Following on from his magisterial performances of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, local audiences were given the added bonus of hearing Andreas Ottensamer in recital with pianist Alex Raineri. Presented at UKARIA Cultural Centre by Recitals Australia, it was a performance which showed this great wind player to great effect in tandem with a pianist who is fast becoming one of this country’s finest. In terms of programming, pundits couldn’t have asked for a better selection with the first half given over to the Romantic period (Weber, Brahms and Mendelssohn), whilst the second brought together Debussy, Gershwin and Horovitz.

Andreas Ottensamer. Photo © Stefan Höderath

Both musicians displayed absolute mastery of their instruments and this wide-ranging repertoire with Ottensamer displaying flawless technique and a virtually limitless palette of colour. Rainieri proved to be his ideal partner in this venture – seeming at times to breathe as one with him and proving equally adept in both the Romantic and twentieth century repertoire.

Commencing with the undervalued Weber’s highly virtuosic Grand Duo Concertant, one wonders just why the composer has remained such a well-kept secret. Almost operatic in...