Album Presentation: Offertorium by the Barcelona Clarinet Players

‘Chamber music in expansion’, is one definition of the music of the Barcelona Clarinet Players. This versatile clarinet quartet has just released its fourth album, Offertorium (Seed Music, 2018).

Innovation, fusion, interdisciplinarity and education are just some of the concepts used to describe their creative style. The chamber group, which is part of the Municipal Band of Barcelona, comprises Manuel Martínez, clarinet, Javier Vilaplana, clarinet, Martí Guasteví, basset horn and Alejandro Castillo, bass clarinet.

Offertorium is a contemporary album in all respects, it contains five commissioned works – with the music of well-established Catalan composers, like Bernat Vivancos and Josep Maria Guix, and excellent contemporary composers, such as Joan Magrané, Raquel García-Tomás and Carlos de Castellarnau. The music resounds with beautiful dialogues and playful contests between clarinets, as well as tributes and sonorous simplicity.