‘Simplicius’ – Music for Clarinet

This CD, released in 2020 to enthusiastic reviews, includes music I’ve written for clarinet over more than 40 years. Two large-scale pieces are with string orchestra, others are with chamber groups. 

‘The Dong with a Luminous Nose’ is a unique setting  of the whole of Edward Lear’s long and fantastic (in both senses) but wholly serious poem. The setting is for the unusual combination of solo clarinet and voice, brilliantly performed by Aidan Smith and Steve Dummer.

The CD title comes from the first piece on the disc, a highly dramatic single movement prompted by the 17th-century novel ‘Simplicius Simplicissimus’ which chronicles the times of an innocent caught up in the chaos and violence of the Thirty Tears’ War – one of the most destructive conflicts in human history.

• ‘Performances are uniformly excellent and the recording quality is exemplary. Highly recommended.’ MUSICAL OPINION
• ‘Claudio Records has come up with a winner here. The music is involving and interesting, the performances very good and the recording outstanding … makes a good case for saying more Hawkins please …’
MUSIC WEB INTERNATIONAL 2020

Also on the CD are
‘The Dong with a Luminous Nose’ for solo clarinet and baritone voice
‘In Touch’  a trio in three movements (‘Touching In’, ‘Don’t Touch’ and ‘Touch and Go’) for clarinet, ‘cello and piano
‘Clarinet Sonata’ for clarinet and piano
‘Concerto for Clarinet  and String Orchestra’

Now available through Naxos, Amazon, PrestoMusic et al.
Also available for streaming through iTunes and Spotify. 

My first CD ‘Voices from the Sea’ with Divertimenti, Martyn Hill, Kathron Sturrock, Paul Silverthorne, Yuko Inoue and many other distinguished players is also available from Amazon.
‘These evocative settings show that Hawkins has the now rare gift of being able to write vocal lines grateful to the voice, where leaping intervals slip naturally and movingly into the lyrical sequence – especially when sung with such intensity and variety of vocal colour as here by Martyn Hill … a highly enticing debut CD for Hawkins.’ – GRAMOPHONE

Available from Amazon now