Crusell: Complete Clarinet Concertos & Quartets

Finnish-born composer Bernhard Hendrik Crusell (1775-1838) became famous as one of the greatest clarinet virtuosos of his time, playing both his own compositions and those of contemporaries Krommer, Mozart, Beethoven and Lebrun. He was said to have had a beautiful cantabile tone and a particularly soft pianissimo. He spent most of his life in Sweden, and was considered to be the most important Swedish composer of Beethoven's age.

Naturally, Crusell is especially renowned for his clarinet compositions, notably the three delightful concertos and the three clarinet quartets. His elegant, thematically rich style, of great charm and technical skill, was influenced by Mozart, Beethoven and some of his French contemporaries, blending Viennese classicism with elements of French opera. The Clarinet Concert No.2 in F minor is generally considered the finest of the concertos, and perhaps Crusell's greatest work in any form. The finely-worked out first movement has dazzling virtuoso passages, but also a quality of drama and poignancy that relates more to the dawning Romantic period than the waning Classical era.

The clarinet concertos are perhaps less demanding for the performers, but are equally charming. In all three works the clarinet is the principal instrument, with the violin, viola and cello providing accompaniment. Of particular note is the Quartet No.2 in C minor, the only minor-key work among the quartets, which shows Crusell's melodic invention at its most restrained and subdued, and the bravura clarinet writing of the Quartet No.3 in D.
Internationally acclaimed clarinet soloist Emma Johnson gives sparkling performances of Crusell's clarinet concertos, with the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Gerard Schwarz. Renowned Dutch clarinettist Henk de Graaf performs the clarinet quartets, with members of the Daniel String Quartet: Misha Furman (violin), Itamar Shimon (viola) and Joanna Pachucka (cello).

Other information
- Emma Johnson is "Britain's Favourite Clarinettist" (The Times)
- Emma Johnson is "A classical music Superstar" (Clarinet Magazine)
- Emma has been one of the UK's biggest selling classical artists, ever since she made her first recording of the Mozart Concerto when she was 18. She has sold almost a half of a million discs worldwide
- Harmen de Boer is the principal clarinet of the reknown Radio Philharmonic Orchestra