Search - Mozart, Brahms, Reginald Kell :: Great Clarinet Quintets

Two fine performances of two great clarinet quintets

03/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The conductor of my high school orchestra thought that Reginald Kell was the greatest clarinet player of any era. I did not play clarinet and was in no position to judge the accuracy of that assessment, but listening to Kell has brought me great pleasure. EMI put out a disc of Kell and the Bush Quartet playing the Brahms in the late 1930's. That performance is outstanding, giving a flavor of performance styles of that era. This recording of the Brahms is also outstanding, and the disc has the added advantage of a beautiful performance of the Mozart clarinet quintet. My favorite moments lie in the second movement of the Brahms. Listen to it with no distractions and I assure you, you will be transported."