Kupferman: Clarinet Concerto. Wilson: Concerto For Bassoon...

Kupferman: Clarinet Concerto. Wilson: Concerto For Bassoon and Chamber Orchestra; Suite for Small Orchestra. Peter Alexander, clarinet; Robert Wagner, bassoon; Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, conducted by Leon Botstein. CRI CD 575 (compact disc). In this pairing, Meyer Kupferman clearly displays the livelier, more irreverent intellect of the two composers. When his Clarinet Concerto starts to take itself too seriously, he often throws in a bit of urbane or raucous jazz or some form of percussive mockery to shake things up. Richard Wilson’s Bassoon Concerto is a series of astringent dialogues with various sections of the orchestra, while the Suite consists of eight aimlessly arch little essays, one of which (Waltz) is a not-so-subtle imitation of Stravinsky. Neither Kupferman’s nor Wilson’s causes are aided by the scrawny sound of the Pro Arte strings.