NIELSEN : Clarinet & Flute Concertos • Wind Quintet (Sabine Meyer/Emmanuel Pahud/Simon Rattle) (2007) APE (image+.cue), lossless]

While not for everyone -- those who think modernist music should be painful and pessimistic need not apply -- this disc coupling Carl Nielsen's Flute Concerto and Clarinet Concerto along with his Wind Quintet will appeal to fans of the Danish composer's unique brand of optimistic modernism. As superlatively played by flutist Emmanuel Pahud and clarinetist Sabine Meyer with Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker in the concertos and with three principals from the orchestra in the quintet, these performances are light, lyrical, and lovely with sprightly tempos, radiant textures, and an unbeatable feeling for ensemble. Faced with competition from nearly every great flutist of the last 50 years, Pahud makes the Flute Concerto very much his own with his warm tone, sparkling technique, and cogent interpretation. Meyer, surely one of the great clarinetists of the last 50 years, plays the Clarinet Concerto with an elegant tone, an effortless technique, and the kind of artless control that makes her performances absolutely irresistible. With the ever-alert Rattle and the always superb Berlin Orchestra, Pahud and Meyer turn in extraordinary performances of the concertos. And with bassoonist Stefan Schweigert, oboist Jonathan Kelly, and hornist Radek Baborák, Pahud and Meyer together turn in a jovial performance of the quintet. EMI's digital sound is clear, warm, and detailed. James Leonard 
Tracklist :
Flute concerto, FS 119
1 1. Allegro moderato 11:57
2 2. Allegretto - Adagio ma non troppo - Allegretto - Tempo di marcia 7:43
Clarinet concerto, Op. 57 (FS 129)
3 Allegretto un poco 7:45
4 Poco adagio 5:01
5 Allegro non troppo 6:39
6 Allegro vivace 4:15
Wind Quintet, FS 100 (Op. 43)
7 1. Allegro ben moderato 8:34
8 2. Menuet 4:51
9 3. Praeludium: Adagio 2:14
10 4. Tema con variazioni: Un poco andantino 10:21
Credits :
Radek Baborák - French Horn
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Sabine Meyer - Clarinet
Emmanuel Pahud - Flute
Simon Rattle - Conductor
Stefan Schweigert - Bassoon