Clarinet concertos anyone?


I'm interested in hearing some of your favorite Classical Clarinet CD's.
Just picked up nice 3 CD set called Romantic Clarinet Concertos from Brilliant Classics. The 1st piece alone, Conc #1 in F minor Op73,played by Emma Johnson with the English Chamber Orchestra, is worth the price of this bargain priced set($14 at CD Universe).
(However it is a reissue & it's excellent quality is most fully revealed by reversing the polarity on my Spectral preamp.)
I am interested in hearing of other Clarinet concerto CD's
with similar feel to the music.(For Jazz Clarinet lovers Pete Fountains CD "Swinging Blues" on Ranwood Records in 1990 is a gem(analog recording). I'd enjoy others like it also.
psacanli
I second Schipo's selection and it is Alfred Prinz. On my particular disc, Prinz is accompanied by Karl Bohm and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. It is on Deutsche Grammophon #429 816-2. This is a great disc because it also includes Mozart's KV314 Concerto for Oboe and KV191 Concerto for Bassoon as well.
Here is my list of recommended clarinet music:
1) Mozart - "Clarinet Concerto in A, K622" w/Sabine Meyer, live recording w/Claudio Abbado(also has Debussy)
2) Mozart - "Clarinet Quintet K581" w/Sabine Meyer or Richard Stolzman
3) Webber - "Clarinet Concerto" w/Sabine Meyer
4) Krommer, Spohr - "Clarinet Concertos" w/ Sabine Meyer, Julian Bliss
5) "French Works for Clarinet and Piano"(includes Saint-Saens, Poulenc, Devienne, Milhaud) w/Sabine Meyer, Oleg Maysenberg
6) Copland Clarinet Concerto w/Stanley Drucker
7) Corigliano Clarinet Concerto wit either Stanley Drucker or Richard Stolzman…both are good
8) Stravinsky Ebony Concerto w/Richard Stolzman.
9) Finzi Clarinet Concerto w/Emma Johnson. Unfortunately this one isn't performed/recorded often enough thus the selection is limited, but Emma Johnson is pretty decent
10) Poulenc Sextet for Piano, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Horn
11) Brahms Clarinet Sonata #1 and #2 w/Harold Wright
12) Brahms Clarinet Quintet w/Harold Wright
13) Brahms Clarinet Trio
14) Schubert - Der Hirt Auf Dem Flesem w/Harold Wright

You basically can not go wrong with Sabine Meyer recordings of anything. She has a traditional, classical, round tone with very little to no vibrato at all. My other favorites are Stanley Drucker, Ricardo Morales, Harold Wright and Richard Stolzman. Stolzman plays with a bit too much vibrato for my tastes, but otherwise really good. Harold Wright's early recordings are very good as well.

FWIW, I would not bother with Thea King on Hyperion label. Her performing is sub par and Hyperion CDs tend to be very pricey. I initially liked it on the first listen when I bought the Brahms sonatas recording but on the second, more critical approach I found that she disappoints. I haven't listened to the cd since then.

Mozart Clarinet Concerto K622 and Quintet K581 are a joy to listen to and if you play clarinet are lots of fun to play as well. Stolzman or Meyer do superb job on these 2 pieces.

Poulenc is a really interesting composer. As a matter of fact, I would recommend everything from Poulenc, not just chamber music. His piano concerto and concerto for two pianos are both outstanding. The French works for Clarinet and Piano cd is great. I couldn't stop listening to it when I bought it.

Anyway, good luck and enjoy the music!
I forgot to include Robert Schumann - "Fantasie Pieces".
A pretty good recording of it is Harold Wright/Peter Serkin, which also includes Brahms Clarinet Sonatas.
Interesting repertoire and recorded with spectacular sound is: Nielsen and Aho Clarinet Concertos. (Martin Frost, clarinet, with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra directed by Osmo Vänskä.)

http://www.amazon.com/Nielsen-Aho-Clarinet-Concertos-Hybrid/dp/B000NOK9PY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1206460716&sr=8-2

8^(