DRAESEKE Clarinet Sonata in B-flat, op. 38. Scene for Violin and Piano, op. 69. Violin Sonata in B-flat, op. 38 • Martin Nitschmann (cl); Nanette Schmidt (vn); Wolfgang Müller Steinbach (pn) • AK COBURG DR-0003 (67:25). Available from: International Draeseke Society, Box 104, Sand Lake, NY 12153

"There are no reservations here - the performers capture the spirit of the music, and play with technical polish as well. The Sonata, heard in both its clarinet and violin versions, is a stunning work, more reminiscent of Brahms than much of Draeseke's work, but in no way a second-rate derivation. Written in 1887, it predates the clarinet sonatas of Brahms and Saint-Saëns, and is perhaps the first truly major duo-sonata for clarinet and piano (a point made by Krueck's excellent and thorough annotations). It has everything you want in this kind of music: melodic inspiration, strong interplay between the two instruments, variety of texture and mood, and genuine creative energy. It is nice to have it in its alternative version for violin (it is virtually the same piece), though I slightly prefer the clarinet original. Both performances are first-rate. The later Scene for Violin and Piano is the only work Draeseke conceived for those two instruments. This is dramatic music, some of it based on themes from the composer's opera Bertran de Born - gripping in nature but without specific reference to the drama. Coburg's recorded sound is startlingly natural; you could be in the room with the performers. And, as indicated, the notes are a model of what should be provided, particularly with unfamiliar music such as this. This disc is a gem."

Henry Fogel
Fanfare 24:2 [November-December 2000] pp. 264-265

Read more about this recording at AK/Coburg.