It makes sense to play Mozart's Clarinet Concerto on the instrument for which it was written—the basset clarinet which extended the range of a modern clarinet in A down by four semitones to the A at the bottom of the bass clef, the keynote that Mozart chose for that very reason; though the original score has not survived, it is clear enough when the extra low notes are needed and the result is very satisfying. Sabine Meyer is one of Germany's best young players, and she gives a very fluent and pleasing account of this work while still not, in my view, plumbing all its expressive depths.
The first movement is taken fairly briskly, but there is no harm in that; I am not sure, though, that the Adagio here, gentle and mellifluous though it is, will altogether satisfy collectors who possess, or remember, richer and more caressing performances of this sublime music. Those looking for one will probably not go wrong with the celebrated if elderly account by Jack Brymer, Sir Thomas Beecham and the RPO, now available on a budget EMI disc, although for my own taste the conducting is heavyish. Few, however, will find fault with the present elegant version of the dancelike finale in 6/8. Certainly the work is very expertly performed, while the orchestral playing, both here and in the Sinfonia concertante, matches that of the soloists; the recording, too, is satisfying.
The three soloists who join Meyer in the Sinfonia concertante in E flat major are members of the recently founded Sabine Meyer Wind Ensemble. The work is certainly not authentic, as the booklet essay rightly spells out, though Mozart undoubtedly wrote such a piece. Whatever the case, it is most agreeable and the performance is equally attractive. It is well-paced and well-blended as well as bringing out the essential geniality of the invention, while the final variation movement has delightful wit. In this work there is strong competition, notably from the unfailingly stylish Orpheus Chamber Orchestra on DG and the skilful and richly recorded London Chamber Orchestra (Virgin Classics). But if the Clarinet Concerto as it is played here suits you, this disc is recommendable.'