Looking at the selection of pieces on Playful Clarinet, one expects to hear a lot of lighthearted music played with a sense of whimsy, some indulgence, and fun. Clarinetist
Ludmila Peterková doesn't quite manage to deliver, however. She's a very skillful player, with excellent intonation, but she's not yet in the same league with the likes of
Sabine Meyer or
Richard Stoltzman. In the quieter, softer moments of pieces like the Bach Air on the G String and La fille aux chevaux de lin, she has a wonderfully lyrical, warm tone. In other places, especially loud, high notes, her tone isn't nearly as likeable. Phrasing and shaping are also inconsistent or, in many places, nonexistent. Long notes, and not just those at the ends of phrases, are left hanging out to dry with no effort on
Peterková's part to breathe more life into them, and frequently there is the impression that she and pianist Irina Kondratenko are trotting along for the sake of delivering the music on time and under budget. Highlights of the choices here are The Girl from Ipanema (believe it or not) and the "Brazileira" from
Milhaud's Scaramouche. But what La Cumparsita, Carnival of Venice, Brahms' Hungarian Dance, and the rest need are tongue-in-cheek drama, some flair, or some fireworks to really get the listener on her side. In short, loosen up girl!