Clarinetist Stoltzman Would Love to Record Prokofiev-Kennan Work

Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman recently performed with the Pacific Symphony in two concerts at the Orange County Performing Arts Center as featured soloist in the premiere of Prokofiev’s Flute Sonata, Op. 94 , as transcribed for clarinet and orchestra by Kent Kennan.

Question: Are you planning to record the Prokofiev-Kennan Clarinet Concerto?

Answer: I would love to, but I have an exclusive recording contract with RCA Records, and I would have to discuss it with them.

Q: Does that mean there is pressure for you to record more popular works for clarinet rather than new or more obscure pieces?

A: Of course. That’s the reason for a couple of the crossover albums (of light pop songs) I’ve done in the last couple of years because (the commercial success of those recordings) allowed me to record other works I never would have been able to to record otherwise.

Q: What brand of instrument do you play?

A: A Buffet. But I don’t endorse any particular make because none of them are really well made. You buy one, use it a couple of years until it’s worn out, throw it away and then you get another one. The clarinet doesn’t have that long history of hundreds of years of craftsmanship like the violin. I wish there was something like a fine, handmade clarinet you would play forever, but there isn’t.

Q: You were scheduled to return to Orange County next February with bandleader Woody Herman (who died Oct. 29) and his Young Thundering Herd band for a program in which you would be the soloist in Stravinsky’s “Ebony Concerto,” which was originally written for Woody. How can the concert take place without him?

A: The great thing about Woody’s band is that he’s always had great arrangements, and even in recent years when he was sometimes too ill to perform, the band still carried on with his spirit.

Q: What is your opinion of the Pacific Symphony?

A: This is a wonderful group, they all play in tune and they play with much more enthusiasm than many larger, older orchestras I’ve played with. I wish they had the opportunity to go on tour and get the experience and attention that would come with that.