FROM DOMESTIC PRESS

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"M.Paar ostavio je iznimno upečatljiv dojam, ponajprije cjelovitošću svoga promišljanja glazbe. Njegova tumačenja odlikovala je fina sinteza intelektualnosti i racionalnosti izraza s bogatom, duboko muzikalnom gestom. Riječ je o bez sumnje vrlo zanimljivom mladom glazbeniku.

Pijanistica Petra Gilming pokazala je visoku mjeru sabranosti, ostvarivši vrlo korektne izvedbe."

AUTHOR / SOURCE:

Dodi Komanov

HDGU Herald; September 2007

"The chamber music cycle Piano pianissimo (Concert Management Zagreb) placed in the Zagreb historic Illyrian Hall, hosted a young Croatian virtuoso Mihael Paar and a Japanese pianist Hiroyo Imagawa. The clarinet which made a break as a solo-instrument only in the 19th century, on the concert podiums stays less present even today. This made a good occasion for the audience to witness its unique sound in, what seemed to be quite a comprehensive program composed in two rather simetrical parts. Thus each part had an opening piece of somewhat easier material, followed by the central piece firmly connected to the tradition, through which a much deeper and complex sonata form was reached. Likewise, the selection of composers (Gershwin, Benjamin, Brahms, Lovreglio, Klobučar, Poulenc) witnessed a wide range of performers' affinities and capacities. Mihael Paar, a multiple winner of several international competitions and a frequent figure of numerous concert projects in his homecountry and abroad, equally copes, as seen in his resume, with all music genres, amongst them both, stylized jazz and contemporary music.

Effective cohesion of classic and jazz, which at the start of the 20th century came as an exceptionally grateful genre for the clarinet, was noticeable at the very beginning in the Gershwin's Three Preludes, originally composed for piano alone. Hiroyo Imagawa, a young artist with a distinguished career of a concert pianist, who lives today in Salzburg, established herself in Gershwin's showpiece as an equal piano partner. An Interesting sound, skilful mesh of both instruments and a display of clarinet technique set out the composition Le Tombeau de Ravel by which the Aussie Arthur Benjamin gave his tribute to Maurice Ravel and to the French impressionism. Afterwards, the Brahms's four-movement Sonata for clarinet and piano in f-minor op.120 sounded rather serious and inhibited, but the interpretation of Mihael Paar and Hiroyo Imagawa pointed to the range and the power of Brahms's experience of clarinet and piano combination. Concert Fantasie on the motives from Verdi's La Traviata by Donato Lovreglio put the tehnical facilities of the clarinet in the spot, and Paar provided an appropriate respond followed by Klobučar's Suite in its rather short, but distinct movements which brought more introvert, but still clear and stable sound of both instruments. The concluding Sonata by Poulenc, one of the key works of modern clarinet literature with a demanding part of the leading instrument - quick leaps, tempo alterations and a complex treatment of the clarinet in general - but with a solid piano support, rounded the impression of performing maturity of Mihael Paar and Hiroyo Imagawa."

AUTHOR / SOURCE:

Ana Vidić

Croatian radio (Seven Days of Music);

March 11th, 2007 - transcript

"Sebastian String Quartet and the clarinetist Mihael Paar who carried out the whole concert, presented themselves as the musicians of a highly sophisticated style and a strong inclination towards the works of the Viennese Clasics, especially those from the pen of W.A.Mozart. The programme offering what is the very best of Mozart set high objectives to the performers to which they, as already established artists, claimed with all good reason. Moreover special compliments go to the clarinetist Mihael Paar who, with the warmth of his instrument appeared to be an excellent counterbalance to the string quartet, performing at the same time as primus inter pares, yet without any pretensions that would lead him out of "chamber". M.Paar who has been studying at the famous Mozarteum School of Music in Salzburg for several years now, reveals in the interview after the concert that the style of his playing is distinctly German if not even entirely German, although he continues to play the French clarinet. To reach such a distinguished timbre, he has completely reformed the approach to his instrument, having also done corrections in impostation and respiratory technics. He points out that a sound like this so perfectly consistent with the works of Mozart, Schumann or Brahms, is being tended by the clarinetists coming from the German speaking areas which has been tradition ever since the time of A.Stadler, the clarinetist that Mozat wrote for. Clarinetists such as K. Leister, A.Brandhofer or W.Fuchs are among the best exponents of this tradition today.

It is also interesting to mention that Andrija Potroško, our well known contrabassist, a long time member of the famous Zagreb Soloists who did not hide his enthusiasm with the concert, in the end evoked his memories of the great Benny Goodman. Mr. Potroško was a member of the Symphony orchestra that Benny Goodman appeared with in Philadelphia in 1969 performing a famous Clarinet Concerto by W.A.Mozart. Mr. Potroško says that the expressiveness which he then experienced, he re-experienced today through the inspired performance of M.Paar, whose warm and rounded sound tranquilly celebrated over the aura of the Mozart's masterpiece."

AUTHOR / SOURCE:

Marijan Hranilović

SSN Herald; May 19th, 2006

"...With this recital, clarinetist Mihael Paar showed high range of sonority in all registers of his attractively movable instrument along with virtuosity of clear articulation in legato as well as in much more difficult staccato which particularly became prominent in the last encore- composition by N. Rimsky-Korsakov. His performance drew enthusiastic applause of the audience..."

AUTHOR / SOURCE:

Zlatko Stahuljak

Vijenac; February 3rd, 2005

6 Quartets for 4 Bb Clarinets

"Adagio by M.Paar stands as a single movement piece, tripartite in form in which the author uses classical language of harmony applying motivic work with the usage of sequences. The contrast in which features of romantic mood can be seen is being emphasized by changing alteration of tonality and tempo. The instrument is used in its full range, while performance requires maturity, rhythmical stability and chamber seriousness. One very interesting and educationally beneficial movement."

AUTHOR / SOURCE: