Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman has a new duet partner on record — his wife, Mika, and her marimba. The pair’s interplay on the album Crossing The Bar pushes into experimental territory, especially on John Zorn’s Breathturn: Part 1. The marimba and clarinet don’t just accompany each other.
They trade lines, interrupt each other, and create a conversation that feels live and unpredictable. That track is one of several world premieres on the release.
Mika Stoltzman’s instrument, the contemporary marimba, gets a full workout across the album’s program. Released by Avie Records, Crossing The Bar moves from Johann Sebastian Bach to Claude Debussy to Miho Hazama, a 21st-century composer. The Bach selection is the Chaconne from Partita No. 2, arranged here for marimba and strings.
It opens the album. The arrangement favors lyrical line and resonance over percussive attack.
Each variation is shaped with careful attention to dynamics. The result is a contemplative reading, not a showy one. The marimba’s warm, woody timbre carries the piece’s emotional weight without relying on force.
That same timbre makes the Debussy arrangement work. Rêverie is described as an enchanting moment on the album. The marimba’s sound lends itself to impressionistic music, evoking mood and emotion rather than hard rhythmic structure. It is a standout track.
The album’s ability to hold together such different styles — Baroque, Impressionist, avant-garde, contemporary — is a notable achievement. The transition from Bach to Zorn may feel abrupt.
But that jump also demonstrates the instrument’s range. The marimba can handle density and delicacy in equal measure. The album’s title, Crossing The Bar, suggests movement between boundaries.
That is exactly what the Stoltzmans do. Mika Stoltzman, the percussionist, has built a career around expanding what the marimba can express.
This album is a concentrated statement of that work. It brings together arrangements and contemporary works in a fluid program. The collaborations are tight, especially with Richard Stoltzman, her husband and regular musical partner.
Their familiarity shows. The dialogue between marimba and clarinet feels intuitive, not rehearsed. For listeners, the album offers a chance to hear the marimba as a serious solo and ensemble instrument, not just a percussion staple.
It can do Bach. It can do Debussy.
It can do John Zorn. That range is the point. The album is out now on Avie Records.
What comes next for Mika Stoltzman is unclear from the available information. But Crossing The Bar sets a high bar for contemporary marimba music.
It also sets a standard for how a married couple can make challenging, beautiful music together without sentimentality. The result is a record that rewards close listening. The marimba’s voice is clear.
It is worth hearing.
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