Carl Maria von Weber, Bernhard Henrik Crusell: Clarinet Concertos [Import]

Bernhard Henrik Crusell (Composer), Carl Maria von Weber (Composer), Antony Pay (Conductor), Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
• Conductor: Antony Pay
• Composer: Bernhard Henrik Crusell, Carl Maria von Weber
• Audio CD (June 8, 1999)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: EMI Import
• ASIN: B00000J2QA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #525,726 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Recording.....Great Price!!, August 8, 2000

By 

"kv581" (Durham, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carl Maria von Weber, Bernhard Henrik Crusell: Clarinet Concertos (Audio CD)

Pay's Crusell concertos are among the best versions. Although the sleeve notes fail to mention this, these Crusell concertos are the first recordings using period instruments (i.e. the clarinet that Pay used is a replica of a clarinet used in Crusell's time). Having only 9 keys, this clarinet is technically inferior when compared to today's clarinets. The fact that Pay still sounds effortless is already quite an accomplishment. Anyway, these are probably the least expensive recordings of the Crusell also (aside from the Naxos CD). A very nice buy indeed.

The Weber works are also very good. Again, Pay uses a period instrument here. Given the technical difficulties of Weber works, all I can say is WOW! Not only does Pay play these pieces using a period instrument, he plays the outer movements of the two concertos at speeds FASTER than are generally expected. Unfortunately, Pay does slip once or twice in the finale of the second concerto, but that's only a small blemish amidst the overall greatness.

The only real complaint that I have is not with the recordings themselves, but with the sleeve notes instead. The sleeve notes here treat the CDs like low budget recordings. Quite a shame. Supposedly, back when these two CDs were available separately, they each came with a decent sleeve note. What happened to those?! Virgin didn't even need new notes. All it had to do was to include the original sleeve notes and all would be fine. Still, Pay's performances more than make up for our losses. Grab these two CDs.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine Weber and Crusell Clarinet Concerti from Pay, etc., December 7, 2004

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carl Maria von Weber, Bernhard Henrik Crusell: Clarinet Concertos (Audio CD)

I am not familiar with any of the works on this excellent inexpensive 2 CD set, but am pleased that the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment sounds superb under Pay's direction. His clarinet playing is fine, especially with a period instrument, but stylistically it doesn't break any new ground here. I am disappointed that the liner notes are rather sparse, even if this is a budget reissue of both of these early digital recordings. Still I would recommend this CD set if you are interested in hearing concerti not composed by Haydn, Mozart or the early Beethoven.

5.0 out of 5 stars Rediscover the clarinet, November 28, 2010

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cxlxmx - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Carl Maria von Weber, Bernhard Henrik Crusell: Clarinet Concertos (Audio CD)

Although I was a somewhat accomplished youth clarinetist, I had never heard of Crusell before a random radio broadcast. I immediately started searching for CDs and came across this one on Amazon. If you enjoy clarinet, you are almost certainly familiar with the Mozart and likely with von Weber, too. If you don't know Crusell, I strongly urge you to investigate and this CD is a great place to start.

Although I am not a great music critic by any means, I don't put too much stock in the reviewer who said this CD lacks interpretation. The clarinet is not the most expressive of instruments. It is all water nymphs and summer afternoons. This is the only way to retain the instrument's beautiful rich qualities. It is not one for great romance. As an instrument of great love or hate, it is all reed rather than round resonance. Notice it used for tension and anxiety when written into operas, for example. So although Pay may play it a little straight, he can dance, which is most important for the clarinet.

I would describe Crusell as a very "vocal" composer, like Mozart. You can check out the samples, but they don't do a good job of capturing the quality of these pieces as a whole. Try one of the mp3's if you have doubts.