Customer Reviews

Brahms: Trio for Horn, Violin & Piano, Op. 40; Clarinet Sonatas

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I am a big fan of Klocker's playing. I have many of his recordings, and I've always really liked his style and sound. This recording, however, doesn't really make it for me.

The Brahms is technically good, but Klocker's playing sounds bored and entirely uninspired. His interpretation is completely unexpressive. All I can figure is that with pieces as widely studied and performed as the Brahms Clarinet Sonatas, some performers just fall into the "here we go again" style of playing, rather than playing the pieces with the excitement and freshness they deserve. This is all I can figure, considering that Klocker is usually dead on in my opinion...

The Trio doesn't really appeal to me either. My main complaint is that the last movement is taken too slow in my opinion. Additionally, the horn player uses a distracting amount of vibrato. I personally do not like when horns play with vibrato, although i'm told this is the convention in Europe. If you want a quality recording of this trio, look for the Perlman/Tuckwell version.

If you're at all familiar with these pieces, I wouldn't really recommend this CD. It will probably just annoy you.

These unerring recordings are absolutely essential in your collection. The trio for Horn, Violin and piano Op. 40 reveal to Brahms as major composer. Filled with nuance and wonderful expressiveness, the warm hues of this fabulous ensemble surround this chamber work of particular brightness and enviable singularity.

Both sonatas for Clarinet are major works that would precede to his grand quintet for clarinet one of my most beloved pages. Dieter Clocker, clarinet was the founder and musical director of the famous Consortium Classicum. Winner of several gramophone recordings with a wide recorded repertoire.
Nevertheless, the First of the Sonatas is better achieved than the second one, which lacks of breath and brio, pitifully.

Outstanding phrasing and superb inspiration, joined with Werner Genuit, who studied with Hans Richter Haaser and notable interpreter.

This happy encounter of three great chamber works of the Glory of Hamburg, make of this CD a very advisable acquiring. I got it in 1992 and since then I use to listen with accustomed regularity.

So I recommend you it with closed eyes.