Sharon Kam is a clarinettist with an exceptionally wide expressive range. Here she couples the two Mozart masterpieces inspired by the playing of Anton Stadler, a most apt coupling. In the Concerto she opts for directing the orchestra from the solo instrument and it bears witness to her success that she opts for fast Allegros, with strikingly crisp ensemble. The first movement of the Clarinet Concerto is neat, with nicely graduated dynamics allowing for beautiful echo phrases. So too in the central Adagio, with the reprise even softer than the first statement of the lovely main theme. Like many recent clarinettists she opts to use a basset clarinet, so allowing the extra lower notes to be played at the (supposedly) written pitch. The finale is brisk and sparkling, with witty pointing of rhythm.

The Clarinet Quintet with a quartet of solo string-players is similarly successful, with the second-movement Larghetto poised and pure as in the concerto’s slow movement, with clarinet and first violin interweaving delightfully. Kam then plays the third-movement Minuet with a spring in her step, with delightful rhythmic pointing in the second Ländler-like Trio. The variations of the finale in some ways present the most problematic interpretative problems but it says much for Kam and her partners that they make each variation sound fresh and new, so that one welcomes the many repeats. They round off the work with an exhilarating account of the brisk final coda. Altogether a brilliantly successful disc of this very desirable coupling, very well recorded.