Acknowledgments Recording and Production by Five/Four Productions, Shaker Heights, Ohio Producer: Thomas Moore Engineers: Robert Friedrich (Wiley, Debussy (Four Songs), Stout, Montbrun, Mozart) and Michael Bishop (Debussy (Prélude), Griebling, Kennan) A Clarinet Recorded at Ludwig Recital Hall, Kent State University, March 24: Wiley, Stout, and Debussy (Four Songs); May 16: Gallois Montbrun, Mozart; and August 4: Debussy (Prélude), Griebling, Kennan Photographer: David Foster Piano Technician: Blaine Veseley Collective publishers Raymond Gallois Montbrun | Alphonse Leduc/Robert King, Inc. Frank Wiley | Frank Wiley, publisher([email protected]) Dennis Nygren, clarinet Alan Stout | Alan Stout, publisher Mary Ann Griebling | Musicalligraphics (www.musicalligraphics.com) Claude Debussy (Prélude) | Gérard Billaudot, publisher Claude Debussy (Four Songs) | Black Squirrel Music, Inc., publisher Kent Kennan | Theodore Presser, publisher W.A. Mozart | Dennis Nygren, publisher ([email protected]) www.albanyrecords.com Works by TROY1330 albany records u.s. 915 broadway, albany, ny 12207 tel: 518.436.8814 fax: 518.436.0643 raymond Gallois Montbrun | Frank Wiley | Alan stout albany records u.k. box 137, kendal, cumbria la8 0xd Mary Ann Griebling | Claude Debussy | kent kennan | W.A. Mozart tel: 01539 824008 © 2012 albany records made in the usa ddd waRning: cOpyrighT subsisTs in all Recordings issued undeR This label. Jerry Wong, piano | Aiden string Quartet | Wayne Gorder, conductor The Music Frank wiley studied composition with Donald Erb and Roger Hannay. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance Greater pleasure cannot be awarded a performer than the opportunity to introduce new music to the and a Master of Music degree in composition. His Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition was listener. The repertoire on this disc is particularly special to me in that it includes compositions written awarded by the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University. for me, compositions that I arranged, and works previously not recorded on clarinet. A member of the faculty of the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University since 1979, he teaches composition and directs the Kent State University New Music Ensemble. For 14 years French composer, violinist, teacher, and administrator Raymond gallois (welsh) Montbrun was born in he was conductor of the Kent State University Orchestra. He is a winner of Kent State University’s Saigon on August 15, 1918. His formal schooling was at Neuilly-sur-Seine followed by 12 years of study Distinguished Teaching Award. at the Conservatoire National Superior de Musique in Paris. Here he studied and eventually won first prize His compositions include a broad range of solo, chamber, orchestral, vocal, multi-media, and electronic in violin with Firmin Touche, harmony with Jean Gallon, counterpoint with Noël Gallon, and composition music. He has received grants and awards from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Ohio Arts with Henri Busser. Gallois Montbrun’s cantata, Louisa de las miséricorde, won the Prix de Rome in 1944. Council, the Bascom Little Fund, the Kent State University Research Council, the American Society of An excellent violinist, he concertized frequently with pianist and fellow composer Pierre Sancan. The Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), and the American Music Center. In 1986 he was awarded two toured Europe, the USSR, North Africa, and the Middle and Far East. the Cleveland Arts Prize for music composition. His music has been performed throughout the United In 1957 Gallois Montbrun was appointed as director of the Versailles Conservatory, followed by States and in Europe and the Far East by numerous orchestras, chamber ensembles, and soloists. a similar position at the above mentioned Paris Conservatory in 1962. Here, he established several Invocation and Spirit Dance was completed in the summer of 2000. It was composed for and is dedi- significant reforms, such as a class to aid students to prepare for careers in performance. cated to clarinetist Dennis Nygren, who presented the world premiere performance at the 2000 International His compositions include a chamber opera, a symphony inspired by Japanese music, two symphonic Clarinet Association Conference at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma on July 14, 2000. poems, concertos for piano, violin, and cello, and several instrumental compositions such as sonatas The Invocation begins with the clarinetist emerging from silence, playing long, quiet tones that for both piano and violin. His style encompasses both the subtle, light, technical passage work so often move into chant-like melodies. The melodic material gradually expands in range, incorporating sweep- associated with French music, and writing of a strong, solid, emotional content. R. Bernard describes ing runs, but always emphasizing the beautiful low register of the clarinet. A brief cadenza, which Gallois Montbrun’s music as having “very fine poetic sensibility without affectation.” includes free tremolos using special color fingerings, leads to the next section. This section is based His Six Pièces Musicales D’Étude was composed in 1955. This clever composition is comprised on the opening motives of the piece, but now the presentation is much more rhythmic in character, of contrasting movements that feature specific technical or stylistic characteristics. Movement one foreshadowing the dance that is to follow. The range is greatly expanded, moving into the high register features fast scale work; two, ascending and descending arpeggios; three, a rich harmonic palette; and building to a climax. Suddenly but quietly the lively Spirit Dance begins. It is characterized by four, staccato passages of good humor; five, a subtle, flexible, lyrical dance in compound meter; and repeated-note ostinatos with a strong triple subdivision of the beat. The dance becomes wilder and six, a dazzling array of rapid figurations—as in batteries of cannons. more frenzied, introducing sweeping runs and more complex asymmetrical meters, until it is interrupted. This arrangement for solo clarinet, 17 winds, string bass, and percussion was begun in late May, 1998, The interruption begins as a direct return of melodic material from the Invocation, played slowly and and was completed five months later. It was my goal to add variety of timbre to the brilliance and beauty quietly, but this time it is presented at a higher pitch level. Also, this time the chant is accompanied of the original work for clarinet and piano. The world premiere performance of this arrangement was by the rhythmic ostinatos of the Spirit Dance, sometimes presented in the low register between the given on March 18, 1999, with the arranger as soloist and the Kent State University Wind Ensemble phrases of the chant, and sometimes presented in color fingerings superimposed on the long tones of the under the direction of Wayne Gorder. chant. Following a return of the cadenza with free color tremolos, the Spirit Dance resumes, building in Mary ann griebling is the matriarch of a family of composers including husband Stephen Griebling, intensity to the frenetic climax that closes the piece. daughters Karen Griebling and Margaret Griebling-Haigh, and granddaughter Gabrielle Haigh. The —Frank Wiley family has twice (1974, 2004) been named Ohio Musical Family of the Year. She has a large catalogue of works for voice, chorus, chamber music, and orchestra. alan stout was the first music professor I remember seeing as he hosted the opening convocation of my She is a member of A.S.C.A.P., The Cleveland Composer’s Guild, Friends of Music, Tuesday Musical, freshman year at Northwestern University. Little did I know at the time the importance this man would the Saint Cecilia Choral Society, and the Ohio and the National Music Teachers Associations, where serve in my musical career and my life. As an undergraduate, I performed in his Contemporary Music she is permanently professionally certified in piano, theory, and composition. Students from her small Ensemble and his Festival of the Arts concerts. He kindly provided me with wonderful contemporary studio have won many awards in both performance and composition, from local to international. clarinet music of European composers, some works long before they were available in the United Mary Ann Griebling has published with Hornist’s Nest, M.A.S.T., Musicalligraphics, and Willis Music States. Years later, he would serve as one of my doctoral dissertation advisors, always encouraging me Company. Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and the Warsaw Philharmonic directed by George Manahan to persevere when I became discouraged. Finally, he wrote a composition dedicated to me in friendship. have recorded her Wild Wood—Quiet Wood. She has commissions from the Cleveland, Gund, Kulas, Born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 26, 1932, Alan Stout’s university education included and Murphy Foundations, the Smithsonian, Tuesday Musical, and a large number of individuals. study at Johns Hopkins University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1954, and at the Peabody The Four Elements was composed in response to a request of Tuesday Musical, where it received its Conservatory. He studied with composers Henry Cowell, Wallingford Riegger, John Verrall, and later for premiere by dedicatee Dennis Nygren and pianist Lois Rova Ozanich on February 12, 1991. Other significant a year at