This CD arrived like a sunny day after a wet week. What at first might seem like the weirdest couple since Solomon and Piatigorsky in Beethoven’s Cello Sonatas, in fact, works an absolute treat. Clarinettist Andreas Ottensamer, with Jonas Kaufmann and Daniil Trifonov, must surely be one of the most charismatic male artists in the world, both personally and musically. His playing not only conveys consummate virtuosity but a sense of fun and exhilaration. As Principal Clarinet of the Berlin Philharmonic, appointed at 20, one would expect nothing less. Ottensamer’s prominent solo career is somewhat ironic, given the furore surrounding Sabine Meyer’s provisional appointment in 1984, driven by Karajan, but opposed by fellow woodwind players because of her ‘soloistic’ playing style.