| Site review by Castor December 31, 2006
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
Weber wrote these works for the celebrated clarinettist of the Munich Court Orchestra Heinrich Baermann whose playing he greatly admired. Had he heard them played by Martin Fröst he might well have revised his dedications!
Fröst’s playing is wonderfully flexible and sensitive throughout this disc and it is these qualities, even more than his astounding virtuosity that is the overriding impression left by this SACD.
The finale of the F minor concerto, for example, is taken at a very fast pace for its Allegretto marking, but is played with a lightness and ease that is totally beguiling, while the depth of expression that he imparts to the music in the slow movements of all four works is quite remarkable.
The accompaniments by the Tapiola Sinfonietta under Jean-Jacques Kantarow are alert and stylish (witness the urgent orchestral introduction to the first concerto), but I was slightly disappointed that the Clarinet Quintet is played in an arrangement, by the conductor, for string orchestra. The full strings add an unwelcome heaviness to a chamber piece that, had it been played in its original form, would have provided a welcome contrast with the other three works on the disc. To be fair, it has been recorded a few times in this form, so you might not share my concern.
The recording, as usual from this source, is of very high quality with an ideal balance between soloist and orchestra. The orchestra is set back in a pleasing ambience behind the soloist and there is, thankfully, no evidence of intrusive breathing sounds and clattering keys that are found in a number of other versions of these works.
Another splendid achievement from Martin Fröst and the BIS team.
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Copyright © 2006 Graham Williams and SA-CD.net
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| Review by TT October 28, 2006 (7 of 8 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S/MC): / |
a triumph! fröst does it again. on this sacd fröst raises above himself, togehter with the tapiola sinfonietta fröst plays great works from weber for clarinet and orchestra.
the playing of fröst is beyond words, just heavenly. in my opionon his best performance on disk. but also the tapiola sinfonietta does a very, very, very great job: the playing is so strong and vivid (great bass, strings,... - just wow) and in total harmony with fröst - just wonderful.
so the quality of the performance is worth at least 10 stars.
and - of course - the sound is great, just as i expected from a sacd from bis. without any doubt bis makes the best sacds up-to-date: great balance, great transparence (u can hear every isntrument) and not too much bass. hopefully some other music-companies begin to learn from bis.
here is a sacd without any flaw!
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| Review by JJ May 28, 2007 (2 of 4 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S/MC): / |
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826), l'auteur du "Freischütz", se consacra à la musique dès son adolescence pour devenir une figure centrale du romantisme. Mort prématurément à l'âge de quarante ans de la tuberculose, il est célébré, lors de son inhumation sur le sol allemand, par une autre grande figure du romantisme, Richard Wagner : "Jamais musicien ne fut plus allemand que toi (...) Vois, l'Anglais d'aujourd'hui te rend justice, le Français t'admire, mais seul l'allemand peut t'aimer : tu es sien, tu es un beau jour de sa vie, tu es une goutte chaude de sang, un morceau de son cœur". Composés en 1811 le Concerto pour Clarinette N°1 Op.73 et le Concerto pour Clarinette N°2 Op. 74 virent leur création respective la même année. Le premier en juin et le second en novembre. Le Quintette pour Clarinette et Cordes Op.34 est donné ici dans un arrangement pour orchestre à cordes fait par le chef d'orchestre Jean-Jacques Kantorow. Et le Concertino pour Clarinette et Orchestre Op.26, qui connut un grand succès en son temps, clôt le programme de cet enregistrement en tous points remarquables. Le jeune clarinettiste suédois Martin Fröst, soutenu avec ferveur par le Tapiola Sinfonietta, nous offre tout simplement la référence discographique de ces œuvres au charme indéniable. Lumineux, profond, frémissant, son jeu transporte, grâce notamment, à un équilibre parfait entre un phrasé idéal et une virtuosité imaginative, vivante. Jean-Jacques Kantorow, que nous retrouvons avec plaisir, soutient le jeune soliste avec finesse, sans pathos. Et c'est dans une prise de son stéréo et multicanal magnifique de naturel, ouvrant l'espace en offrant la vérité des timbres en présence, que s'achève le plus beau disque, de ce début d'année, consacré à Carl Maria von Weber.
Jean-Jacques Millo
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