The Clarinet Quintet is given with the finesse and care for phrasing and articulation that has characterized all the recent Lindsay Mozart issues. Personally, I’d prefer a clarinettist who follows the ups and downs of Mozart’s melodic lines with greater intensity, as James Campbell, Antony Pay (on a three-disc set) and Thea King, in their different ways, do. It’s good for Mozart to sound suave, and Janet Hilton presents the melody of the Larghetto (track 2) with lovely soft articulation, yet I feel the music is more rhetorical and passionate than she allows, and the hint of vibrato only serves further to soften the expression. There are, however, fine features in this performance – the exciting, perfectly controlled first-movement development (track 1, from 5'36''), a lively, beautifully shaped Minuet, a really melancholic viola in the finale (track 4, 2'46'') and a splendidly robust concluding Allegro.
I found The Lindsays’ interpretation of K464 entirely persuasive, barring a few minor quibbles – the first movement, though flexible and elegant, is perhaps slightly lacking in urgency and dynamic contrast, the finale, on the other hand, has all the drama and onward thrust one could wish for, but occasionally begins to lose its rhythmic poise. I’d certainly prefer The Lindsays to the brilliant, forceful Petersen Quartet (on a three-disc set), whose strongly projected tone at times adds an aggressive edge to the music, and whose Andante lacks The Lindsays’ true singing style. The Mosaiques, like The Lindsays, play the quartet complete with all its repeats, and their original instruments provide an exceptional depth of colour and contrast, with decisive phrasing that brings every detail to life. They would still be my first choice, but for an alternative, or if you must have modern instruments, go for The Lindsays. The recording, like the others in the series, is clear, intimate, but not dry.'