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An American ensemble, Pastiche, has assembled a programme to fit their
resources of clarinet, trumpet, piano and percussion. Pastiche it is, but
always pleasant and expertly scored. The traditional problem of the trumpet
overshadowing the rest is absent.
 Amongst the list
of American composers we find Englishman Gordon Jacobs - who accepted that
his gift was for impeccably polished pastiche - with the Concerto for Clarinet
and Trumpet. The remaining pieces are resourceful, often with a quirky humour
which almost goes with the line-up. I particularly go for Nico Schuyt's
Quatuor de Ballet (a Dutch composer who died in 1992). For all its
bittersweet flavours, there underlies an imaginative grasp and moulding
of material.
As an out-of-the-way presentation of unknown music in performances of
skill, with the extra ingredient of humour along the way, this CD is worth
noticing.
Copyright © Basil Ramsey,
September 22nd 1999
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