Here are very acceptable performances of these works, technically assured and pleasingly musical. I don't detect, however, anything specially interesting brought to the music. Certainly Sabine Meyer's clarinet is sweet and full-toned, her phrasing often eloquent—playing that could indeed attract a distinguished conductorial ear. And she is finely fleet in the semiquaver variation in the finale. Yet those familiar with the Clarinet Quintet may feel that it is perhaps a rather sober perhaps even plodding performance, marked by steadiness and sturdiness even if enlivened by occasional moments of poetry or insight: the recapitulation of the Larghetto is, of course, one of them, and there is some graceful cello playing in the second trio of the minuet (though I found some less pleasing cello playing in the first movement).
The Horn Quintet, a relatively light-hearted work, receives a robust performance, with firm and confident horn playing from Bruno Schneider, who brings some happy touches of timing to the Andante. Here again the string playing is apt to be somewhat dense in texture and not always very ingratiating. Two alternative versions of these works are listed above; each offers more music than the present rather short CD, and in what are to my mind more interesting performances. Those wanting period instruments will of course prefer the AAM version on L'Oiseau-Lyre those who do not will find the Mannheim group's performances on the whole more appealing and generally fresher, the Horn Quintet especially—and having the Oboe Quartet thrown in, as it is on both the rival discs, is no mean advantage. In short, I do not think the present issue has a great deal to offer, although lovers of good clarinet playing should certainly try to hear it.'