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BBC Music Magazine 5*

Brahms & Reger: Clarinet Quintets

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Details

Composer
Johannes Brahms, Max Reger
Artist
Michael Collins, Escher String Quartet
Format
SACD
Discs
1
Label
BIS
Released
Aug 28, 2026
Catalog #
BIS-2837
UPC
7318599928371

About

Having made numerous recordings for BIS both as a clarinettist and as a conductor, Michael Collins had yet to offer us one of the masterpieces of the clarinet chamber repertoire: Johannes Brahms' Clarinet Quintet. Here he performs alongside the Escher Quartet, whose latest recording devoted to Janacek's quartets (BIS-2670) has earned critical acclaim. While the combination of clarinet and string quartet offers rich potential, Mozart's glorious clarinet quintet cast a long shadow that few composers dared to enter. Composed at the twilight of his career, Brahms's quintet is an elegiac masterpiece. It radiates aching nostalgia and a poignant sense of lost love, ultimately settling into a melancholy serenity. It's emotional directness is occasionally surprising yet never sacrifices subtlety. Max Reger modelled his own Clarinet Quintet on those by Mozart and Brahms. In this final composition before his untimely death, Reger pushes tonal limits without compromising structure. Seamlessly integrating the clarinet, he creates a beautifully balanced ensemble capable of both powerful outbursts and delicate textures. Straddling the dawn of the 20th century, Reger's remarkably rich work pays profound homage to the past.

Critic reviews

  • “The British clarinettist and conductor continues to enjoy a fruitful career, on the concert platform and in the recording studio… a most welcome release… polished and authoritative interpretations.”

    BBC Music Magazine, 5 stars, September 2026

Tracklist 8 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro 12:58
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    12:58
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Escher String Quartet
  2. 2 II. Adagio - Più lento 11:02
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Adagio - Più lento
    Duration
    11:02
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Escher String Quartet
  3. 3 III. Andantino - Presto non assai, ma con sentimento 04:36
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Andantino - Presto non assai, ma con sentimento
    Duration
    04:36
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Escher String Quartet
  4. 4 IV. Con moto 09:00
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Con moto
    Duration
    09:00
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Escher String Quartet
  5. 5 I. Moderato ed amabile 10:29
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Moderato ed amabile
    Duration
    10:29
    Composer
    Max Reger
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Escher String Quartet
  6. 6 II. Vivace 05:57
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Vivace
    Duration
    05:57
    Composer
    Max Reger
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Escher String Quartet
  7. 7 III. Largo 09:29
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Largo
    Duration
    09:29
    Composer
    Max Reger
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Escher String Quartet
  8. 8 IV. Poco allegretto 09:48
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Poco allegretto
    Duration
    09:48
    Composer
    Max Reger
    Performer
    Michael Collins
    Ensemble
    Escher String Quartet