Julian Bliss, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Mario Venzago - Neilsen / Mozart: Clarinet Concertos (2014) [Official Digital Download]

Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is probably one of the most well-known works for the clarinet, and much-loved the world over. Having learnt this piece from the age of 12 or so, it was a great honour and a privilege to be asked to play it for Queen Elizabeth II on her 80th Birthday in 2006. The highlight of that evening was getting the chance to meet the Queen and Prince Philip again. The whole evening was one that I will cherish for many years.

As a contrast, I chose to pair the Mozart with the beautiful Nielsen Concerto. Long considered one of the most difficult concertos, it requires technical prowess from both orchestra and soloist alike. It is certainly a piece in which you hear new things every time you play and listen to it. On the surface it can seem quite a busy, fast-paced concerto but if you listen to what is happening underneath, it is full of amazing textures and harmonies. Having the snare drum as a prominent part in a concerto is rare, however I think it gives a greater dynamic range to the piece and a great contrast to the quieter, more melancholic passages.

Both of these concertos are favourites of mine and for different reasons. The Mozart is not particularly difficult on a technical level, but to me that alone makes it challenging. You have nothing to ‘hide behind’ and it is all down to being musical and making it meaningful. By contrast the Nielsen is a piece that on the surface can seem like it’s all about technique. In order to really understand it however, you have to completely forget about the technical challenges and just play from the heart. There are a few cadenzas that take ideas from the rest of the piece. It’s the creative freedom in Nielsen’s Concerto that I enjoy—that, and you get to make lots of noise!

To record the Mozart live was a fantastic experience. There is a completely different feeling on live recording as compared to in the studio. When you are live, there is excitement and adrenaline. We decided that we wanted to try and eternalise that feeling.

It was a real pleasure to work with the Royal Northern Sinfonia in their gorgeous venue, The Sage, Gateshead. It was a few days filled with fun and some great music making. I can’t wait until the next time. – Julian Bliss © 2014