Clarinet Concertos: No.2 In F Minor, Op.5 • No.2 In E Flat, Op.74

Released in 1985 on the Hyperion label, this recording features Thea King, a celebrated British clarinetist known for her exquisite tone and scholarly approach to the woodwind repertoire. The album brings together the clarinet concertos of Bernhard Henrik Crusell and Carl Maria von Weber, pairing the Swedish-Finnish composer’s F minor concerto with Weber’s second concerto. This collection emerged during a period when Hyperion was gaining critical recognition for its commitment to high-quality, often neglected classical repertoire, providing a platform for King to showcase works that were technically demanding yet deeply lyrical.

The production sought to highlight the fluid, expressive potential of the clarinet, contrasting Crusell’s classical structures with the virtuosic, early Romantic flair of Weber. Thea King’s performance, supported by the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Alun Francis, was praised by critics of the era for its idiomatic sensitivity and technical precision. By documenting these specific concertos, the release helped solidify King’s reputation as one of the definitive clarinetists of the late 20th century, offering a balanced perspective on the development of the instrument's concerto literature.