Arguably some of the best chamber music to include the clarinet occurred perhaps by accident. The senior Brahms, who had all but stopped composing, attended a concert featuring clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld. So impressed was Brahms with Mühlfeld's playing and treatment of the clarinet that four brilliant chamber works quickly ensued. All but the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings are included on this Dorian album with the Kennedy Center Chamber Players. The disc opens with the earliest of these chamber works, the Trio for ...
Read More
Arguably some of the best chamber music to include the clarinet occurred perhaps by accident. The senior Brahms, who had all but stopped composing, attended a concert featuring clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld. So impressed was Brahms with Mühlfeld's playing and treatment of the clarinet that four brilliant chamber works quickly ensued. All but the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings are included on this Dorian album with the Kennedy Center Chamber Players. The disc opens with the earliest of these chamber works, the Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano. While the Trio prominently features the clarinet, the melodic work is parceled among the three players remarkably evenly. Clarinetist Loren Kitt's sound is pure and effortless, and although the clarinet's keys are frequently audible, there's no sense of airiness. Rounding out the trio are energetic but restrained pianist Lambert Orkis and poignant cellist David Hardy. The three do a nice job of matching tone and play together in a true collaborative fashion....
Read Less