing unanimity of purpose.

Their individual talents shine in the two Spohr solo concertos, taking one each - Bliss in the Second, Meyer in the Fourth - though, if truth be told, the "pupil" brings the more tonally alluring sound. The accompaniments from the Academy of St Martin in the Fields are crisp, and the whole disc is beautifully recorded.

Fanfare Magazine The Telegraph

Fanfare Magazine

The Independent on Sunday

Album: Julian Bliss ( clarinet ) Sabine Meyer ( clarinet ) Concerto for Two Clarinets, Franz Krommer Concerto No.2, No.4, St.Martin-in-the-Fields, Kenneth Sillito

As you may in these pages, this is a good age notable musicality, doing nothing even hinting of for clarinetists, and one of the leaders of the the vulgar, dim, or clumsy. And similar praise pack is Sabine Meyer. She is the German goes to the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, musician who made worldwide news 25 years directed by Kenneth Sillito. The orchestra is ago when she became the first female member crisp and engaged, without ever lapsing into of the Berlin Philharmonic. (Some of the boys "period practice" (thank goodness). didn't take it so well.) But she has long since Then we have two concertos — for solo clarinet been a soloist, setting a standard wherever she — by Spohr (1784–1859). Spohr is a mainstay goes. of the clarinet, along with Weber, Bernhard On her latest disc, she has a partner: another Henrik Crusell (1775–1838), and a few others. clarinetist, Julian Bliss. Who's he? He is an Ms. Meyer plays Spohr's Concerto No. 4 in E English teenager — b. 1989 — and a student of minor, and Mr. Bliss plays his Concerto No. 2 in Ms. Meyer's. He is one of the great E flat. Thus is equal time observed. phenomenons on the musical scene today. And About Ms. Meyer, there is little more to be said, there is something touching about a disc shared after all these years: She is simply a musical between a teacher and a student now matured. and technical paragon. Her student is no slouch The disc (from EMI Classics) offers three either, different from her— in tone, for example concertos by two composers: Franz Krommer — but admirable on his own terms. and Louis Spohr. Krommer was a Moravian-born Yes, this is a fine age for clarinetists, given composer (1759–1831) whose Op. 91 is a David Shifrin, Ricardo Morales, Martin Fröst, concerto in E flat for two clarinets. It's a cool Jose Franch-Ballester, and several others. By piece, too: sprightly, stylish, and even somewhat the way, EMI's CD booklet includes no jazzy. If you can keep from smiling during the information whatsoever about Ms. Meyer and final movement– Alla polacca — you're having a Mr. Bliss (although there's plenty of information bad day indeed. And Ms. Meyer and her charge about Krommer and Spohr). I find this baffling. It play the concerto splendidly. They are spiffy, can't be in the interest of the company, and it's smooth, and complementary. They exhibit certainly not in the interest of the buyer/listener. Album: Mozart/Nielsen: Clarinet Concertos Live: Mozart Clarinet Concerto Julian Bliss/Royal Northern Sinfonia/Mario Venzago Julian Bliss/BBC Philharmonic/Juanjo Mena

Two masterpieces for the clarinet, effortlessly played by a Between the Beethoven and Mozart, young British young British artist. clarinettist Julian Bliss was soloist for the Mozart. He played the concerto on the basset clarinet for which it The brilliant Julian Bliss continues to demonstrate his was written, which allowed access to a greater range in considerable talent by tackling the two greatest works in the the lower register. Performances on modern clarinets repertoire for his instrument - Mozart's evergreen Clarinet are forced to transpose up to avoid passages requiring Concerto and the these notes, but Bliss’ use of the older instrument gave concerto by Carl Nielsen. He also presents his own clarinet his performance an extra level of impressiveness. Clear arrangements of two Mozart arias, 'Der Liebe himmlisches technical mastery of the concerto left plenty of scope to Gefühl' and 'Non che non sei capace'. create a fairly personal and engaging reading for such a familiar work. His own dynamics and phrasing were All the works collected here showcase the attractive qualities obvious throughout, and his physicality on stage served of Bliss's playing, rich and fruity in the showier passages, to highlight these. In the outer movements his playing effortless in the demanding runs made by Nielsen in particular was fluid and agile, even in the lower register, where the and, at the darker colours of the basset were shown. sublime moments, appropriately mellifluous and sonorous. The famous slow movement seemed to improve with A youthful addition to the many excellent versions of the time. The first half didn’t quite touch the listener as it Mozart already available, and a fine introduction to the might have done, until a particularly beautiful moment Nielsen for those who are not familiar with it. when emerging from the cadenza. The strings here played with a breathily quiet pianissimo, and the remainder of the movement was far more moving. The concerto as a whole was certainly very good, and Bliss’ ovation was well-deserved.