Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Roy Goodman, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra :: Mozart: Clarinet Concerto, K. 622; Clarinet Quintet, K. 601

Outstanding performances of lovely music

Stephen Chakwin | Norwalk, CT USA | 03/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had never heard of Cox before I heard this disc and was bowled over by how fine these performances are. Cox uses a basset clarinet (like a normal clarinet, but with a few extra low notes) in both the concerto and the quintet because it is likely that this is the instrument that Mozart originally wrote for - we can't know for sure since both manuscripts are lost. This means that some of the strange disruptions in the writing in both works, probably adaptations for the narrower range of an ordinary clarinet, can be gotten rid of with results that sound much more like Mozart's typical writing.
More importantly, Cox plays with the style and sensitivity of a great singer. His basic sound is smooth and dark, with the slight vibrato that English players favor and his technique is flawless. After you hear his deeply felt playing of the quintet's slow movement, most others will sound glib. His rendition of the concerto's finale is heart-stopping in its poignancy.
In fairness, he has great colleagues. Goodman, who got partway through a spirited Haydn symphony series before the funding got pulled, is a fine partner in the concerto and the players from the orchestra who join Cox in the quintet are outstandingly good: the range of tone colors that they bring to the different moods of the slow movement is a delight.
Nothing to complain about in this recording. If you are looking for a recording of these pieces - and if you don't already have them you should - this is as good as it gets. There are other fine recordings, especially of the quintet, but none better and, in my view, none quite as good.
Oh, by the way, the recorded sound is lovely and the liner notes more than sufficient."