Casper College’s Joshua R. Mietz featured in a special recital Oct. 29
Joshua R. Mietz, DMA, Casper College director of bands, instructor of woodwinds, executive director of the Kinser Jazz Festival, and Wyoming State Chair of the International Clarinet Association, is the featured artist in a special recital on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. The free concert will be held in the Wheeler Concert Hall.
Mietz will perform four compositions during the evening. Each composition will showcase Mietz’s skill as a clarinetist. Joining Mietz on piano will be Casper College Piano Instructor Paula Flynn.
The pieces to be performed include “Sonata in F Minor for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 120 No. 1” by Johannes Brahms, “Concertpiece for Two Clarinets and Piano” by Michele Mangani, “Premiére Rhapsody” by Claude Debussy, and “Blue Horizon” by Sidney Bechet.
According to information provided by Mietz, the Brahms piece was composed during the final creative period of his career. The sonata for clarinet shows off Brahms’ late Romantic style, which was marked by introspection and structural refinement. A German composer, Brahms was also a superb pianist.
“Concertpiece for Two Clarinets and Piano” is a recent composition by Mangani, who was born in 1966. The piece reflects contemporary trends in chamber writing, emphasizing textural interplay and timbral exploration. Mangani, who was born in Italy, is a prolific composer. His works have been played and recorded by different bands and orchestras from around the world. Joining Mietz will be guest clarinetist Daniel Foster. “Dan and I were students of former Colorado Symphony Orchestra Principal Clarinetist Bil Jackson,” recalled Mietz.
“Premiére Rhapsody” was commissioned as a competition piece for the Paris Conservatory. Completed in 1910, the piece requires the clarinetist to include rapid arpeggiations, wide leaps, and dynamic contrast, demanding both technical mastery and tonal subtlety.
“Blue Horizon” is one of many pieces composed by jazz saxophonist and clarinetist Becket. Becket is considered by many to be one of the best saxophonists and clarinetists ever known.
The Wheeler Concert Hall is located in the Music Building on the Casper College campus.