Rocco e Rollo

Gottschalk’s works and if you are looking for new-to-you works, this album would be a welcome one to the audio library. The title work of the album starts an eerie flicker of sound from hollow trills that swell to the orchestra’s entrance with a similar character and trills echoed. As the first movement continues, Parisi’s aptitude for both conventional and contemporary techniques are apparent with technical passages sounding effortless as he spans the range of the instrument deftly. The work has moments like a film score, built with tension and large bold moments that segue into passages evoking other styles including but not limited to Gershwin’s American in Paris. Listening to this album without seeing the track list, one may not realize that all the works are by the same composer, which is a testament to Gottschalk’s ability to write such diverse musical characters. The allusions in the Quintet for Bass Clarinet and Strings have perhaps the most dramatic moments of the album, with homages to notable Italian musicians Paganini, Rossini and Mancini. Tender moments in the second movement lead to references to Paganini that demonstrate the wide range the bass clarinet can attain in the hands of a capable performer. I would not have expected to hear the ubiquitous Paganini Caprice No. 24 on a bass clarinet, but Gottschalk’s version through Parisi shows us a nimble technique and ability on the instrument. The closing track “Doo Wop Deconstruction” is the one I listened to a few times and found myself noticing new details each time. Gottschalk’s writing seems broader than four voices in the quartet and his writing for the bass clarinet showcases the many shades of the instrument. I found myself catching the subtle allusions to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons that could only make someone smile, again showcasing a robust and warm sound from Parisi. I would never have expected that “Can’t Take My Eyes off You” would be in an album I reviewed, but I hope listeners find it as pleasant an end to the album as I did, with the final tongue slap evoking a mic drop to me. The pacing of the album is well-balanced in diversity of sound and character.