Lori Freedman

LORI FREEDMAN-PRESS

(not in chronological order)

« …strategies to transform therawness of being into a glorious tribute to the limits of musical experiencewhile expressing primordial emotions…with vocal influences as diverse as JaapBlonk, Diamanda Galás and Lauren Newton and a virtuosic ability on the reeds,both of her latest cds Solor and Excess combine to form a wonderful,meticulously engaging adventure through stunning technique and widepalette…striking range…indescribable vocalisms spanning the spectrum…all ofwhich would challenge and even defy any but the most accomplished reedplayer.Lori Freedman shows she can do it all, expanding the vocabulary of the clarinetfamily, with a controlled technique that leaves the listener breathless. » Andrey Henkin, New York City Jazz Record, March 2020

« Distinguished Montreal-basedclarinetist Lori Freedman presses the boundaries of contemporary musicaldiscourse, challenging the clarinet’s, the individual composer’s and her ownexpressive depths. Pressing a point…she challenges the listener as well. »  Stuart Broomer, The Whole Note à propos de Excess, Toronto 2019

« Solor is onceagain another very worthwhile solo statement by this extraordinaryplayer; verycommunicative and vibrant music from a very open-minded musician who wants toinvestigate every corner, crossing every border. »  Dolf Mulder, Vital, Netherlands, 2019

« Clarinette virtuose, elle estd'une créativité sans cesse renouvelée… Profondément original. »  Gabriel Bélanger, All Music Guide, Montréal,2015

«…Madame Freedman sait captiverson auditoire, en nous maintenant toujours sur la brèche et en allant pétrir ennotre for intérieur des ressources d’écoute inexplorées. » Catherine Perret,Voir, Montréal, 2007

« The power of her imaginationcombined with her unerring sense of musical flow allows Freedman to bridge gapswith her art, connecting the impossible with the impossible and making itstick. » Robert Harris, The Toronto Globe and Mail, 2000

« Freedman… a musicalrevolutionary… has a reputation for musical daring that places her in the frontranks of the musical avant-guard in North America. » Michael Scott, TheVancouver Sun, 1995

« Remarkably seriousentertainment. » The Wire #293 (RU), à propos de Plumb, 2008

« Elle apparait ici complètementdébridée, laissant libre cours à son talent et à son imagination. » Voir, àpropos de À un moment donné, Montréal2003

« A musician capable of communicating such power and tenderness, suchbeautiful tone and rich multiphonics, such deep musicianship, is a treasure forthe world. »  SoundaXis

LORI FREEDMAN-PRESS (page 2)

SoundaXis blogger John Oliver,Canadian composer, journalist for the SoundaXis Festival 2006, New MusicConcerts, 2006, Glenn Gould Studio

« Never have I heard an Échange asI heard from Ms. Freedman whose playing was worthy of any formerly recognizedsoloist in Europe. » Françoise Xenakis. Paris, for Wholenote Magazine, Toronto,2006

« Lori Freedman is the best thingthat ever happened to New Music. It is fantastic playing by a fantasticmusician. Lori Freedman now owns my concerto. » John Corigliano, composer, NewYork, 1998

« Musical to the bone, Freedmanis an artist who is in your face and you’re glad of it» — David Jaeger,producer, CBC radio, Toronto, 1996

« Hailed as a bass clarinetvirtuoso and one of the country’s finest interpreters of contemporary music» AlexVarty, Georgia Straight, Vancouver, 1990

“…in all its virtuosity there isalso pure rawness in her performance
that is loaded with her emotional energy…” Dolf Mulder, Vital, à propos de Excess, Netherlands, 2019

« Freedman is an intenselycurious musical animal, whose deliberately unpredictable way of prowlingthrough her art makes any expedition with her worth taking. She’s an aceclarinettist who acknowledges no boundaries for what her instrument and hermusic can do. And yes, she’s sexy, with an erotic character in performancethat’s smooth like honey and sharp like a bee sting». Robert Everett-Green, TheToronto Globe and Mail, 2000

«… À souligner également, lesperformances solo de Lori Freedman, avec la musique du compositeur suisseMichael Jarrell ou la sienne, devant un public qui découvrait l’immense talentd’interprète de musique contemporaine de la musicienne, que l’on connaît encoresurtout pour ses participations à des projets de musique actuelle… » RéjeanBeaucage, Le Devoir, Montreal, 2003

«… Suivent deux pièces pourclarinette contrebasse, ce monstre rare qui a montré un nouveau visage. Ici, ilfaut saluer tout autant l’invention de (Gerard) Grisey que la grandeur de LoriFreedman. Encore une fois, tout l’arsenal des ‘sons nouveaux’, doigtésalternatif pour modifier le timbre de la note et sons multiphoniques, est misen branle. La magie réside non pas dans cette nouvelles techniques de jeu maisdans le fait qu’au delà des notes qu’on entend, il y a tout une musique qu’onpressent car elle se cache dans les résonances du ‘spectre sonore’ qui sedessine, qu’on écoute comme on devine les reflets irisés de l’orient d’uneperle… un instant à chérir dans les mémoires.» François Tousignant, Le Devoir,Montreal, 2004

LORI FREEDMAN-PRESS (page 3)

«… she played gorgeously and thenfollowed the composition (Little Girl Blew) with a stunning improvisation, AllOpus, a darkly brilliant work of expressionist performance art. » Ken Winters,Toronto Globe and Mail, 2006

« Her solo performance became amultivocal conversation with herself, full of lyrical witticism. Both on bassclarinet and B-flat clarinet she teamed the instrument and her voice to dazzlingeffects, sometimes singing along with her playing, but more often utteringhigh-up melodic fragments that alternated between notes sung and played. Thesiren intensity of her high register screams made the walls of the lobby at theMacDonald Stewart Art Centre literally sing back to her, a call for further repliesshe gladly accepted.» Johannes Völz, Musicworks magazine, 2006

« Freedman has the conception,the sheer abandon that makes new music work. » Murray Dineen, Ottawa Citizen,1998

«…Much better was a program ofsolo and chamber works by seven composers, six of them present in the audience.The seventh was Lori Freedman, and she was on stage. This clarinet virtuosofrom Toronto made a splendid case for Assonance 2 by Michael Jarrell, anathletic solo scamper for bass clarinet. From her own pen came No Man’s Clan, a

jazzy, pointillist essay for bassclarinet and a tape part comprising four… bass clarinets. A less fetchingperformance might have given us a fairer chance to judge the merits of

the music. » Arthur Kaptains,Gazette, Montreal, 2003

«…Il y eut un temps fort, trèsfort: À bout de bras de Georges Aperghis. Dans cet immense moment musical, ilse passe, en ces instants si violents, denses et parlants, le vrai et uniquemiracle du concert. Lori Freedman et François Houle se sont surpassés pourarriver à une hauteur de vue qui se fait aspirer par la force du geste. Nousvoilà de

plain-pied dans le territoire del’irrésistible. Dans le clarion, les clarinettes hurlent d’effort, créent dessons et des sonorités renversants. Époustouflé, on n’en croit pas ses

oreilles, oreilles qui oscillententre l’admiration et l’insupportable, comme portées, ‘à bout de bras’, pas unsurhumain et déchirant effort. Surtout, avec un tout petit peu de distance, onne peut s’empêcher de remarquer qu’hors les fioritures d’enrobage des autrespièces proposées, on tient ici non seulement une oeuvre, mais le corollairedevient évident. Quand il y a de la vraie musique, ces interprètes saventoutrepasser leurs limites pour nous faire accéder à un feu brûlant de vérité. »François Tousignant, Le Devoir, Montréal, 2003

«…Le sexe des anges (Denys Bouliane), created last year for bassclarinet and orchestra, is really a metaphor for the insoluble process ofself-discovery, a questioning piece that let the mistress of that big reed,Lori Freedman, show off her fluency, forcefulness and finesse against a subtlysurreal, mystical background in which subversive lyricism was detectable. (Ahanging offence in postmodern circles?) » Geoff Chapman, The Toronto Star, 2001

LORI FREEDMAN-PRESS (page 4)

«…this fine player’s spirit andimagination… every musician must be judged by the same criteria, by the powerof their imagination, and the ability of their music to sustain interest overtime. Freedman passed both tests with flying colours, giving us an amazingarray of sounds and musical figures to assimilate, with an unerring sense ofmusical flow, of when to abandon one idea for the next, when to return to amotif, when to let it go…» Robert Harris, The Globe and Mail, July 7, 2001

«…She creates animmediacy rarely found in any concert music, let alone in the franklynon-commercial terrain of the modern avant-garde… The breath against themouthpiece

the fingers rapping percussion on open metal keys, theferocity of her concentration and

the sexy stories told in her bodymovement all hold her audience in irresistible attention… she is a rivetingpresence on stage. » Randol MacIlroy, Bordercrossings, Winnipeg, 1999

«…if new music commanded the kindof prestige and commercial promotion that pop, jazz, and even mainstreamclassical music enjoy in this society… Lori Freedman would

be one of the biggest stars thiscountry has produced… She is a performer of tremendous physical power andcharisma… and is a brilliant improviser… a fascinating mix of

vulnerability and absolutefearlessness…» Tamara Bernstein, The National Post, Toronto, 1999

«…l’exercice du duo improvisé estici porté haut par une paire alerte: Lori Freedman et Scott Thomson…» Le son dugrisli, à propos de Plumb, France,2008

«…furiously original, studdedwith frenzied, fleeting flashes. » Bruce Galanter, Downtown Music Gallery, àpropos de À un moment donné, NewYork, 2007

«…Though subdued and largely onthe quiet side of the spectrum, this wickedly satisfying recording has alreadyfound a regular slot in my CD player’s busy schedule…» David Olds, TheWholeNote, à propos de Dix situationsprécaires, Canada, 2007

« Her playing is very “soulful”and goes straight to the heart. » Dolf Mulder, Vital #557 (Pays-Bas), à proposde 3-Montreal Trios, 2006

« Highly recommended. »  Exclaim! à propos de 3-Montreal Trios, Canada, 2006

«… For author and performeralike, this is some of the most exposed and naked music to present to thepublic-it is like walking the tightrope without a net beneath you… Many of theworks seems to have some affinity for the pointillistic and angularcharacteristics of avant-garde classical pieces like Stockhauzen's Amour.Others, like the bass clarinet solo Slappyspazzgruv, are imposing an almostEric Dolphy-esque grandeur, squalling and shredding a high melodic line almostto the point of disintegration. Freedman's most distinguishing musicalcharacteristic is her tendency to select a small cell of pitches as a centralpart of each piece (see Ab). Rather than dealing with them in anostinato/minimalist approach, she tends to use these fragments as a springboardfor musical development, transforming seemingly limited pitch materials throughtransposition, inversion, registral displacement, and timbral effects such asmicrotones, rasps, and glissandi. From an intentionally minimal palate ofmaterial, Freedman creates a maximal amount of variety and invention. » SplendidE-Zine, à propos de À un moment donné,ÉU, 2003

PARTIALDISCOGRAPHY-LORI FREEDMAN

Solor (collectedsolo works of Lori Freedman)                                                                                     Ambiancesmagnétiques (AM)

eXcess (Ferneyhough,Barrett, Cendo, Perezzani, Steenhuisen, Freedman)                                     Collection QB (CQB)

Bridge (solorepertoire and improvisations)                                                                                         CQB

À un moment donné(solo improvisations)                                                                                       AM

HUSKLESS!(solo compositions, improvisations, interpretations)                                     Artifact

Close(Queen Mab Duo: compositions, improvisations)                                                                       Spool

Barbie's Other Shoe(Queen Mab Duo)                                                                                              NineWinds

Plumb(duo improvisations with Scott Thomson)                                                                                Barnyardrecords

On No (duoimprovisations with John Heward, drums)                                                                        MODE RECORDS

John Heward Quintet (Heward,Freedman, McPhee, Phillips, Reason)                                         MODERECORDS

Réunion (QueenMab Trio: improvisations)                                                                                         Mikroclimat

Thin Air(Queen Mab Trio: compositions, improvisations)                                                                 Wig

See Saw(Queen Mab Trio: compositions, improvisations)                                                                   Wig

3 (MontrealTrios, improvisation)                                                                                                          AM

10 situations précaires (Rimouski Quartet, improvisations)                                                          Tour de bras

Les bonnes histoires (CaloiaQuintet, plays Caloia)                                                                                           AM

Soweto Stomp (RatchetOrchestra - Malcolm Goldstein)                                                                  MODERECORDS

Hemlock (RatchetOrchestra – Nicolas Caloia)                                                                                   DripAudio

Ig Henneman Collected (Tentet, Sextet, Trio)                                                                                     WIG

Cut a Caper (ig Henneman Sextet)                                                                                                       WIG

Live @ The Ironworks Vancouver (Ig Henneman Sextet)                                                             WIG

Indigo(I. Henneman Tentet: compositions, improvisations)                                                             WIG

Spukhafte Fernwirkung(fORCH Octet)                                                                                            trd

Rub Harder(Hard Rubber Orchestra – John Korsrud)                                                                          Victo

Plateforme et Traquenards (Dangeureux Zhoms 7: Derome compositions)                                 Victo

Musique de Chambres (worksby/with Jean Derome)                                                                      AM

Action/Reaction(Daniel Scheidt: solo composition)                                                                          Empreintes digitales

Greffes(Music of Monique Jean)                                                                                                              Empreintes digitales

Grand Vent(R. Lussier Septet)                                                                                                             Tribu

Isadora Sings (duoperformance with Vivienne Spiteri, harpsichord)                                                 Isodart

Bréviaire d’épuisements (Ceccarelli Sextet)                                                                                     AM

Téoria…di Papariello (MichaFixes Clock Ensemble - M. F. Côté)                                                   AM

Transmission (EnsembleTransmission)                                                                                             ENTR

Folklore Imaginaire (EnsembleTransmission plays Ana Sokolovic)                                                 Naxos

Atacama(Bradyworks Ensemble – Tim Brady)                                                                                                       Atma Classics

Canard Branchu (worksby Robert M Lepage)                                                                                    AM

Les Accords Intuitifs (Ensemble Supermusique)                                                                                AM

Canevas (EnsembleSupermusique)                                                                                                        AM         

Nouvelle musique d’hiver (Ensemble SuperMusique)                                                                        AM

24 Frames-Scatter(Works by Tim Brady)                                                                                            AM

À l’inattendu…(MichaFixes Clock Ensemble – M. F. Côté)                                                                 &records

Triptique de musique d’hiver (Ensemble SuperMusique, Hétu)                                                     AM

Les accords intuitifs (Ensemble SuperMusique)                                                                                 AM

Famille (Musicfrom Mercredimusics)                                                                                                     AM

Red Morroco (JoeGiardullo Open Ensemble - Joe Giardullo)                                                                Rogue Art

Clic (BernardFalaise compositions)                                                                                                         AM

West Light(Vancouver New Music Ensemble-Canadian compositions)                                              Centrediscs             

Composer in the Computer Age 8 (solo/ensemble – Michael Matthews)                                                         Centaur 

Variations....Beyond Pierrot (Thira plays music by Larry Austin)                                                    Centaur

Spirit Song(Compositions by Harry Freedman)                                                                                    Centrediscs

Timeline(Vancouver New Music Ensemble: compositions)                                                                  Centrediscs

Pythagoras' Ghost(Electroacoustic compositions by Martin Bartlett)                                              Front

Passages in Time(Thira plays music by Manitoba composers)                                                           CBC Records

International Live Electronic Music Inc. (White Yellow Nine Grey Septet)                                      X-OR