Michael Collins
is one of the world's top clarinetists. He has turned to conducting and released several well-regarded albums. This 2024 release from the
BIS
label inaugurates a complete cycle of
Mozart
symphonies from
Collins
and the
Philharmonia Orchestra
. It would be easy to say that the recording has the elegance and careful proportions of
' recordings of
as a clarinetist, but one should stop and reflect on just how remarkable that is. It appears from the program here that
will cover the symphonies neither chronologically nor with works drawn from different time periods. Instead, he will focus on groups of works from specific time periods. Here,
chooses three works that show
in his early twenties, brilliantly emerging as an independent musician.
turns in a vigorous reading of the rather underplayed
Symphony No. 34 in C major, K. 338
, a sort of dry run for the
Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551 ("Jupiter")
, with its infectious trumpet finale. He includes a
Minuet in C major, K. 409
, that some think belongs with
K. 338
but splits the difference by adding it at the end rather than inserting it into the symphony.
' readings of the much-recorded
Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385 ("Haffner")
, and
Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425 ("Linz)
, are clean, with every detail in place, but the music breathes. There is nothing terribly innovative about what
does, but perfectly executed readings of
with a traditional large orchestra are not so common these days, and this one comes off very well. This release made classical best-seller lists in the spring of 2024. ~ James Manheim