Notes and Editorial Reviews
Although the clarinet cannot lay claim to a body of chamber music as large as that for other instruments, it can boast of the virtues of quality over quantity. The 20th century brought more music for the instrument than the 18th or 19th, but here David Shifrin and the Emerson String Quartet present two pre-1900 gems, both justly famous.
Mozart's Quintet is well-known and loved for the elegant melody of its opening, it's sublime Larghetto, and its perky variation-form finale. Shifrin and the Emerson give it a strong performance with excellent ensemble, showcasing the work rather than themselves.
Late in life, Brahms had decided to stop composing, but came to know the clarinet by way of Meiningen clarinetist Richard Muehlfeld and was
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inspired to produce his Quintet as well as the Clarinet Trio and the two sonatas. Here it receives a sensitive reading by five players well-versed in the subtleties of chamber music performance. This pair of works makes an excellent program, and the performances could hardly be bettered. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A major, K 581 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Philip Setzer (Violin),
David Finckel (Cello),
Lawrence Dutton (Viola),
Eugene Drucker (Violin),
David Shifrin (Clarinet)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Emerson String Quartet
Period: Classical
Written: 1789; Vienna, Austria
Date of Recording: 12/1997
Venue: American Academy of Arts & Letters, NYC
Length: 31 Minutes 43 Secs.
2.
Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in B minor, Op. 115 by Johannes Brahms
Performer:
David Finckel (Cello),
Eugene Drucker (Violin),
Philip Setzer (Violin),
David Shifrin (Clarinet),
Lawrence Dutton (Viola)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Emerson String Quartet
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891; Austria
Date of Recording: 12/1996
Venue: American Academy of Arts & Letters, NYC
Length: 37 Minutes 51 Secs.
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