Johannes Brahms: Sonata in F minor for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 120, No. 1
Johannes Brahms: Sonata in E-flat major for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 120, No. 2
Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981): Peace
Carl Maria von Weber: Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 48

In the autumn of his life, when creative inspiration seemed to flow uncoerced from his pen, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) wrote his famous Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, a Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano, and the two Sonatas for Clarinet and Piano included in this recording. He must have been partial to and familiar with the instrument as the shaping of phrases is consistently fluid, and use of the clarinet's full register is aptly balanced at all times.

Clarinetist Anthony McGill, who is presently the principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, always projects a sound which suits and enhances Brahms' lyrical writing, especially within the highly expressive slower movements, where the tone of his instrument takes on a husky, melancholy character. And as if beguiled by the clarinet's cantabile manner, pianist Gloria Chien shapes her own expressive demeanour to match. Longtime friends and collaborators, McGill and Chien titled this album Here With You, representing a "shared expression of beauty and frienship."

Within clarinet circles, composer Carl Maria von Weber needs very little introduction, except to say that his works for the instrument were always operatic in nature as well as technically challenging. McGill and Chien easily rise to the challenge and deliver a highly musical account. On the other hand, American violinist and composer Jessie Montgomery, a recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Award from the ASCAP Foundation, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's newest Composer-in-Residence, composed Peace, a short work for Violin and Piano in 2020, as a response to the personal crisis and the shock felt by the whole world due to the first quarantine imposed by the pandemic. It's a touching piece that well conveys deep feelings of sadness, even more so in this heartfelt rendition for Clarinet and Piano, in which Anthony McGill's touch reveals its slightly "blue" jazz feel.