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Brahms: 2 Clarinet Sonatas, Clarinet Trio - Campbell, Renzi, Meyer, Raclot

Brahms: 2 Clarinet Sonatas, Clarinet Trio - Campbell, Renzi, Meyer, Raclot

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Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Chamber


Brahms: Trio in A minor Op. 114, Sonata in F minor Op. 120 No. 1, Sonata in E flat major Op. 120 No. 2

Arthur Campbell (clarinet)
Frances Renzi (piano)
Jean-Pascal Meyer (piano)
Daniel Raclot (cello)


At the end of his career, when he had already made his will, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was enthused by an instrument which had been known to the composer for decades, mainly as a member of the orchestra: the clarinet. Richard Mühlfeld, the gifted chamber music virtuoso of the Meiningen court orchestra, was the muse for the four late chamber music works with clarinet of 1891 and 1894 of which the Trio op. 114 and the two Clarinet Sonatas op. 120 were recorded for this disc. The North German composer with a melancholy disposition reveals a preference for the middle, noble register and the expressively “speaking” tone of the clarinet which he demands extensively in all three works. Whereas the Trio op. 114 with piano and cello has always been considered a subtly crafted work for connoisseurs, the two Clarinet Sonatas op. 120, passionately romantic and vigorous at the same time, became popular immediately. Clarinettists gratefully added the works to their repertoire, whilst they triggered with composers a veritable “renaissance” of the clarinet in chamber music.

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Review by John Broggio - September 9, 2007

Sadly, despite good engineering, I cannot honestly recommend this disc especially as it is in direct competition with Brahms: 2 Clarinet Sonatas, Clarinet Trio - Fröst, Pöntinen, Thedéen which is, interpretatively, in a completely different class.

There is nothing especially wrong with the account offered of the Trio, although as on the BIS disc, I find the Adagio too fast and here it definitely sounds like a waltz - personally, I am not convinced this was Brahms' intention.

It is in the recordings of the sonatas that the problems surface: Arthur Campbell at times appears to pay little attention to his tuning vis a vis the piano. One might argue that as the clarinet has the possibility , he shouldn't compromise his intonation for the strictures of equal tempering that is given to a piano - some of this is so close though that Campbell's stubborn refusal to even slightly "bend" his notes mean that a kind of micro-tonality occurs that cannot have been Brahms' conception. The more I hear it in comparison to Fröst, the more difficult it is to continue listening. This aspect is a great shame for otherwise, Campbell plays with no small amount of grace, although neither Frances Renzi (in the sonatas) nor Jean-Pascal Meyer (trio) are the equal of Pöntinen.

The sonics are good and clear, as one would naturally expect from a recording made in the Siemans Villa in Berlin. This is not enough to rescue this release though.

For most, the BIS disc is by far the better bet.

Copyright © 2007 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

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Sonics (Multichannel):

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