Arnold, Bacri, Chevreuille, Horovitz, Martinu, Poot & Sancan

ARNOLD Clarinet Sonatina. MARTIn? Clarinet Sonatina. BACRI Sonatina lirica. SANCAN Clarinet Sonatine. CHEVREUILLE Clarinet Sonatine. POOT Clarinet Sonatine. HOROVITZ Clarinet Sonatina • Ronald van Spaendonck (cl); Éliane Reyes (pn) • FUGA LIBERA 558 (63:26) This inventive recital was my introduction to Belgian clarinetist Ronald van Spaendonck (the booklet capitalizes the “V” in “Van” in some places, and not in others). He and pianist Éliane Reyes have gathered seven compositions that share a number of features: First, of course, all carry the title Sonatina in one or another language; second, all were composed after 1950; and third, while the works naturally differ in style, all partake of basically conservative musical languages. There is, in fact, a good deal of old-fashioned tonality here, and even the more adventuresome pieces refrain from indulging in the “new-music” extended techniques so commonly encountered in present-day recitals at American conserva