A masterpiece. There are no others words to describe this. Brahms is my favorite composer exactly for this kind of autumnal atmosphere that you can find in his music and in this piece in particular. I have many favorite version of the Clarinet Quintet and many of them are here. The first I have listen to was a rare, out of print, version of Alessandro Carbonare. He is now the first clarinet of the Orchestra of Santa Cecilia (Rome) and he recorded his wonderful version when he was younger for Harmonia Mundi France in a CD of the "Nouvelle Interpreter" series. A version to which I am sentimentally attached.
The night my father passed away I had a long drive home. Driving in the dark, I turned con the radio and WETA was playing a show of music recorded live from Wolf Trap. I was completely stunned by the music and its sense of loss and as you say, its autumnal feel. There was no announcement of what it was as I had entered the program after the work was announced. I called the radio station the next day since it was a special program and not on their playlist. It took someone there about a week to talk to the right person and let me know it was the Brahms Clarinet Quintet. I have never had a piece of music appear out of thin air and so perfectly speak to my particular state at the moment quite like that. It is powerful music that came to me right at the right moment. It helped me to grieve. Thank you for writing about it.
Thank you John for sharing that story! It is a fitting piece of music to hear after such a loss, and Brahms sometimes finds just the right sentiment. A few days after losing a close friend, I attended a concert where they played Brahms first piano concerto, and the second movement Adagio touched me in a similar way to the clarinet quintet. Thanks again, and take care.
A masterpiece. There are no others words to describe this. Brahms is my favorite composer exactly for this kind of autumnal atmosphere that you can find in his music and in this piece in particular. I have many favorite version of the Clarinet Quintet and many of them are here. The first I have listen to was a rare, out of print, version of Alessandro Carbonare. He is now the first clarinet of the Orchestra of Santa Cecilia (Rome) and he recorded his wonderful version when he was younger for Harmonia Mundi France in a CD of the "Nouvelle Interpreter" series. A version to which I am sentimentally attached.
Luca, is this the performance below? I found it on YouTube. Really lovely version.
Alessandro Carbonare, clarinette May/July.1997
Luc Héry, Florence Binder, violins / Nicolas Bône, alto / Muriel Pouzenc, violoncelle
Brahms : Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in B minor, op.115
Yes, it is this. Great, isn’t it?
Yes I really like that one. Thank you!
The night my father passed away I had a long drive home. Driving in the dark, I turned con the radio and WETA was playing a show of music recorded live from Wolf Trap. I was completely stunned by the music and its sense of loss and as you say, its autumnal feel. There was no announcement of what it was as I had entered the program after the work was announced. I called the radio station the next day since it was a special program and not on their playlist. It took someone there about a week to talk to the right person and let me know it was the Brahms Clarinet Quintet. I have never had a piece of music appear out of thin air and so perfectly speak to my particular state at the moment quite like that. It is powerful music that came to me right at the right moment. It helped me to grieve. Thank you for writing about it.
Thank you John for sharing that story! It is a fitting piece of music to hear after such a loss, and Brahms sometimes finds just the right sentiment. A few days after losing a close friend, I attended a concert where they played Brahms first piano concerto, and the second movement Adagio touched me in a similar way to the clarinet quintet. Thanks again, and take care.