Crusell: 3 Quartets for Clarinet & Strings

Bernhard Henrik Crusell was a Finnish-born clarinet virtuoso who escaped the dire poverty of his early years and eventually settled in Stockholm, where he played in the royal court orchestra. His compositions for the instrument have gained in popularity in recent years, and on this album we hear three of his quartets for clarinet and strings performed on period instruments by the exceptional soloist Eric Hoeprich and the long-celebrated London Haydn Quartet; they play with a fine balance of sensitivity and verve, bringing these long-neglected pieces to brilliant light.