Johann Anton André was co-director of the publishing firm founded by, and named after, his father in Offenbach-am-Main. In 1799 he bought a very large collection of Mozart’s autographs from his widow Constanze, and issued them in editions that were “remarkably scholarly and accurate for the time” (Robbins Landon). André was also a composer who, it is thought, added the bass-line to the piano part of the Coronation Concerto, K537, left out by Mozart.

Whatever the motive behind André’s arrangements for viola of the Clarinet Concerto and Quintet, they would have earned the commendation of Hubert Parry who said that “the object of an arrangement is to make that which was written in one musical language intelligible in another”. Here the language of the clarinet has been idiomatically changed to that of the viola. But the performance of the Concerto is not satisfactory largely because conductor Arvid Engegård offers a rather prosaic representation of the score, doing little to shape an expressive profile. Excellent orchestral playing and sound plus a justly balanced soloist don’t compensate.

The Quintet is a different – indeed outstanding – proposition. Lars Anders Tomter fits in comfortably with his colleagues, their rapport ensuring a shared, equitable experience. Although the alla breve markings in the opening and closing movements are observed, the music is not hustled. There is a controlled dynamism to the playing, yet these musicians find time for an expansively paced and phrased Larghetto. Once again, excellent balance and sound.