Brahms’ Clarinet Music
I find something very calming, quieting, and serene in Johannes Brahms’ chamber music for clarinet. And because Brahms was a master at describing Nature with sound, all his clarinet music brings me into the Austrian countryside, which will be there forever for ongoing enjoyment…
Back in the late 1800’s, it was the amazingly beautiful clarinet sound of Richard Mühlfeld that got Brahms out of his retirement to write his Clarinet Trio and the Clarinet Quintet. And in this performance, Richard Hosford’s creamy, lush tone is equally inspirational. An account of an early performance of the Trio said that it was “as though the instruments were in love with one another” – which could equally fit this recording of the Piano Quartet No 2, such is the effortless mastery of the Nash Ensemble.
This is a wonderful performance. The Nash Ensemble has long given us interpretations that are very satisfying and this is no exception. Great phrasing, and a wonderful long musical line of Brahms’ genius and inventiveness.
I was unable to locate a Nash video of this music, so here is a performance of the Brahms Trio by the Oscine Trio: