Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DB2R339Y
DigitalForce:
https://digitalforce.com/stanley-drucker-heritage…/…
Stanley Drucker had one of the most illustrious and long careers of any American instrumentalist, let alone clarinetist. Principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic for a record 48 years and a member of the orchestra for almost 61 years, he was recognized by Musical America in 1998 as Instrumentalist of the Year—the first woodwind player to ever be so honored. Several years ago, Jerome Bunke, a clarinetist, record producer, former student, and lifelong friend of Mr. Drucker’s, began a project to document Stanley Drucker’s incredible career as a soloist and chamber player. The Heritage Collection is the end result of that endeavor. It is produced with elegance and artistry with wonderful liner notes. The Collection had until recently been comprised of 3 sets with 9 CDs. We now have the final set in the series available which includes 5 CDs of never- before heard live performances as well as some studio recordings that encompass a 54-year span. The diversity of works included on these CDs reflect how committed Stanley Drucker was to playing contemporary music as well as the more standard repertoire. What’s not generally known or spoken about is how much playing he did outside of the orchestra–in local community halls, libraries, as well as the major concert halls throughout the world. I am continually amazed at the high level of artistry he maintained throughout his entire career. In this latest set of recordings, I was particularly impressed by the performances of the Spohr Clarinet Concerto No.3, Poulenc Clarinet Sonata, Prokofiev Overture on Hebrew Themes (rendered when he was 90 in a live performance at an ICA Conference!), Barber Summer Music, Mozart Trio (Kegelstaat), and various recordings for 2 clarinets and accompaniment performed with his wife, clarinetist Naomi Drucker. Throughout the entire Heritage Collection one thing stands out clearly—Stanley Drucker’s commitment to playing music with an opinion. He was not content to just play the notes, rhythms, dynamics, and phrases and let that be the end of it. He always put forth his own unique spin on whatever he played each time he performed a work, even music that he had played his entire life! Stanley Drucker never phoned in a performance and these performances prove that point. I cannot recommend more highly this latest set as well as the entire Heritage Collection. While we lost this giant in 2022, this collection ensures that his music will live on.
*Please see the video interview with Stanley Drucker on this site:
https://www.joffewoodwinds.com/videos/stanley-drucker-the-heavyweight-champ