MusicWeb International’s Lee Denham is a new Jonathan Leshnoff fan after hearing the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck recording of his Double Concerto for Clarinet and Bassoon:
“The Concerto lasts around 15 minutes and opens with a long, songful Adagio, followed by a short perky waltz, with a busy finale full of good humour. As it began, my attention immediately pricked up at the ear-catching and melodious sounds from the orchestral introduction before the clarinet and bassoon began their songs. It is all very lyrical, reminiscent I thought of Vaughan Williams in more pastoral mode with a huge dose of Copland-esque, American nostalgia and whimsy thrown in -Leshnoff is a composer who clearly knows what he is doing. The second movement waltz is a bit ‘lop-sided’, as if the dancers have had a couple too many glasses of Dom Perignon and is gently humorous, whilst the opening of the final movement produced some tremendously imaginative sonorities from the orchestra. Much to my surprise, I found it all hugely enjoyable, clever, as well as memorable and had me immediately scurrying away to find out what else Leshnoff had composed. … the discovery of a new American composer, Jonathan Leshnoff, is a real find.”
—Lee Denham, MusicWeb International