While waiting for the Shifrin/Emerson String Quartet versions of the Mozart
and Brahms clarinet quintets on DG to arrive at my mailbox, another version
arrived on Harmonia Mundi's Les Nouveaux Interpretes series.

The HM release features Alessandro Carbonare on clarinet; Carbonare is
the first clarinettist for the Orchestre National de France.  He is an
excellent musician with abundant rich tone and style.

Although these two clarinet quintets are my favorites in the field, they
are quite different.  The Brahms is considered an "autumnal" work while the
Mozart has more zest and requires more "bounce" to be fully successful in
performance.

Well, the HM performance of the Brahms is certainly autumnal and excellent
as well.  I found the Mozart less successful, as it was played too much
like the Brahms.  It just wasn't sufficiently eventful.

There are many excellent alternatives for this repertoire.  Concerning the
Mozart, I favor Sabine Meyer on Denon and the Mosaiques on Astree.  For the
Brahms, the recording that sticks most in my mind is an older MCA disc
performed by Keith Puddy and the Delme String Quartet; its coupling is
Dvorak's "American" string quartet.

As for the Carbonare release, I'd have to recommend against it unless the
primary focus is on the clarinet playing which is outstanding.  There are
better Mozarts to be had and a few Brahms recordings which are at least as
fine.  Perhaps the new DG issue will fill the bill.

Don Satz
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