You don't often run across a clarinet quintet you haven't heard heard before because there aren't that many of them, so I was extremely pleased to discover Reicha's quintet on the radio this morning, and was going to ask why on earth it hasn't had more recordings. I find that it's had quite a few, so it's not the discovery I thought it was. However, the version I heard has a Czech clarinettist. I can't put into words what it is about the Czech woodwind sound that makes it so special, but I guess it's enough to know it when you hear it. Perhaps someone better equipped than I am might try to explain. Richard Pennycuick [log in to unmask]