Crusell: Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 5

“The Swedish clarinettist Martin Fröst plays… with flawless technique, considerable panache and moments of magical quiet tone. The Gothenburg under Kamu provides first-rate support, with the wind principals clearly relishing their moments of prominence…” BBC Music Magazine, March 2009 *****

“Okko Kamu provides lively and supportive accompaniments; Martin Fröst has the full measure of this delightful music and ably scales the virtuoso roulades, while often playing the lyrical tunes on their reprise very gently and touchingly. The bravura pyrotechnics of the finales are presented with aplomb.” Gramophone Magazine, April 2009

“Here is another example of a largely unknown composer who has been revived through recordings of his music.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition

'The most rewarding clarinet concertos of the early 19th century. Strongly recommended' (BBC Music Magazine)

“With full, bright, immediate sound, the Finnish clarinettist Kari Kriiku gives dazzling performances of these three delightful clarinet concertos.
In many ways he's even more daring than his rivals, regularly choosing speeds that stretch virtuosity to the limit, particularly in the finales. Those of Nos 1 and 2 may be marked allegretto merely, but Kriiku, by choosing exceptionally fast speeds, brings out an extra scherzando quality, often sharp and spiky, in which Crusell's characteristically dotted rhythms are delightfully crisp. The almost impossibly rapid tonguing never seems to get in the way of detailed characterisation.
Johnson (above) in her recordings is altogether more relaxed, regularly adopting speeds rather broader, extremely so in the Alla Polacca which ends No 3. Consistently, her pointing of rhythm brings out the fun in the writing, and in her comparably broad approach to slow movements she finds extra poetry. Partly as a result of the immediacy of the recording, Kriiku's pianissimos aren't as extreme, yet in flair and panache Kriiku is second to none, superbly supported by the crisp, purposeful playing of the Finnish National Radio orchestra under Sakari Oramo.
An excellent disc, guaranteed to win friends for these sparkling works.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Finnish/Swedish composer and clarinet virtuoso Bernhard Crusell (1775-1838) was responsible for a number of fine compositions in the late Classical style typified by musicians such as Cherubini, Hummel, Krommer, Kraus, and the young Schubert. Like fellow Swede Franz Berwald, Crusell's impact in Scandinavia, then dominated by Swedish imperial culture, was enormous. Not only did he introduce Mozart's Clarinet Concerto to his homeland, his example and the high quality of his compositions lead directly to the great schools of Romantic Scandinavian music. The three works included in this ebullient, appealing CD display every facet of the solo instrument, from the high spirited "Alla polacca" finale to the Third Concerto, to the soulful lyricism of the Second Concerto's Andante pastorale. This is a guy who really knows his clarinet, and these works rank, with the similar works of Mozart, Krommer, Weber, and Spohr, among the most important repertoire for the instrument. Soloist Per Billman knows his clarinet at least as well as did Crusell; he plays beautifully, and receives alert accompaniment from his Swedish colleagues. Delightful.” Classical Net, December 1999