Phoenix Ensemble

Phoenix Ensemble / Mark Lieb: Clarinet Quintets: Morton Feldman, Milton Babbitt

by Troy Collins
September 14, 2009

The pairing of works by classical composers whose aesthetics are diametrically opposed to one another can sometimes reveal surprising, unforeseen similarities. Other times, the end result can be a schizophrenic listening experience. The Kronos Quartet has (for the most part) successfully navigated such waters for years. The Phoenix Ensemble, a mixed chamber ensemble from New York, manages the same feat on Clarinet Quintets: Morton Feldman, Milton Babbitt.

Though the combination of Feldman and Babbitt may seem incongruous at ...