Sabine Meyer performs three extremely different works whose common feature is to treat the clarinet primarily as a lyrical instrument. Played on basset-horn (basically a clarinet with additional low notes), for which the work was originally conceived, Mozart’s concerto suffers from the indifferent accompaniment provided by Claudio Abbado and the Berliners. The phrases are precisely shaped, but also dull, lacking life and imagination–live recording notwithstanding. Sabine Meyer’s tone displays beautiful shades–especially in the lower register–and her playing is sensitive all along, with a special mention for the Adagio, sung with extreme delicacy. Debussy’s rare Première Rapsodie fits her sonority and musicianship perfectly, while the orchestra sounds a bit distant and unfocused. The most interesting performance comes with Takemitsu’s Fantasma/Cantos, a piece that shows more than any other the Japanese composer’s affinity with the music of Alban Berg, as demonstrated by a literal quotation from Wozzeck. Meyer’s meditative, hyper-calibrated sound creates a magic atmosphere of serene incantation, surrounded by an elusive orchestra projecting in turn a dreamy haze and sudden waves of sensual sonorities. Although Takemitsu’s lush harmonies deserve a spacious and generous recording, EMI’s engineers give them a rather boxy perspective. Overall, the efforts of Meyer and her Berlin colleagues would have been far more satisfying had they had the direction of a more committed conductor.
