Christopher Clarino - 2025 - Parlando

(54:10; Neuma Records)

Track list:
1. Parlando I [Igor Santos] 4:07
2. Parlando II [Igor Santos] 2:13
3. Parlando III [Igor Santos] 3:52
4. Meditation on Italo Calvino’s “The Castle of Crossed Destinies” [Anthony Donofrio] 18:59
5. Glockenspiel [Barbara Monk Feldman] 2:25
6. Jeu De Timbres [Thomas DeLio] 6:04
7. The Narrow Path (早春圖) [Michael Pisaro-Liu] 16:30

Line-up:
Christopher Clarino - percussion
with:
Shaoai Ashley Zhang - synthesizer


US artist Christopher Clarino is a musician that has various forms of percussion instruments as his specialty. Besides performing as a percussionist in various constellations he is an educator at college level and also has his own, private company where he offers music lessons. This spring he released the album "Parlando" via US label Neuma Records, which to my knowledge is his first album as a solo artist.

In terms of the classical music tradition I guess that Clarino explores what might be described as a more experimental variety of this form, and one where minimalism is something of a defining dimension.

Percussion instruments in general and various forms of vibraphone and metallophone instruments in particular are the dominant instruments here, and the compositions performed are explored in a subtle and careful manner. Rather than more conventional melody and harmony lines these are creations that in this guise are treated with a deliberately slow and careful approach and execution where the single note and the reverberations from the single note are explored in depth and at length. With moments of silence being a recurring feature, an effect presumably used to emphasize Clarino's expressed goal of exploring musical landscapes that takes the form of a conversation.

The bell like, metallic sounding reverberations creates a bit of a dreamladen, ghostly or otherworldly mood and atmosphere in the various landscapes explored here, and the slower pace of the music and the subtle patterns and just as subtle call and response actions gives these compositions a rather distinct introspective orientation in the guises and forms we get in these performances. Music that at some level may be regarded as a state of mind more than a musical experience. That being said, that this is an album of music mainly performed by percussion instruments where rhythms and patterns have a barely audible presence also says something about these performances being of a very distinct and rather novel nature. Hence experimental being a rather appropriate word to describe this album as a whole, at least in my opinion.

This solo album by Christopher Clarino strikes me as an album that fits the description niche production very well indeed. This isn't music that will appeal towards a broad audience, at least not in this time and age. It is also rather far removed from being what might be described as a conventional production on any ordinary level. But those with a fascination for a more novel and melodic use of percussion instruments and experimental music of a minimalist nature that possibly fits in under the classical music definition might find this album an interesting one to explore. Much the same will be the case for those with a general fascination for percussion dominated creations in general and those with vibraphones and metallophones as key instruments in particular.

Olav M. Björnsen, June 2025

Links:
https://www.christopherclarino.com/
https://neumarecords.org/