Only two works on this program were originally scored for clarinet by Schumann himself (Op. 73 and Op. 132). However, the remaining selections easily lend themselves to that instrument’s–and the bassethorn’s–versatility. It’s a pity that Jost Michel’s dark-hued transcriptions of the Op. 56 Canonic Studies (a piece that’s largely familiar via Debussy’s splendid two-piano version) rearrange Schumann’s ordering and omit the jaunty fifth study. However, clarinetist Dirk Altmann’s three-dimensional artistry proves infinitely superior to Martin Frost’s slick and tensionless Op. 73 and Op. 132 on BIS. In the first of the Fantasiestücke, Altmann’s ample rubatos and brooding introspection never impede the music’s continuity. His deceptively casual, lightly textured dispatch of the second piece makes for a surprising contrast. I also like how Altmann and his sensitive, intelligent pianist Florian Henschel intensify the third piece’s upward scales by slightly rushing them. The original cello writing in Schumann’s delightful Op. 102 Pieces in Folk Style has a gruff, unwieldy quality that suits the music’s rustic subtext, and it loses little when translated to the bassethorn, at least through Altmann’s characterful, exquisitely tinted performances. Gunter Teuffel’s viola and Altmann’s clarinet effortlessly sort out and balance the Op. 132 Märchenerzählungen’s closely woven lines, creating the illusion of a larger ensemble. In all, this is a release to savor.
