I like the music of Donatoni. He may not be recognized among the most prominent figures of the Italian contemporary music scene of the second half of the 20th century (those would include Dallapiccola, Nono and Berio), but I’ve always found his music witty, active, enjoyable and rewarding. I have a lot to review and not enough time.
For now, just a small piece for solo clarinet from 1980, “Clair”, played by Ensemble Intercontemporain’s Alain Damiens on Adda 581066 (1988), in a recital of works for contemporary solo clarinet by Stravinsky, Boulez, Denisov, Stockhausen and Berio. I happen to have another version in my library, recorded shortly after Damiens’, by Finnish clarinetist Kari Krikku, a similar recital, “The Virtuoso Clarinet” with works by Magnus Lindberg, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Olli Koskelin, Xenakis and Jean-Claude Ambrosini, on Finlandia FACD 366. I haven’t compared, I will.