Recordings That You Are Considering

[amw]

Favorite recording of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet? I have the Stoltzman/Tokyo. Curious what else exists.

I remember my favourites including Alan Hacker/Fitzwilliam Quartet, Jörg Widmann/Hagen Quartet & Janet Hilton/The Lindsays. Honestly though, while I have not heard an "ideal" recording of the quintet so far, I also haven't heard a bad one.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Brahms Clarinet Quintet:

I second many of these, but most especially Thea King / Hyperion and Martin Froest & Friends.

[vers la flamme]

Brahms Clarinet Quintet:

I second many of these, but most especially Thea King / Hyperion and Martin Froest & Friends.

These are the two I was looking at most closely. I'm familiar with a few of Fröst's recordings and I'm sure he will not disappoint; I'm less familiar w/ Thea King, but I've never known Hyperion to put out bad music.

[Ratliff]

Brahms Clarinet Quintet:

I second many of these, but most especially Thea King / Hyperion and Martin Froest & Friends.

The Thea King recording is great. I also love Gervase de Peyer/Melos Ensemble.

[vers la flamme]

I found a cheap copy of the Thea King on ebay and decided to pull the trigger on it. Brahms is one of a few composers where I don't feel so bad about collecting a great variety of recordings. Given how well his music rewards variance in interpretation, I reckon there's no such thing as too much Brahms. By this same token, I'm considering lately getting more recordings of his symphonies and piano concertos, even though I have favorites in both.

[JBS]

I found a cheap copy of the Thea King on ebay and decided to pull the trigger on it. Brahms is one of a few composers where I don't feel so bad about collecting a great variety of recordings. Given how well his music rewards variance in interpretation, I reckon there's no such thing as too much Brahms. By this same token, I'm considering lately getting more recordings of his symphonies and piano concertos, even though I have favorites in both.

The King recording includes the Clarinet Trio, which I think is actually better than the  Quintet. [Although I don't have it, so I didn't mention it.]So well done all around.

[vers la flamme]

The King recording includes the Clarinet Trio, which I think is actually better than the  Quintet. [Although I don't have it, so I didn't mention it.]So well done all around.

I have the Clarinet Trio on a Philips 2CD with the Beaux Arts Quartet, the clarinet soloist is George Pieterson. I don't know why, but I haven't been impressed with anything on the disc outside of the Horn Trio. I don't know if it's the performance, or the music itself. I've heard of people being very dismissive of the Clarinet Trio, with some saying it's trivial compared to the Clarinet Quintet and the two Clarinet Sonatas. After having heard all of them I don't know why. I would put them all on the same level, even though each of the four works is very different from the others.

[Ratliff]

I have the Clarinet Trio on a Philips 2CD with the Beaux Arts Quartet, the clarinet soloist is George Pieterson. I don't know why, but I haven't been impressed with anything on the disc outside of the Horn Trio. I don't know if it's the performance, or the music itself. I've heard of people being very dismissive of the Clarinet Trio, with some saying it's trivial compared to the Clarinet Quintet and the two Clarinet Sonatas. After having heard all of them I don't know why. I would put them all on the same level, even though each of the four works is very different from the others.

The Clarinet trio is "lighter," more melodic than most music by Brahms, but I don't think that makes it a lesser work.

[Jo498]

I clearly prefer the quintet as I find it melodically and emotionally more attractive and I also love Brahms art of transformation with a fast variation serving as contrasting section in the 3rd movement and the great variations of the 3rd with their moving return of the opening motto. It is also obviously the larger scale work. The trio is also very good but rather austere in the outer movements and almost slight in the two other ones.
For me the most immediately appealing and melodic piece of all late Brahms is the E flat major clarinet sonata but all four clarinet pieces are essential Brahms.

[Mandryka]

This seems to have very different timings for each part of the 7th quartet than this



Is the performance interestingly different?

[SurprisedByBeauty]

These are the two I was looking at most closely. I'm familiar with a few of Fröst's recordings and I'm sure he will not disappoint; I'm less familiar w/ Thea King, but I've never known Hyperion to put out bad music.

Here's the review -- as part of Hyperion's complete Brahms Chamber Music set -- I did of her Clarinet Quintet for MWeb, back in the days. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Nov08/Brahms_Chamber_cds4433142.htm

Thea King was, for a decade at least (late 90s, maybe?), one of _the_ great clarinetists around.

[vers la flamme]

Any opinions on the Belcea Quartet's Beethoven cycle?



I like what I'm hearing, I think. Very lyrical. That first violinist is a killer. Very precise playing.

[Brian]

Precise and exciting playing has been a trend in Beethoven cycles lately. I'm excited to compare the Belcea to the new Ebène and the slightly older Prazak and Artemis. The Cuarteto Casals might take things a little too far...or not depending on your taste 

[amw]

I'm generally a fan of the Belcea Quartet cycle although it's been a long time since I spent much time with the Beethoven quartets or did any comparative listening. They are interpretively somewhat mannered but I love the sound of the ensemble and find their interpretations usually work well. Highlights to sample: op. 74, op. 132

[staxomega]

Marc Andre-Hamelin - any particularly good performances of the Scriabin sonatas that I should start with first to give me a good impression of the cycle to continue?

[vers la flamme]

Marc Andre-Hamelin - any particularly good performances of the Scriabin sonatas that I should start with first to give me a good impression of the cycle to continue?

I would highly recommend Vladimir Ashkenazy on Decca as a 2CD. It can be had for pretty cheap, generally, too. I want to check out the Hamelin myself, though I'm not really a huge fan of his, I think he might be able to bring something interesting to the table in Scriabin.

[Ratliff]

Marc Andre-Hamelin - any particularly good performances of the Scriabin sonatas that I should start with first to give me a good impression of the cycle to continue?

I have not heard Hamelin. Ruth Laredo is fantastic. I also like Szidon and Ashkenazy

[JBS]

Marc Andre-Hamelin - any particularly good performances of the Scriabin sonatas that I should start with first to give me a good impression of the cycle to continue?

Ponti on Vox.  Most of the Sonatas come as a double CD. The rest (or at least almost all the rest) of his works for piano form the companion 5 CD set.

As for Hamelin, I found his Scriabin to not stand out in any way. Save him for Medtner. There is a very good set.

[staxomega]

Sorry if I wasn't more specific I was looking for suggestions for sonatas from Hamelin's cycle as being particularly good to get some enthusiasm to hear the rest of the cycle.

I have a very large Scriabin collection, I've heard all the ones mentioned already, really just curious about Hamelin at this point Given how all Scriabin cycles have their ups and downs was why I was looking to start off on some high points.

[vers la flamme]

I'm curious to discover a new part of Mozart's body of work, new to me, anyway. It would be nice to find a way in to Mozart's Violin Sonatas. I wonder what are some good recordings, either single CDs, whole sets, or whatever the case may be. I am not big on fortepianos, but what the hell? I kinda feel like giving the HIP Mozart thing another shot. For something completely different I'm also vaguely considering the Barenboim/Perlman set on DG:



Finally, I think I'm also going to get this:



... as I have none of the Mozart VCs in my library at this point.