Mozart: Clarinet Concerto, Clarinet Quintet Richard Stoltzman

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Editorial Reviews

Mozart had a soft spot for the clarinet -- indeed, the music he wrote for the instrument is some of the most sublime that has ever been composed. Two of those works, the Clarinet Concerto and Clarinet Quintet, are paired on this lovely album, featuring soloist Richard Stoltzman. In the Concerto, the English Chamber Orchestra join the clarinetist in a beautifully phrased and flowing performance; the drawn-out lyrical phrases of the Adagio inspire Stoltzman and company to playing of great sensitivity and eloquence. The Quintet, aided by the Tokyo String Quartet, is the more intimate of the two works, yet it shares much with its cousin -- it's in the key of A Major, for starters, and features a similar opening melody, as well as passages of ineffable beauty. Stoltzman and the Tokyo offer a performance full of warmth and lilting grace -- a reading that earns a top recommendation among the several available versions. The recorded sound is full and detailed, spotlighting Stoltzman's singing style and big, beautiful tone. EJ Johnson, Barnes & Noble

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