Strange Loops: Music for Clarinet and String Quartet

People come to Carl Maria von Weber from different angles. Some are drawn to his operas – Der Freischütz or Euryanthe. I first discovered him through his piano piece Invitation to the Dance and subsequently the piano concertos. Others will be captivated by his concertos for the clarinet and the bassoon. The present Clarinet Quintet in B-Flat Major, op.34, J. 182 is one of a relatively few chamber compositions that Weber wrote. It was composed between 1811 and 1815 for the brilliant clarinetist Heinrich Baermann who was noted for his exceptional technique, command of all the instrument’s registers and an overwhelming lyricism. The first key thing to take account of in this work is that it is really a concerto in disguise. Although conceived for standard chamber forces, the overall impact of this Quintet has the clarinet acting as a full-blown soloist, with the strings providing an elegant accompaniment, rather than presenting themselves as equal partners. The four movements explore an almost theatrical or operatic adventure. After a quiet opening, the opening Allegro launches into a virtuosic display. The slow movement, a Fantasia, is both imposing and solemn, resembling a funeral march, whilst the capricious scherzo balances quicksilver passages and some antique dance gestures. It is like a conversation between two people from different eras. The finale, a Rondo, is full of wit, and rhythmical verve, that hints at the Tarantella and the Polonaise. It finishes with a dazzling coda.

Although this Quintet was previously unfamiliar to me, it is one I could easily come to love. It is given a commanding and enthusiastic performance here by Mark van de Wiel and the quartet.

The highlight, for me, of this album is Ruth Gipps’s beautiful Rhapsody for Clarinet & String Quartet in E-Flat Major, op. 23 (1942). It was written specifically for her husband, the clarinetist, Robert Baker. The piece reveals a stylistic paradox. On the one side lies an incipient pastoralism that reflects her studies with Ralph Vaughan Williams; on the other, there are flashes of drama that present a vigorous, almost rhetorical interplay between clarinet and strings. This latter element is hardly modernistic, yet it steers the music well clear of anything resembling Cow‑and‑Gate sentimentality.

The clarinet leads with a soulful, yearning quality, while the string quartet refuses to remain a passive backdrop. Their dialogue moves effortlessly between serene, rolling landscapes and sudden, brooding intensity - a reflection, perhaps, of the uncertain wartime atmosphere in which it was conceived. Deceptively complex and quietly compelling, it rewards attentive listening, and it receives a remarkably sensitive performance here.

The latest piece on this rewarding disc is British‑born, US‑based composer Anna Clyne’s Strange Loops written in 2020 during the Covid lockdowns. This is my first encounter with her work. No biographical details are given in the liner notes.

I quote from the programme notes given in the booklet:

I Am a Strange Loop is a book by Douglas Hofstadter, examining in depth the concept of a strange loop to explain the sense of "I". [This concept] was originally developed in his book Gödel, Escher, Bach. He writes: In the end, we are self-perceiving, self-inventing, locked-in mirages that are little miracles of self-reference.

Now, I do not understand a word of this. Yet the result is thoroughly approachable and enjoyable.  Clyne explains that she has explored “musical loops - motifs and gestures that repeat, morph, modulate and recapitulate in various guises. At the heart of Strange Loops is a sense of playfulness and yearning - inspired by the creative process in isolation.” That is all that you need to know to enjoy this piece.

Helpful, but not comprehensive liner notes, a splendid recording and an overall presentation that reflects real care and understanding: the whole disc leaves a satisfying impression.

The three works together make a strikingly complementary programme, charting a clarinet journey from Weber’s operatic sparkle through Gipps’s introspective wartime lyricism to Clyne’s playful, self‑renewing modern ‘loops.’ Mark van de Wiel and his colleagues meet each idiom with assurance, warmth, and skill, producing a disc that is both musically rewarding and unexpectedly unified.

Track Listing:
Anna Clyne (b.1980)
Strange Loops (2020)
Ruth Gipps (1921-99)
Rhapsody for Clarinet & String Quartet in E-Flat Major, op. 23 (1942)
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Clarinet Quintet in B-Flat Major, op.34, J. 182 (1811-15)
Mark van de Wiel (clarinet), Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay & Fiona Cornall (violins),
Nicholas Bootiman (viola), Karen Stephenson (cello)
rec. 2024, Lady Stringer Studio, Garsington Studios, Wallace Hill Farm, Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire.
Signum Classics SIGCD1008
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.