Mozart 1791 (Pierre Génisson)

For his first album as an exclusive artist on Erato, French clarinettist Pierre Génisson focused on the most brilliant exponent of his instrument in the 18th century: Mozart. The centerpiece of the program is the composer's sublime Clarinet Concerto. "The spiritual and symbolic dimension of this concerto is enormous," reports Génisson. "Every time I return to this masterpiece, I feel the same thrill as when I first discovered it for myself... Mozart and the clarinet - what a special combination!" Génisson is currently regarded as one of the leading French woodwind instrumentalists. As a versatile soloist, he is a regular guest with orchestras worldwide. For this album, he teamed up with the original sound ensemble Concerto Köln and conductor Jakob Lehmann. Génisson himself plays both historical clarinets, which are replicas of instruments from Mozart's time, and modern clarinets, which were specially handmade for this recording. The clarinettist adds a number of shorter pieces to Mozart's concerto. For two arias from La clemenza di Tito, Génisson accompanies the mezzo-soprano Karine Deshayes. In arrangements of Così fan tutte and Le nozze di Figaro, his clarinet "sings" the vocal line. A new arrangement by Bruno Fontaine rounds off the album with the "Lacrimosa" from Mozart's Requiem - arranged for clarinet, organ and an electronic Fender Rhodes piano.