Clarinet Quintets

Track Listings

1. Allegro

2. Larghetto

3. Menuetto-Trio I/Ii

4. Allegretto Con Variazioni

5. Allegro

6. Fantasia. Adagio Ma Non Troppo

7. Menuetto. Capriccio Presto

8. Rondo. Allegro Giocoso

Customer Reviews:

Very Good, but beware technical problems.......2007-05-26

Overall, I really enjoy these pieces. The playing is good, and the sound is quite live, which I enjoy. My favorite piece is the Quintet in G Major Op.111, though the sextet in Bb is a close second. I am a perfectionist, and my familiarity with these pieces led me to be a little dissapointed, which is why there is only 4 stars. My dissapointment stems from two facts:
1. In the first movement of the Brahms G Major Op.111, the string quintet elects not to take the repeat in m.56, so you will never hear the first ending on this recording and thus only get one shot at the awesome cello opening. I haven't listened closely enough to the other pieces on this set to discern if they avoided other repeats or not, but for the most part, they appear to be there.

2. There are technical printing problems. Though the recording is so live that you can hear the breath of the musicians and their fingers fall on the strings, there are some actual technical pops in the recording. Perhaps it was a transfer problem from analog to digital, as the recordings are old. Most of these pops are minor, but they are dissapointing for an audiophile such as myself. My CDs are pristine (no scratches at all), and even the first time playing them these pops were there. So, here's the list of what I've found thus far:

CD 3:
Track 6: Pops & clicks at 1:19 & 1:22.

CD 5:
Track 1: Pops at 6:01.
Track 2: Pops & clicks at 0:13, 3:56, & 6:16.
Track 5: Pop at 12:07.
Track 7: Pop & clicks at 6:11, 7:45, 7:51-7:52 (these are quite noticable), 7:59, 8:03, 8:11.
Track 8: Pop at 7:34.

It is a well-played set; hopefully they will get the printing correct on the next batch.

This is how all Brahms should be played!.......2007-02-14

There isn't much to say about this set, but I'll say what there is to say: These players play the Brahms chamber music here with such emotion, musical understanding, and overall perfection that this set should be made into a must for all Brahms chamber music lovers. The Amadeus quartet, along with all of the other performers, including Eschenbach on the piano and Leister on the clarinet, really know what they're doing and play it so beautifully that the listener will want to hear the pieces again and again until the CD player is practically worn out. These Brahms works are some of the most sublime works of the later 19th century. For such quality music and great sound, especially for having been recorded in the 1960's, the price is also great. I recommend this set very highly, and hope you decide to get and enjoy it as much as I do.

Mastery and joy.......2006-12-12

Because they lasted such a long time and toward the end didn't play at their best, I found reasons to overlook the Madeus Qt. But in this 9-CD set of the complete chamber music of Brahms, there are some sublime performances--I would especially point to both String Sextets, for example. In every instance the style of the Amadeus is full of vibrancy and joy, and their ensemble isn't baased on technical perfection but rather a kinship of musical taste and feeling (this puts them poles apart from the Emerson Qt., for me at least). I also love the Brahms chamber performances on Sony with Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, emanuel Ax, and friends, but this DG set is altogether sweeter and more lyrical.

Since Amazon neglects to list the additional players who join the Amadeus for the works that aren't soely for a string quartet, here's the run-down from Tower:

1. Quartet for Strings no 1 in C minor, Op. 51 no 1
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet

2. Quartet for Strings no 2 in A minor, Op. 51 no 2
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet

3. Quartet for Strings no 3 in B flat major, Op. 67
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet

4. Quintet for Piano and Strings in F minor, Op. 34
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Eschenbach, Christoph

5. Quintet for Strings no 1 in F major, Op. 88
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil

6. Quintet for Strings no 2 in G major, Op. 111
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil

7. Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano in A minor, Op. 114
Performer: Leister, Karl; Eschenbach, Christoph; Donderer, Georg

8. Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in B minor, Op. 115
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Leister, Karl

9. Sextet for Strings no 1 in B flat major, Op. 18
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil; Pleeth, William

10. Sextet for Strings no 2 in G major, Op. 36
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil; Pleeth, William

9 CDs with THE AMADEUS: WHAT A BARGAN!.......2005-10-04

This is a really nice set at a bargan price.

Exquisite music performed with exquisite artistry.......2005-05-20

All the passion, majesty, pathos, and soul of his symphonies is in these 10 works of chamber music by Brahms:

3 string quartets;
2 string quintets;
2 string sextets;
a quintet for piano, 2 violins, viola, and violoncello;
a trio for piano, clarinet, and violoncello;
and a quintet for clarinet, 2 violins, viola, and violoncello.

All this wealth of extraordinary music is in a 5 CD set, performed by one of the finest chamber music ensembles in the world, with the added artistry of Christoph Eschenbach (piano), Cecil Aronowitz (viola), and Karl Leister (clarinet).

One CD is 50' 36 in length, 2 are in the low 60's, and 2 are in the low 70's.

I have an inexpensive CD player, but this music emerges from it with the sharpness of etched glass, the smoothness of warmed honey, and the softness of rivers of silver in moonlight.

This is music to celebrate the joy and the pathos of life, played with soul, sensitivity, and power. Buy it and treasure this gift to yourself.

Average customer rating:

Very classical Mozart
Major Mozart!
Outstanding
Musical Heaven - The Very Highest Quality
Required Listening for true Mozartians

Mozart: The Six String Quintets

Manufacturer: Calliope France
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000026CY3
Release Date: 1999-10-12

Customer Reviews:

Very classical Mozart.......2007-04-09

Whether you give this recording the 5 stars its awards suggest or not, will probably depend on the way you like your Mozart played. This recording by the Talich Quartet + violist Karel Rehak is very much in the classical style, low dynamic range, and relatively little vibrato. I'm not sure if they are using period instruments but it does sound like it. Add to this a rather "dry" acoustic in this French recording with not a lot of resonance and I think you will get the general picture. This works very well in the youthfully high-spirited and somewhat experimental K.178. It is worth noting here that just as Haydn can be said to have "invented" the string quartet. Mozart was the first composer of any note to use the quintet form, which he came to use in his later period in preference to the four player version, to produce some of his most characteristic, personal and individual music.
The K516 Quintet is a strange and extremely unsettling piece. Time and again the rather bouncy rhythms clash with some very tortured harmonies. Written shortly after the death of his father, with whom he had a close but not untroubled relationship, it is full of unresolved grief and forced bonhomie. The Talich's understated performance avoids most of the major issues - probably just as well, as musically this is the least successful of the six. You could hardly imagine Beethoven, still less Brahms (Mozart's greatest admirer of course) writing such a "throwaway" finale. Mozart appears here, for the time being at least, to have completely abandoned the comforts of religion and provided us with a truthful, if somewhat ugly self-portrait.
By contrast the K515 in Ut Majeur (I'm still not sure what key that is, I wish the French didn't insist on their ridiculous notation) is the Mozart we all know and love. Urbane and relaxed, it is the perfect blend of wit and seriousness - the former predominating and an absolute delight throughout. Solid playing from the Talich quartet + Karel Rehak, maybe they could have had a little more fun in the finale....
The Quintet in C minor K406 is one of the few cases where Köchel appears to have got it wrong, as it was in fact written after the two previous pieces, but as it is a rewrite of his K388 Serenade for Wind Instruments he may perhaps be forgiven. The cover notes incidentally, otherwise admirable, merely add to the confusion here. The reasons for this re-arrangement are obscure, but the result is unarguable. For me at least, this is one the most Schubertian of Mozart's pieces, with many a foretaste of "Death and the Maiden". The mood is predominantly somber and agitated and there is none of the sense of reconciliation that Brahms found later. The finale is another example of "forced jollity" but a bit better controlled than in K515, rather like dancing a polka after having witnessed someone's murder - or committed it. This is an absolutely gripping piece in which the Talich's style works to perfection.
The Clarinet Quintet is one of the finest and most beautiful pieces of music ever written and far too well known to comment on here. There have been many fine performances - sadly not this is not one of them. Chief culprit is soloist Bohuslav Zahardnik, whose stubborn refusal of both vibrato and rubato lends this otherwise most "romantic" piece (which was an absolute favorite of Brahms) a disappointingly pedestrian air, which even a very well-judged change of pace in the final movement cannot redeem. Zukerman, Menuhin and de Peyer, where were you?
Looks like it's going down to the wire - K593 and K614. If Mozart was beset by self doubt and existential angst in his final years as some have claimed, there's not a trace of it in the sparkling K593 quintet, which positively bristles with invention. The cyclic form of the first movement anticipates many 19th century works and there is some very novel use of pizzicato. The final movement, part rondo, part canon, part fugue is almost bewildering in its array of musical ideas. The acoustic also seems better on the final disc with a lot more resonance. If K406 was Schubertian, then this is most definitely Beethoven at his lively early best and I am pleased to relate that the Talich Quartet + Karel Rehak give this brilliant piece an appropriately brilliant performance, full of contrast and energy as well as immaculate precision.
I can't quite make up my mind about K614. This was the first time I'd heard it and despite a bright opening with "hunting" motifs and some complex writing in the finale I found it disappointingly slight, as of course Mozart can be, nothing wrong with the performance and maybe I'm missing something, but it surely needed a "bigger", more contrasting, slow movement.
What's the final verdict: to be honest I've got to say mixed. There isn't a performance in this set that says, "unforgettable". On the other hand there isn't an absolute stinker either and if you like the 18th century sound and very classical interpretations then there is a lot on these records you can enjoy.

Major Mozart!.......2007-02-09

The six string quintets are less commonly performed and less well known that the quartets, but they are not lesser pieces. They are robust, complex, dramatic music, full of Mozartean surprises. They should rank among his masterpieces, even the early KV 174. You will hear the future in them, more of the birth of the Romantic than the waning of the Rococo. The Talich Quartet performs them well and, as other reviewers have noted, the recording quality of these disks is excellent.

Outstanding.......2007-01-05

You don't need me to tell you, as others have, that this is a truly magnificent recording. A flawless performance by the Talich quartet in its sheer joy, vigour, precision and teamwork, and also an outstanding recording in its clarity and brightness. It helps also, of course, that the quintets are in very top rank of Mozart's chamber music. My congratulatons to all concerned.

Musical Heaven - The Very Highest Quality.......2006-08-12

The Talich Quartet have given us 3 CDs of musical heaven with these quintets. Both the performance and the sound engineering are outstanding. The sound quality is, indeed, so unbelievably good that it really is as another reviewer described it: like having these musicians right in front of you, giving a wonderful performance in your own living room. I have had these CDs for over a year now and have listened to them many times with great pleasure. These quintets radiate with warmth, gracefulness, moments of touching sadness, and other moments of infectious joy. As I was listening to the clarinet quintet this morning, after having listened to it so many times before, I once again felt moved by the beauty of this performance. This is a special recording with a magical beauty.

This is a performance of the very highest quality, where the musicians communicate perfectly with each other and completely succeed in communicating to the listener their love for this music. Some of the previous reviewers have commented that even those persons who prefer other types of classical music, such as symphonies or concertos, and who do not ordinarily consider themselves as being interested in chamber music, still owe it to themselves to listen to this set. I wholeheartedly agree. This is indeed the kind of truly outstanding performance that could convert someone to chamber music. The CD booklet is also excellent, with a detailed informative essay discussing each of the quintets. Highly and enthusiastically recommended.

Required Listening for true Mozartians.......2006-05-04

While Mozart's string quartets are somewhat uneven, the quintets are all masterpieces, especially K. 516, one of his most original and daring works. If you are a true Mozartian, this music is required listening. The performances here are simply superb, absolutely riveting in their drama. As a bonus, there is Mozart's most beautiful chamber work, the clarinet quintet. Three CD's for the price of one, outstanding music and wonderful performances, you cannot go wrong.

Average customer rating:

Excellent
Clarinet Magic
Excellent interpretation of Mozart
Simply Spectacular
Tasteful performance? No way...

Mozart / Brahms: Clarinet Quintets
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , David Shifrin , Eugene Drucker , and Emerson String Quartet
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000IX73
Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet In A Major, K.581: 1. Allegro
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet In A Major, K.581: 2. Larghetto
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet In A Major, K.581: 3. Menuetto--Trio I-II
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet In A Major, K.581: 4. Allegretto con Variazioni I-IV - Adagio - Allegro
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet In B Minor, Op.115: 1. Allegro
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet In B Minor, Op.115: 2. Adagio
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet In B Minor, Op.115: 3. Andantino - Presto non assai, ma con sentimento
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet In B Minor, Op.115: 4. Con moto - Un poco meno mosso

Amazon.com essential recording

The Emersons and clarinetist Shifrin emphasize smoothness of line and a creamy blend of sound in this polished 1997 performance of the Mozart quintet. Tempos are ideal, giving Mozart's luxurious, long-breathed yet fragile melodies plenty of time to unfold without sacrificing animation or expressive point. Understatement rules in this interpretation, which is all the more intense and poignant because of it. The coupling is a rich, ripe, romantic account of the Brahms quintet, conveyed with passionate address and in a manner more conversational and polyphonic, less homogeneous in sound, than most. It is a dramatic and eventful reading, but one in which lyricism and beauty of tone are never sacrificed. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2006-02-11

This is an outstanding recording of these superb works. The Mozart Clarinet Quintet is simply a masterpiece. The Emerson and the clarinetist, David Shifrin, are wonderful. The Brahms quintet is performed just as well.

Clarinet Magic.......2005-08-11

Actually I am not a fan of chamber music but these two clarinet quintets, especially the Brahms one, are really superb. I cant get enough of them and keep listening to them over and over to the extent that I wore out the CD and had to buy this new one.

Excellent interpretation of Mozart.......2002-03-27

This cd is absolutely amazing. The Emerson String Quartet's Mozart playing is absolutely thrilling. Simply the best quartets around and is reflected through their work on this CD.
Also with the Brahms clarinet quintet on this recording, it shows that the quartet is extremely agile in their ability to switch styles and play it with such passion, something Brahms requires much of.

Simply Spectacular.......2002-02-28

Emerson and Shifrin make these two already perfect pieces even more spectacular than they already are. Emerson's sound is so rich and lush which lends a spectacular quality to quintets. They really get the ideal Mozartian and Bramsian qualities across in their playing. The music is subtle in it's qualities and the quintet emphasizes this. David Shifrin is flawless in his playing. He gets a rich dark sound and interprets the music perfectly. He and Emerson are a great match....they understood these two pieces and brought them out in their performance. It is just excellent all around!

Tasteful performance? No way..........2001-06-24

The opening of the Clarinet quintet by Mozart is so beautiful and pure. The smooth sound of the clarinet and the organ-like writing for the strings. Why do we let our modern playing technique ruin this opening? Why do we have to play with vibrato on EVERY note? WHY!? What is the problem? What IS good taste? Is it to treat all music the same? Mozart's own father writes in his violin school that musicians that plays with a lot of vibrato sounds like they have the fever! We know that even the 19th century violinist Joseph Joachim, who were a friend of Brahms, didn't use vibrato much at all. So what's going on? This is fact: We have no real traditions! The way we play music today has nothing to do with the way musicians once played the music of the composers of their own time. We have no respect and no interest in the sound world that Beethoven or Mozart lived in. The reasons why they wrote the music the way they did! I am tired of this arrogant relation to music that many of "the great" artists have today. No, pick up the Joseph Joachim violin school and learn how to play Brahms and you will definetely find some amazing aspects of his music that no one else cares about. The Eroica Quartet (Harmonia Mundi) is a brilliant new ensemble who plays the romantic repertoire with a fresh and intelligent attitude. Check it out! Also check out the amazing recording of the clarinet quintet by L'archibudelli (Sony Classical) on period instruments and compare the sound, the phrasing and the overall music-making with the Emerson recording and you will see my point! Or else, there is no meaning playing music by old masters who actually had real intentions!

Average customer rating:

Protestant Work Ethic
Very good ALL STEREO recording; great value
Brahms quintets
First-Rate Quintets

Brahms: The Complete Quintets

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000041C0
Release Date: 1995-06-13

Tracks:

Piano Quintet In F Minor, Op. 34: 1. Allegro non troppo
Piano Quintet In F Minor, Op. 34: 2. Andante, un poco adagio
Piano Quintet In F Minor, Op. 34: 3. Scherzo. Allegro
Piano Quintet In F Minor, Op. 34: 4. Finale. Poco sotenuto - Allegro non troppo
The Complete Quintets: 1. Allegro non tropo, ma con brio
The Complete Quintets: 2. Grave ed appassionato - Allegretto vivace - Tempo I - Presto
String Quintet in F, Op. 88: 3. Allegro energico

Tracks:

String Quintet In G, Op.111: 1. Allegro non troppo, ma con brio
String Quintet In G, Op.111: 2. Adagio
String Quintet In G, Op.111: 3. Un poco allegretto
String Quintet In G, Op.111: 4. Vivace ma non troppo presto
Clarinet Quintet In B Minor, Op.115: 1. Allegro
Clarinet Quintet In B Minor, Op.115: 2. Adagio
Clarinet Quintet In B Minor, Op.115: 3. Andantino - Presto non assai, ma con sentimento
Clarinet Quintet In B Minor, Op.115: 4. Con moto

Customer Reviews:

Protestant Work Ethic.......2007-02-17

When I first heard Brahms' prodigious Piano Quintet in F minor on a Columbia vinyl in the 1960s, the performance struck me as rough. The Werner Haas performance seems smoother; but the initial impression of roughness derives from the composition itself. The work comes from the same early stage of Brahms' career as the D minor piano concerto and like it is some of the stormiest romantic music ever written. When the main theme of the first movement gets started, it could not be more emphatic; the strings sound momentarily distraught despite going on to gentler music in major key. There may be something truculent about the key of F minor; but the music sounds like a personal, Promethean manifesto in the same way as the D minor concerto. Throughout his career Brahms sounds a note of stressful effort-- a quality he seemed to derive in part from Beethoven. The effect is the opposite of Mozart's impression of effortlessness based on the "art of concealing art." Because Brahms was from Hamburg in Protestant northern Germany, I associate this impression of stern effort with the "Protestant work ethic." Brahms reinforced this impression when he said that he envied Johann Strauss for his ability to produce so many popular melodies. Although Brahms is profoundly eloquent in his own way, easy gracefulness was not in him.

Even in the slow second movement of the F minor quintet, Brahms sounds as though he is grunting and sweating. In the 1960s my young wife used to refer to Brahms as a "tired old man." Although there is nothing tired about the music itself, it can make a hearer feel fatigued from the perpetual sense of effort. Brahms supposedly derived from Schumann; but Schumann's music is more fluent and impulsive. Brahms and Beethoven are the definition of compulsiveness in music. I was not surprised to discover that Beethoven once said, "Artists are fiery and do not weep"-- fiery, choleric, headstrong and compulsive. What I hear in Brahms' music is the same cultural theme as in Tennyson's poems "Ulysses" and "The Lotus-Eaters"-- an effort to keep striving rather than dropping out of history and turning into the likes of Debussy, master of the drifting "Lotus Eaters."

What could be more compulsive than the relentless, hammering chords of the third movement of Brahms' piano quintet? The rhythm of this movement sounds like a horse managing to gallop despite having its hind legs tied together. When the composer turns to the "Poco sostenuto" at the start of the fourth movement, he halts the tempo and gives us a taste of hot tears, followed by more sound and fury signifying much. In this "Allegro non troppo," he turns to wild Gypsy music for an outlet. The work is an expressive masterpiece and furnishes a striking contrast to the equally engaging Piano Quintet in A minor by Swiss Joachim Raff. Raff's piece starts off with a comparable sense of struggle but is smoother, more gracefully lyrical and less dramatic than Brahms' furious work. Whenever I deal with Raff now, I react against a hideously negative and misguided response to his music in the Music Guide. In an environment created by such reviews, I recommend an experiment. Play Brahms' and Raff's piano quintets one after another starting with Brahms and try to explain away the sense of complementary balance and plenitude achieved by these two contrasting styles.

Very good ALL STEREO recording; great value.......2006-02-02

There is nothing mono on this CD, contrary to one reviewer's comments.

If this were a "full price" CD pair, I might have rated it with a four=star mark. (Again, why won't Amazon allow half-star ratings?)

I don't like Brahms too romanticized, but thought the clarinet in the Clarinet Quintet could actually have used a bit more of that.

Brahms quintets.......2005-07-24

A valuable performance of all Brahms quintets in one set of CD's, which pays off for the fact that this is a relatively old Mono recording.

First-Rate Quintets.......2003-11-04

I love the Philips Duo series -- you always get a lot of music in slim, space-saving jewel cases for surprisingly little money. This outstanding CD collects all four of Brahms' Quintets as performed by pianist Werner Haas and/or members of the Berlin Philharmonic Octet from the early 1970s. Originally I had bought three different CDs in order to get the very same music featured on this set -- the String Quintets by Juilliard with Walter Trampler added, the Piano Quintet (with the Dvorak PQ as well) by Guarneri and Rubinstein, and the Clarinet Quintet (coupled with Mozart's) by Emerson. Those performances were all excellent but when I began running out of room on my CD shelves (a constant problem for us serious collectors), I wised up and replaced three CDs with this one Philips Duo two-fer. Well, I certainly didn't sacrifice musical quality in my quest to consolidate my holdings. If I had to do it all over again, I would just buy this title and save myself some time, money and space.

Average customer rating:

Mozart: Quintets, Quartets, Trios, etc.

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mozart: Symphonies

ASIN: B00004YSBG
Release Date: 2006-02-14

Average customer rating:

Gramophone "Top 100 Recording"

Mozart: The Complete Quintets, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000041MR
Release Date: 1997-06-10

Tracks:

String Quintet In G Minor, KV 516 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 1. Allegro
String Quintet In G Minor, KV 516 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 2. Menuetto (Allegretto)
String Quintet In G Minor, KV 516 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 3. Adagio ma non troppo
String Quintet In G Minor, KV 516 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 4. Adagio -- Allegro
Adagio And Fugue In C Minor, KV 546: Adagio
Adagio And Fugue In C Minor, KV 546: Fugue
Quintet In A, KV 581 For Clarinet, 2 Violins, Viola And Cello: 1. Allegro
Quintet In A, KV 581 For Clarinet, 2 Violins, Viola And Cello: 2. Larghetto
Quintet In A, KV 581 For Clarinet, 2 Violins, Viola And Cello: 3. Menuetto
Quintet In A, KV 581 For Clarinet, 2 Violins, Viola And Cello: 4. Allegretto con variazioni

Tracks:

String Quintet In D, KV 593 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: I. Larghetto - Allegro
String Quintet In D, KV 593 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 2. Adagio
String Quintet In D, KV 593 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 3. Menuetto (Allegretto)
String Quintet In D, KV 593 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 4. Finale (Allegro)
String Quintet In E Flat, KV 614 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: I. Allegro di molto
String Quintet In E Flat, KV 614 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 2. Andante
String Quintet In E Flat, KV 614 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 3. Menuetto (Allegretto)
String Quintet In E Flat, KV 614 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 4. Allegro
Adagio And Rondo In C, KV 617 For Glass Harmonica, Flute, Oboe, Viola And Cello: Adagio
Adagio And Rondo In C, KV 617 For Glass Harmonica, Flute, Oboe, Viola And Cello: Rondo

Amazon.com

Mozart really liked the number 5. Aside from the group of six string quartets dedicated to Haydn, just about all of his greatest chamber works are quintets, and some of them are very unusual too. This particular set contains three magnificent late string quintets, the ever popular Clarinet Quintet, and weirdly wonderful Adagio and Rondo for Glass Harmonica, Flute, Oboe, Viola and Cello. A glass harmonica, by the way, is a set of water-filled glasses that you set spinning and play with moistened fingertips. It was invented (or at least perfected) by Benjamin Franklin, and was wildly popular in Mozart's day, particularly among amateur female performers. An excellent collection in every respect. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Gramophone "Top 100 Recording".......2005-03-27

In addition to the masterpiece G-minor Quintet (K.516), this second volume contains several other significant works. Most notably is the masterpiece Clarinet Quintet (K.581), a highly-angular Adagio/Fugue in rare key of C-minor, Mozart's last chamber composition (string quintet K.614) and a unique, late work for the unusual "glass harmonica". The two pieces for glass harmonica (basically, an invention of rotating glass bowls that ping when struck) are gentle, etherial compositions that Mozart wrote just before his death for a blind virtuoso of this unusual instrument (hence the late Kochel number K. 617). They are quite unique compositions in all of classical music. Equally dreamy in tone is the much-loved Clarinet Quintet (K581) with Brymer that is much better than many other versions I have heard. (But, there are several beautiful recordings of this work). Hearing its radient, soaring autumnal textures, one is not surprised to learn that Mozart absolutely adored the clarinet and writing to its wide and expressive sonorities.

It is nearly universally agreed that Mozart's string quintets not only surpassed his earlier "Haydn" quartets but are amoung his finest chamber compositions - and in the entire clasical repertoire for that matter. Particularly, the late string quintets, K515 & 516, are thought to be Mozart's pinnacle chamber compositions. One will be hard pressed to find finer recordings of Mozart's magnificant string quintets than these by the legendary Grumiaux Trio (+ Lesueur and Gerecz to round out the quintet). Their landmark recordings here are cited in nearly every major review as a truly exceptional example of the art of chamber music playing. The major reviewers/guides (Gramophone, Jim Svejda, Penguin and Third Ear) all give them the highest accolades, while Gramophone notes that, "This edition belongs in the pantheon of Great Mozart recordings." In addition, Gramophone awarded the String Quintets here their highest award - one of the "Top 100 Recordings of All Time" - which is recognition about as high as you can get in the music world. Their playing are supremely lush, galantly poised and tonally opulant - serving this special niche of Mozart's output honorably. Grumiaux really sets a standard for the ages of how to play Mozart, and such perfection of style is seen in these works (as in much of his Mozart recordings.

Equally, the recorded sound of the highest clarity (as usual for Philips). Philip's Quintets I and II is an absolutely superb, timeless set of four CD's that contain some of the creme of the classical chamber repertoire. Having all the Quintets on four CD's is of great value - as is the DUO "twofer" price. Chamber enthusiasts will want to get both Vol.I and II as each set contains 2-3 major works that are amongst Mozart's most prized chamber compositions. A wonderful investment in history and music that will never go out of style.

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Mozart and Brahms: Clarinet Quintets

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2; Beethoven: Clarinet Trio
Brahms: Sonatas for Clarinet & Piano, Op.120
Mozart: Wind Concertos
Weber: Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Grand Duo Concertante; Concertino
Bruch: Works for Clarinet & Viola

ASIN: B00005NEZW
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Larghetto
III. Menuetto/Trio I/Trio II
IV. Rondo (Allegro Giocoso)
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Andantino/Presto Non Assai, Ma Con Sentimento
IV. Con Moto/Un Poco Meno Mosso

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A Must Have!

Five American Clarinet Quintets

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Joan Tower: Silver Ladders / Island Prelude for Oboe and String Quartets / Island Rhythms / Music for Cello and Orchestra / Sequoia
Joan Tower: Instrumental Music
Mozart: Clarinet Concerto; Clarinet Quintet

ASIN: B00000G4LI
Release Date: 1998-12-08

Tracks:

'Soliloquy' For Clarinet And String Quartet - Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet: I.Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet: II.Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet: III.Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet: IV.Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet
Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet: V.Quintet For Clarinet And String Quartet
'Turning Points' For Clarinet Quintet
Concertino For Clarinet And String Quartet: I. Concertino For Clarinet And String Quartet
Concertino For Clarinet And String Quartet: II. Concertino For Clarinet And String Quartet
Concertino For Clarinet And String Quartet: III. Concertino For Clarinet And String Quartet
'At The Still Point, There The Dance Is' For Clarinet And String Quartet: I. Aria
'At The Still Point, There The Dance Is' For Clarinet And String Quartet: II. Meditation
'At The Still Point, There The Dance Is' For Clarinet And String Quartet: III. Dance

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have!.......2000-03-20

The folks at The Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center with their Artistic Director, Clarinetist David Shifrin, have produced a splendid recording of music written expressly for them. All performances are top-notch. The CD opens with John Corigliano's hauntingly beautiful dialog between violin and clarinet entitled "Soliloquy." Following is what is probably the finest work on the program, the clarinet quintet of Ellen Taffe Zwilich. It's a substantial and well-proprtioned work that really has something to say. It is chamber music in the true sense; everyone involved shares in the musical exchange. Joan Tower's quintet follows, and is of high quality, as one would expect from a composer of her calibre. It is fine music, but does suffer at times of being a bit clarinet-centric. The other two composers represented on this release, Bright Sheng, and Bruce Adolph, have completely fallen into the trap of treating the wind instrument as a soloist, and therefore cannot be considered to be quality chamber music pieces. Their music is enjoyable, however, and one hopes that next time they will consider composing chamber music instead of chamber concerti.

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Quintessential Quintets
The pinnacle of Mozart's chamber works
Mozartian bliss

Mozart: Complete Quintets, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Mozart: The Complete Quintets, Vol. 2
Mozart: Complete String Trios & Duos
Mozart: The Complete Piano Trios
Mozart: The Great Serenades
Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 2

ASIN: B0000041MQ
Release Date: 1997-06-10

Tracks:

String Quintet In B Flat, KV 174 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 1. Allegro Moderato
String Quintet In B Flat, KV 174 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 2. Adagio
String Quintet In B Flat, KV 174 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 3. Menuetto Ma Allegretto
String Quintet In B Flat, KV 174 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 4. Allegro
String Quintet In C Minor, KV 406 (516h) For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 1. Allegro
String Quintet In C Minor, KV 406 (516h) For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 2. Adante
String Quintet In C Minor, KV 406 (516h) For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 3. Menuetto In Canone
String Quintet In C Minor, KV 406 (516h) For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello: 4. Allegro
Quintet In E Flat, KV 407 For Horn, Violin, 2 Violas, And Cello: 1. Allegro
Quintet In E Flat, KV 407 For Horn, Violin, 2 Violas, And Cello: 2. Andante
Quintet In E Flat, KV 407 For Horn, Violin, 2 Violas, And Cello: 3. Allegro
Adagio In B Flat, KV 411For 2 Clarinets And 3 Basset Horns

Tracks:

Quintet In E Flat, KV 452 For Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, And Bassoon: 1. Largo - Allegro moderato
Quintet In E Flat, KV 452 For Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, And Bassoon: 2. Larghetto
Quintet In E Flat, KV 452 For Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, And Bassoon: 3. Allegretto
String Qunitet In C, KV 515 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas, And Cello: 1. Allegro
String Qunitet In C, KV 515 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas, And Cello: 2. Andante
String Qunitet In C, KV 515 For 2 Violins, 2 Violas, And Cello: 3. Menuetto. Allegretto
4. Allegro

Amazon.com

If I could pick a musical premiere out of the past that I could have attended, I would probably choose one of those evenings when Mozart and Haydn took the two viola parts in the first performances of Mozart's string quintets. It's something to wonder at, anyway. The string quintets are not only Mozart's greatest chamber music, they are among the most profoundly inspired pieces of music by anyone for any instruments. Three of them can be found on this budget priced set, superbly performed, along with the Horn Quintet, and the Quintet for Piano and Winds, which inspired Beethoven to compose a not quite as successful sequel. Greatness, folks, pure and simple. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Quintessential Quintets.......2007-03-07

This is an outstanding 2-disc set from Philips at an even more outstanding price! These enchanting chamber pieces by Mozart seem to float on air, and transport the listener to another place in time. While these works may not have the sweeping grandeur of his symphonies and operas, they possess a remarkable intimacy, spirit, and beauty. In a nutshell, these works capture the qualities that make Mozart's music in general so special. The vivid performance of the string version of the 1781 wind serenade K388, (which here is KV 406), may be the highlight of the entire set. Simply an indispensable Mozart compilation that will enrich your life for years to come!

The pinnacle of Mozart's chamber works.......2005-03-27

It is nearly universally agreed that Mozart's string quintets not only surpassed his earlier "Haydn" string quartets but are amoung his finest chamber compositions and in the entire clasical repetory. Particularly, the late string quintets, K515 & 516, are thought to be Mozart's pinnacle chamber compositions - exceedingly rich in texture and tone as well as perfected symmetry of form. This is a high-quality grouping of Mozart's wonderful and instrumentally-diverse quintets (strings, piano/winds and horn). One quintet in this first volume that may be the most special is the fairly unique quintet for piano and wind quartet - a composition that Mozart even thought to be his finest at the time of writing. Its delicacy and skill of blending the more complex and powerful tones of the clavier with the graceful, nuanced timbres of the winds shows Mozart's mastery of composing for winds.

The performances of the string quintets by the quintet featuring legendary violinist, Aurther Grumiaux, are cited in nearly every major review as a truly exceptional example of the art of chamber music playing. Gramophone, Jim Svejda, Penguin and Third Ear Guides all give them the highest ratings, while Gramophone concluded that, "This edition belongs in the pantheon of Great Mozart recordings." Additionally, Gramophone awarded the String Quintets here their highest award - one of the "Top 100 Recordings of All Time" - which is an accolade about as high as you can get. The performances have that distinct polished Grumiaux elegance and tonal opulance while the recorded sound is of the highest clarity.

Philip's Quintets I and II is an absolutely superb, timeless set of four CD's that contain some of the creme of the classical chamber repertoire. It will be hard to find a better compilation of this calibre. Chamber enthusiasts will want to get both Vol.I and II as each set contains 2-3 major works that are treasured by many a Mozart fan. A wonderful investment that will reward the listener for a lifetime.

Mozartian bliss.......2000-06-30

This is a particularly ethereal set of discs. The main works here are three String Quintets, played by an augmented Grumiaux Trio with total assurance & commitment. These are all ravishingly beautiful works. The Horn Quintet, where the soloist is Timothy Brown, is a happy and spirited piece, again wonderfully played. The only question mark surrounds the rather literal, even wooden performance of the Piano Quintet with Ingrid Haebler & The Bamberg Wind Quintet. Compared to Murray Perahia & his ECO Wind Players, the recoridng here sounds far too measured and unspontaneous. Nevertheless, this cannot detract from the magnificence of the other recorded works on this disc, which are all to be had a a very reasonable price.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
Energetic, as always-- but typically Stoltzman.
BRAVO!

Brahms, Weber : Clarinet Quintets

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Brahms: Sonatas for Clarinet & Piano, Op.120
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Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem Op.45
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99

ASIN: B000003FTB
Release Date: 1995-04-11

Tracks:

Quintet For Clarinet & Strings, Op. 115 In B Minor: Allegro
Quintet For Clarinet & Strings, Op. 115 In B Minor: Adagio
Quintet For Clarinet & Strings, Op. 115 In B Minor: Andantino
Quintet For Clarinet & Strings, Op. 115 In B Minor: Con moto
Quintet For Clarinet & Strings, Op. 34, J. 182 In B Flat: Allegro
Quintet For Clarinet & Strings, Op. 34, J. 182 In B Flat: Fantasia (Adagio)
Quintet For Clarinet & Strings, Op. 34, J. 182 In B Flat: Menuetto
Quintet For Clarinet & Strings, Op. 34, J. 182 In B Flat: Rondo (Allegro)

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2004-07-29

I think that Stoltzman really delivers on this CD. The Brahms Quintet is a beautiful composition, and I think Stoltzman plays it perfectly. The performance is uniquely Stoltzman, but he holds back slightly from his usual flamboyance (he saves it for the Weber).

Speaking of which, I think his Weber is wonderful. Stoltzman's flashy style is perfect for Weber's music, and the Quintet is no exception. He adds a few embellishments in the First movement, but I think they are entirely appropriate.

Stoltzman is traditionally hated among clarinet purists (who tend to favor subdued, reserved playing over his more flamboyant style). I doubt those people will ever be pleased with his music. However, if there is a CD of his they would accept, this may be it. Highly recommended.

Energetic, as always-- but typically Stoltzman........2003-03-02

As a clarinetist myself, it's difficult to become adjusted to the performance style of Richard Stoltzman. He's different, to say the least, from anything that the classical recording world has ever seen, which makes him a hit among many circles. Indeed his performances are always full of passion and fun, but sometimes he just steps a little too far over the line. Personally, I find his Mozart recordings fantastic, but when he begins to step over his bounds of controls, things go awry.

I was originally going to rate with three stars, but I cannot in good conscience give it less than four. Stoltzman is a simply amazing performer, with fantastic technical skill and a bright new approach to clarinet playing. However, his interpretations of the Brahms, which would typically call for more reserved playing, is as 'out there' as much of his other repertoire. He generally fails to use Brahms' masterful writing to blend into the overall sound rather than become a soloist - something, by the way, that Charlie Neidich and the Juilliard pull off superbly well with this piece. It almost seems laced with arrogance, as it may very well be, with Stoltzman trying a bit too hard to be dominant over his fellows of the Tokyo Quartet. With Brahms' works a much greater subtlety is required than what Stoltzman offers it.

However, his Weber interpretation nearly makes up for it. Personally, again as a clarinetist, I've never cared for Weber - I was trained much more in the romantic school, my old teacher being 'descended' down the line from Daniel Bonade. But Stoltzman, as he always does, brings a fantastic vitality to this quintet, though again he gets carried away at times - at the cost of technical prowess, unfortunately, which I know he does have. However he makes the piece, which is already by nature much lighter than the Brahms, an entertaining performance. Whatever anyone may say about him, no one can take away the fact that he has an immense amount of fun in his performing, which comes across in any of his recordings. And that's always a plus.

BRAVO!.......2000-03-25

The finest Weber quinetet that has ever been recoreded.

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1. Allegro
2. Larghetto
3. Menuetto-Trio I/Ii
4. Allegretto Con Variazioni
5. Allegro
6. Fantasia. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
7. Menuetto. Capriccio Presto
8. Rondo. Allegro Giocoso