Richard Stoltzman’s Lutos¹awski‚ Nielsen and Prokofiev compilation is a fine achievement. He brings to the Nielsen Concerto both virtuosity and depth of characterisation. There may be other ways of presenting this complex musical character­study – Ib Eriksson’s wrestling match with the score probably takes us closest to the original conception – but Stoltzman’s fluency and broad expressive range are as impressive as any modern recorded account. The Warsaw Philharmonic under Lawrence Leighton Smith sound exceptionally well prepared. They lend a natural idiomatic pliancy to the Lutos¹awski Dance Preludes‚ where Stoltzman is perkiness personified‚ and make a fine foil for him in the Concerto. Kent Kennan’s orchestration of the Prokofiev Flute Sonata is also well worth hearing – indeed‚ well worth taking up by other clarinettists. This is a tactful and adroit arrangement for chamber orchestra‚ which Kennan treats as a natural extension of the Peter and the Wolf ensemble. Stoltzman lavishes care on the solo part‚ making a persuasive case for the Scherzo as an allegretto scherzando rather than Prokofiev’s suggested presto. His romanticised approach to the slow movement is less convincing‚ but his earthy characterisation of the finale is admirable. The MMC disc of concertos from the 1990s is a very different proposition. All four works may be of interest to specialists in Americana and clarinettiana‚ but it is hard to find qualities to commend them to a wider audience. They are arranged on the disc in descending order of interest. Jeffrey Nytch’s Concerto is straightforward‚ modern­day Gebrauchsmusik; never cheap or vulgar‚ it sticks admirably to its task of creating a worthwhile addition to a less than well­stocked repertory. From a similar stylistic basis‚ Margaret Brouwer’s two­movement Concerto risks a few forays into special effects (mainly bent and discoloured notes) without making much expressive capital of them. From there we descend steeply to the whimsy of Marie Barker Nelson’s Culinary Concerto‚ which despite its movement­titles (‘Brothy Frothy’‚ ‘Sweet and Sour’‚ ‘Piquant’‚ ‘Presto Zesto’) is largely without flavour‚ thanks to its sub­Hindemithian language. All these pieces at least avoid recourse to jazzy riffs; not so William Thomas McKinley’s Going Home‚ which is little more than a doodle around Dvo·ák’s New World slow movement. Richard Stoltzman’s advocacy may not be able to make silk purses out of such sow’s ears‚ but his willingness to foster new repertoire commands respect‚ as do the efforts of his accompanists. Recording quality on the MMC disc is acceptable‚ on the RCA one outstanding.