Clarinettist Michael Collins: “It’s wonderful to steal other people’s melodies and play them on the clarinet."
Simon Mayo chats to clarinettist Michael Collins about his latest album
Last updated 22nd Feb 2020
Simon Mayo is joined each week in the Scala studio by the biggest artists and stars both from the classical world and beyond.
Today he spoke to the versatile clarinettist Michael Collins about latest album of transcriptions and arrangements on the Chandos label, ‘The Lyrical Clarinet Volume 3’ - a mixture of popular classical music melodies arranged for clarinet and piano.
Collins combines a busy performing career as an esteemed solo artist, but is also seen on the podium working with the likes of the City of London Sinfonia, the HPAC Orchestra in Japan, Swedish Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra.
All that whilst managing to fit in the curation of his new album, which currently boasts the title of Scala Radio Album of the Week.
Calling into Scala Radio live from Holland mid-masterclass , Michael Collins discussed the latest album, “the previous were more original clarinet pieces. The third volume features music originally written for lots of other instruments” including Saint-Saens' The Swan, Gabriel Faure’s Sicilienne, and Debussy’s mesmerising Claire de Lune.
Collins joked, “It’s wonderful to steal other people’s melodies and play them on the clarinet.”
Concluding the album on which Collins is joined by pianist Michael McHale is an arrangement of Franck’s much-loved A minor violin sonata, here given an unexpected twist (listen out at the end of the second movement.
Does the third volume mean the end of the series? Simon, clearly eager for more, made the request: “Were there any tracks you were desperate to include but didn’t make the cut?”. Michael promises yes.
Keep an ear on Scala in the coming months for news of that one.
Listen back to Simon Mayo's show via Listen Again.
Buy your copy of 'The Lyrical Clarinet' from the Chandos website or via Michael Collins website.