The clarinettist Jack Brymer was born in 1915 and has been prominent in British musical life since Beecham appointed him to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1947. It is over 30 years since he and Sir Thomas made a famous recording of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto that is still in the catalogue (EMI), but time has not diminished his artistry and it is good to meet him again in this new performance of the Clarinet Quintet, in which his sweet yet elegant tone and phrasing do much to make for a satisfying performance.
The Quintet's first movement comes complete with its exposition repeat and is taken unhurriedly. If it moves less freely than I would choose it remains attractive in a mellow way that suits this supremely lyrical music, though the string semiquavers of the development are a touch heavy compared to the effortless ones played by the clarinet. The beautiful Larghetto is again on the steady side (indeed this is true of tempos throughout), but it is lovingly shaped, and this playing style combines with the tonal warmth of the recording to make for a romantic effect that some people will like, although I would prefer more classical coolness. I do find the speeds rather too deliberate in all the movements save the last, but if this does not worry you the performance should give pleasure, and Brymer fans should not miss it.
In the Medici's performance of the Hoffmeister Quartet, I miss really soft tone. Too often their piano is more like mezzo-forte, and the absence of a full dynamic range is a drawback in this music. The dotted rhythm of the first subject and its off-shoots in the first movement is sometimes evened out into something like a division into a crotchet plus quaver together amounting to a triplet, i.e. the crotchet beat divided 2:1 instead of 3:1. The minuet that follows also strikes me as too heavy. Otherwise this is agreeable enough, but other performances of this music are more stylish because they are more effortless and better realize its range of light and shade.'