Blue Hour – Weber, Brahms, Mendelssohn

Stepping out in front of his colleagues in the great Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, of which he’s Principal Clarinetist, Andreas Ottensamer gives a virtuoso yet wonderfully lyrical performance of Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 1. You can feel the camaraderie between soloist and ensemble in every bar. Then, joined by pianist Yuja Wang—who can play simply anything—Ottensamer weaves a song-inspired program of music by Mendelssohn, more Weber, and Brahms that beautifully demonstrates his warm, rich clarinet sound and Wang’s sparkling pianism. This is romantic clarinet playing at its best and evokes that dreamy “Blue Hour” just before dawn and just after sunset.