Search - Bernhard Henrik Crusell, Gerard Korsten, Uppsala University Chamber Orchestra :: Crusell: Clarinet Concertos

Spirited Music, Fine Performances

10/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bernhard Crusell's clarinet concertos are very much in the Weber vein, bright and frisky outer movements framing slow movements with a pre-Romantic sensibility. You won't find the Wolf Glen here, as you will in Weber's First Concerto, but instead gently beguiling songs without words that also have a patrician dignity about them. Crusell, a largely self-taught musician, injected his own personality while following his celebrated models to produce three justly popular works.While I wish I could compare the performances of Per Billman with those of his strongest competition, Emma Thompson, I can't. Or rather, I can't fully, having heard only one of Ms. Thompson's performances on the radio quite a while ago. But I can say that Billman produces a liquid tone in those slow movements and has just the right sensibility for them, mixing classical poise with Romantic yearning. And his athletic turns in the outer movements are marked by an easy virtuosity that is masterful.Twenty or thirty years ago, this music might have been recorded by a large orchestra, the big string body swamping winds and brass. Here, that is not the case. The Uppsala Chamber Orchestra is recorded with a nice presence--luckily, the soloist not spotlighted--so that the playful woodwind and pungent brass-and-drum interjections are caught with all requisite punch. Conductor Korsten shapes the accompaniment sensitively throughout. At Naxos' price, strongly recommended."

Wonderful Music. Seldom Heard

April Vawter | Denver, CO | 07/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are so many wonderful, but seldom heard composers from this period. They were so overshadowed by the consumate masters of the period. Nonetheless, Crussell produced some of the finest clarinet concertos ever written and this album is a gem."

A good get to know Crusell C.D.

Laszlo Straka | 10/29/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This recording is a good one if you are just getting acquainted with Crusell. It is inexpensive and good quality. These are not very well known concertos, they are neat, but not the best. Give them a chance though. This is a fairly decent recording with an average player."