CCMusic.com

Daniel Ottensamer presents Brahms' two legendary clarinet sonatas, reworked for clarinet and orchestra by Stephan Koncz, who also conducts the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin on this recording. Koncz' orchestrations bring these masterful pieces out of the limited space of chamber music, presenting them in a new symphonic light. The idea to create this very personal album has accompanied them both since their student days, and now the time to turn this vision into reality has finally come. Brahms' well-known works are accompanied by a hidden gem, Walter Rabl's clarinet quartet, which won first prize in a prestigious competition, of which Brahms himself served as the head of jury. Pianist Christoph Traxler and Berlin Philharmonic's first concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley join Ottensamer in this performance, while Koncz exchanges his baton for the cello. Combining Brahms and Rabl gives the listener a fascinating view on the rich musical landscape of late nineteenth-century Vienna. Daniel Ottensamer has been hailed as one of the prominent clarinettists of today and is enjoying a multi-faceted career as soloist, chamber musician and principal clarinettist of the Vienna Philharmonic. Stephan Koncz is a cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic, and divides his time between composing/arranging, conducting, and various chamber music groups, often together with Ottensamer, pianist Traxler, violinist Bendix-Balgley and their Vienna Berlin Music Club - namely "Philharmonix". The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (DSO) emanates into the world from renowned Berliner Philharmonie, while remaining societally relevant at all times, close to people and keeping pace with the times. All performers make their PENTATONE debut.