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CLAYTON HASLOP Violinist
REVIEWS
"His intonation and passagework are exemplary, and his bow-control astonishing;
sustained tone, attacks and release, and vibrato all seem perfectly obedient
to his sense of phrasing and ornament — a sense which is perfectly
attuned to the music."
Oakland Tribune
"Clayton Haslop provided the most brilliance, in a musically pointed,
technically effortless performance of 'Summer' from Vivaldi's
Four Seasons."
Los Angeles Times
"His was playing of the highest sort — pearly pure, elegantly
light, yet expressive, and with never a hint of exaggeration. If anything,
Clayton Haslop's playing leaned in the direction of Arthur Grumiaux — first
class all the way."
San Francisco Chronicle
"You'll not hear sweeter, more delicate, more fluent, more
flawlessly tuned string playing anywhere."
The Kansas City Star
"The Mendelssohn Violin Concerto... turned out to be, in Clayton
Haslop's affectionate and effortless reading, an earnest showpiece
of virtuosic display. Haslop offered refinement and delicacy, and demonstrated
an ideal give-and-take with the orchestra. Ornaments were tossed off exquisitely;
in this as in all other regards, Haslop showed unflagging taste."
The Los Angeles Times
"Clayton Haslop is a highly sensitive musician with a superior
command of the instrument and a presence and projection that mark the real
soloist."
San Francisco Chronicle
"The rewarding evening was dominated by a captivating performance of
Mendelssohn's D-minor Violin Concerto. Haslop downplayed the Classical
roots of this early work by de-emphasizing its elegance and simplicity
in favor of its dramatic content. He exploited the contrasts between lyricism
and virtuosic passages with stylish flair and seemed to savor each note
of the passionate Andante."
The Los Angeles Times
"It was ardent and radiant playing."
Los Angeles Piano Quartet, Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall)
New York Times
"Clayton Haslop, violinist, Ronald Copes, violist and Peter Rejto, cellist play as if they've been listening to each other and conversing musically for many more years than they have been in fact. Attacks, releases and everything in between are truly superb.
"The strings blended so beautifully that it would be unwise and
unnecessary to point out any one player. Haslop's sound is warm and
strong and he is a consummate leader. Rejto sings with eloquent abandon
when necessary and supports by sensitive control of dynamics. Copes is
that really unique violist, truly at one with his instrument and intensely
musical. The rhythmic vitality and phrasing is unerring." (Los Angeles
Piano Quartet)
Worcester Gazette, Massachusetts
"A performance that positively danced with joy." (Los Angeles
Piano Quartet)
BBC Listener, England
"Brahms' massive Quartet in A Major, Op.26 received an appropriately
extraordinary reading. With virtually note-perfect playing and a controlled
intensity that neither shortchanged nor swamped Brahms' rich flow
of ideas, the musicians succeeded in making one forget all about them and
concentrate instead on the music. This is perhaps the highest praise one
can offer: so many "superstar" ensembles seem incapable of
or unwilling to put their collective egos aside, to let the composer's
voice be heard." (Los Angeles Piano Quartet, Phillips
Collection)
Washington Times
"Outstanding musical delight... refined and thoroughly artistic
variety rarely encountered these days... a deeply stirring and uplifting
experience." (Los Angeles Piano Quartet)
Arizona Republic
"Reverent: That's the word for the Los Angeles Piano Quartet
concert Friday evening at the Folly Theater. That the foursome seemed incapable
of an unlovely sound was no small praise. That the ensemble was never less
than sure and certain was astonishing — given that violinist Clayton
Haslop was substituting on only one day's notice. Haslop, the quartet's
original violinist, replaced current member Joseph Genualdi, who had illness
in his family."
Kansas City Star
"The rare art of piano and strings was celebrated in grateful
fashion... each player disclosed himself as soloist of sensitive awareness... The
playing was on a grand scale, and it stirred the audience to spontaneous
enthusiasm. (Los Angeles Piano Quartet)
Los Angeles Times
"One of the country's top chamber ensembles." (Los
Angeles Piano Quartet)
Kansas City Times
"A radiant outpouring of effective phrasing, remarkable depth,
gorgeous tone and unity of purpose... firmly establish them as a chamber
ensemble able to scale the artistic heights. (Los Angeles
Piano Quartet)
Worcester Telegram, Massachusetts
"I would not have missed the third recital for the world. The Haslop-Sanders
Duo, violin and guitar, is the finest combination of this type I have ever
heard."
Classical Guitar
"And let me now recommend to you absolutely the most charming recording that's come to me for review in all the time I've been reviewing for 'Soundboard'. Charming? Make it beguiling. Make it seductive. Make it damned near irresistible. I play it in my office and seem to wind up replaying it again and again.
"It's a CD (Centaur CRC 2061) featuring the wonderful Haslop/Sanders Duo in as delicious a chamber-music-with-guitar program as I've heard in years. ...The best version of the much-recorded Giuliani Op. 85 in my whole collection; and to bring things to a splendid climax, an absolutely brilliant, downright Kreislerian performance of Sarasate's "Carmen" fantasy guaranteed to bring down the house.
"Haslop, throughout, is never less than a real honest-to-God,
old-fashioned hot-do fiddler, with a big powerful tone and tons of musical
personality. What this Duo communicates best is the sheer joy of playing together. They
breathe together like Siamese twins, and they can build a climax like nobody
in the trade. I can't recommend them too highly!
(Ah,, there's the end; pardon me while I turn the CD back on and start
over again)."
Soundboard Magazine