Search - Brahms, Friedli, Bianconi :: Clarinet Quintet / Piano Quintet

Brahms the way you want to hear him

Robert L. Berkowitz | Natick, MA United States | 02/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are many well-known recordings of the Piano Quintet that deserve the accolades they receive, but this is a little known recording that should be exposed to a wider audience. Bianconi is an exciting performer and the Quartet Sine Nomine (Quartet without a name) play with Brahmsian lushness, power, conviction and are ideally suited to their piano partner. This recording is now the first one I reach for when I want to hear the piano quintet. Other recordings I have enjoyed include my first exposure to this great piece, Curzon/Budapest Quartet (which now sounds painfully out of tune at times), Pollini/Amadeus Quartet, Rubinstein/Guarneri, Ax/ Cleveland Quartet, Jandó/Kodaly Quartet and my previous favorite, The Nash Ensemble



Thomas Friedli has a beautiful tone and the Clarinet Quintet is very well represented on this disc. I prefer this recording to the ones I have with Karl Leister and the Brandis Quartet and Michel Portal and the Melos Quartet.



I highly recommend this disc to everyone interested in these works."