Stolzman: Mozart – Clarinet Concerto K.622, Clarinet Quintet K.581 (APE)

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Richard Stoltzman
Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: RCA Red Seal
Size: 255 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

01. Clarinet Concerto, K.622, in A: Allegro
02. Clarinet Concerto, K.622, in A: Adagio
03. Clarinet Concerto, K.622, in A: Rondo: Allegro
04. Clarinet Quintet, K.581, in A: Allegro
05. Clarinet Quintet, K.581, in A: Larghetto
06. Clarinet Quintet, K.581, in A: Menuetto
07. Clarinet Quintet, K.581, in A: Allegretto con variazioni

You can tell that Mozart loved the clarinet…

You can tell that Mozart loved the clarinet – and this CD is proof. Even though he wrote the concerto for a basset horn (a lower-pitched relative), Mozart loved and appreciated the purity of the clarinet sound and really knew how to work the instrument’s three registers: mellow and deep in the base, clear and pure in the middle range, extremely bright and penetrating in the top range. Both these works demonstrate how he could tailor his writing to those characteristics and to the accompaniment he wrote in the symphony, and for the brilliant interplay with the other instruments in the quintet. Example: NOBODY has ever done as much with five descending notes as Mozart in the concerto.

Many people think they don’t like chamber music. This quintet is a perfect place to start learning and appreciating just why this stuff is really quite addictive.

Finally, the recording is a good one, with all players pretty much on top of their game, and a clean and crisp sound throughout.