Nominee in Best Contemporary Classical Composition category

“… The JACK Quartet plays with great clarity and athleticism; and the group is wholly comfortable in any context, from hushed moments to driving climaxes and raucous special effects. Hijmans executes his concerto grosso with flair and virtuosity; and Otto renders the etudes with marvellous skill and artistry. As expected, Bermel contributes his superb fingers, wide dynamic range, and mind-blowing sonic manipulations that should not be possible on the clarinet…”

“What amazing art evolves from decaying empires! Consider this new release by Derek Bermel. Widely travelled, juxtaposing American styles like twangy folk and wrenching blues, adding elements from farther afield (South American, African, Thracian), Bermel fashions wonderful curiosities from this mittful of influences…. Composer turns clarinetist on Thracian Sketches. A deep and mellow low register melody emerges, exploring the world of octave-plus-tritone, and eventually becoming tired of that limited space. As the melody careens upward, Bermel vocalizes while playing, adding a menacing buzz to the line. Sure enough, once the upper register is breached, all heck breaks loose. It’s one of those pieces that will take all the player’s endurance. Doubtless circular breathing is a featured asset, so seldom does the sound actually stop. It’s a brilliant piece for solo clarinet, ending with a fantastic race down and back up the range of the horn, the explorer thrilled with the view.”

"... Dive in: this is one of the most absorbing albums of new music I’ve encountered in months. Performances and sound quality are excellent."

“… Elements of folk and blues permeate traditional classical forms in masterful ways, resulting in a joyous listen. Characterful.” *****

“…The program begins with Intonations … The piece shows how Bermel uses pitch bending to let blues become a fascinating element of classical music… Ritornello was commissioned by the Albany Symphony Orchestra in 2011, but is heard here in the world premiere recording of the version for electric guitar and string quartet. In this piece, too, the sonic palette is immensely rich, and a varied and extremely contrasting musical picture emerges from the interplay of colors and rhythms. Thracian Sketches (2003), so named for the Bulgarian folk style, is an eclectic, stylistically broad solo piece for clarinet played by Bermel himself, rising from dark archaic to almost ecstatic in higher registers…” ****