I'm going to rant for a bit on Ms. Hilton's playing in the Nielsen. I should state that I do enjoy this recording for its breadth of literature. Certainly it is a very intense recital and one which, for the most part, is performed admirably. Except for the Nielsen. Considered one of the more difficult pieces written for clarinet, this towering concerto is a test of any clarinetist's stamina and technique. Ms. Hilton, while clearly gifted, doesn't do anything for my greater appreciation of the piece. Considering what Nielsen wrote and to hear some of Ms. Hilton's interpretive choices, I'm left to wonder if there is any happy medium for the work. I've yet to find a recording that satisfies my desire for clean technical execution with tempo and cadenza interpretation that doesn't feel rushed or spastic. Ms. Hilton seems to forget that accuracy is important and borders on technical murder with a tempo that, while putting many a clarinetist to shame, also nearly kills the piece. I don't want to say that her playing feels uncontrolled; she seems well in command of her faculties, yet I can't help feeling that if she'd backed off the tempo a bit, we'd have here a recording of fantastic quality. I'm not looking for a Benny Goodman interpretation, with the tempo one metronome marking above death, nor am I looking for a tempo one click under a clear day on the Autobahn (which is what we have here). I just want control and accuracy TOGEHTER! Is that too much to ask?
