布拉姆斯/雷格: 豎笛五重奏
麥可.柯林斯 豎笛
艾雪弦樂四重奏

Having made numerous recordings for BIS both as a clarinetist and as a conductor, Michael Collins had yet to offer us one of the masterpieces of the clarinet chamber repertoire: Johannes Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet. Here he performs along side the Escher Quartet, whose latest recording, devoted to Janacek’s quartets (BIS-2670), has earned critical acclaim.

While the combination of clarinet and string quartet offers rich potential, Mozart’s glorious clarinet quintet cast a long shadow that few composers dared to enter. Composed at the twilight of his career, Brahms’s quintet is an elegiac master piece. It radiates aching nostalgia and a poignant sense of lost love, ultimately settling into a melancholy serenity. Its emotional directness is occasionally surprising yet never sacrifices subtlety.

Max Reger model led his own Clarinet Quintet on those by Mozart and Brahms. In this final composition before his untimely death, Reger pushes tonal limits without compromising structure. Seamlessly integrating the clarinet, he creates a beautifully balanced ensemble capable of both powerful outbursts and delicate textures. Straddling the dawn of the 20 thcentury, Reger’s remarkably rich work pays profound homage to the past.

BRAHMS, Johannes (1833–97)
Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115
1 I. Allegro 12'58
2 II. Adagio – Più lento 11'02
3 III. Andantino – Presto non assai, ma con sentimento 4'36
4 IV. Con moto 9'00
REGER, Max (1873–1916)
Clarinet Quintet in A major, Op. 146
5 I. Moderato ed amabile 10'29
6 II. Vivace – Un poco meno mosso – Vivace 5'57
7 III. Largo 9'29
8 IV. Poco allegretto 9'48
TT: 74'48

Michael Collins clarinet
Escher String Quartet
Adam Barnett-Hart and Brendan Speltz violins
Pierre Lapointe viola · Brook Speltz cello