Mozart: Chamber Works for Clarinet

Advantages: a new take on a familiar warhorse
Disadvantages: is it worth full price?

...It's unlikely that any music lover who has a good recording of Beethoven's violin concerto on CD (say: Perlman, Grumiaux or Szigeti) would ever say to him or herself: 'boy, I wonder what that sounds like on the clarinet'. In fact, the only people who might would be clarinetists, for they tend to feel (mistakenly, as it happens)that there just isn't enough original repertoire written for their instrument. So here, spanking new, is a Deutsche Grammophon CD offering us an original work in Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and an arrangement of the Beethoven prepared by Russian pianist/conductor Mikhail Pletnev. The soloist is Michael Collins, who plays the familiar Mozart on his basset horn with all the joy and panache we expect. The Beethoven is a different cup of tea. It's difficult to listen to the famous melodies without hearing the fiddle (or... Read review

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Advantages: Good introduction to the Opera and Mozart
Disadvantages: Narrative breaks up the musical flow

...In a promotion aimed to make Opera more understandable and accessible, Naxos have produced a series of CDs entitle “Opera explained”. The ninth in the series released on 22nd October 2002, is The Magic Flute composed by Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart. All the CDs in the series roughly follow the same format. The first section of the CD, lasting for approximately quarter of an hour, provides a brief and basic biography Of Mozart and illustrated by excerpts from a variety of his works. The recording continues with musical highlights from the Comic Opera interspersed with explanations of the plot and music. Mozart composed the Magic Flute in 1791 as a commission from Emanuel Schikaneder who provided the libretto. It’s debut performance took place on December 5th just a few weeks before Mozart’s death. The plot is basically that of a love... Read review

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Advantages: everything
Disadvantages: nothing

...A cracking cd if you loooovvvveeeee clasical sounds like me I can't get enough! Johann Pachelbel Canon in D major for strings & continuo Johann Sebastian Bach Aria (Goldberg Variations, BWV 988) Toccata und Fuge D minor, BWV565 Brandenburg Concerto No.3 BWV 1048: Allegro Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni Adagio in G minor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Adagio (Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major, K. 622) Andante (Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K.467) Lacrimosa (Requiem in D minor, K. 626) Ludwig van Beethoven Allegretto (Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 "Pastoral") Adagio sostenuto (Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op.27 No. 2 -"Moonlight") Allegro con brio (Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67) Choral: Ode to Joy (Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125) Samuel Barber Adagio for Strings Op.11 Sergei V. Rachmaninov Adagio... Read review

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