By the age of 58 Johannes Brahms was ready to transition to retirement and smell the roses – until he made one of his regular trips to the small court orchestra in Meiningen, Germany, to hear clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld. He was so taken by Mühlfeld’s playing and mastery of the instrument that he wrote four more works for the instrument – two sonatas, a quintet and the Opus 114 Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano in A Minor. Much of Brahms’ late works have an autumnal feel so this was the perfect music for Omega Ensemble’s latest concert in the Utzon Room of Sydney Opera House with its picture-perfect views of the Harbour on a bright and cool Sunday afternoon.

The ensemble for this recital comprised Artistic Director and clarinettist David Rowden, his wife Maria Raspopova on piano and Omega’s new cellist, Paul Stender, a regular with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Symphony and Australian Opera and Ballet outfits.
In a programme featuring “the three Bs”, the afternoon got under way with Stender’s poetic and excellent reading of JS Bach’s First Cello Suite. After graduating from the Canberra School of Music, Stender studied in Austria under Vienna Philharmonic Principal Cellist...