Brahms Piano Quartet No 2/Clarinet Trio, The Nash Ensemble

The seductive clarinet of Richard Mühlfeld tempted Brahms out of retirement to write his Clarinet Trio and Quintet and one can't help feeling that Richard Hosford's creamy tone – as displayed here – would have proved equally inspirational. An account of an early performance of the Trio said it was "as though the instruments were in love with one another" – which could equally fit this recording of the Piano Quartet No 2, such is the effortless mastery of the Nash Ensemble.