This new release from Cobra records begins and ends with the two immortal sonatas for clarinet and piano by Johannes Brahms. Not only heavyweights of the clarinet repertoire, these two sonatas also repre- sent a high point of 19th century German Romanticism at its most mature stage, moments before it gave way to Modernism. These two masterpieces, somewhat underrepresented in the CD catalogue, are here given a thoughtful, fresh and exciting new interpretation by cla- rinettist Chen Halevi and pianist Noam Greenberg, who, building on many years of musical partnership behind them, have dedicated them- selves to careful study of the sources in their preparation for this CD. The Brahms sonatas are partnered with Schumann’s Fantasiestucke, which set off this musical journey through German Romanticism, and which stand at the heart of the CD. Both Brahms and Schumann are complemented and contrasted by two later works, the rst of which is Alban Berg’s Four Pieces op. 5 - another cornerstone of the clarinet repertoire. It is here set in the context of German Romanticism from which it grew, and follows immediately on the heels of Brahms’ Sonata in E at major, thus shedding an interesting historical perspective on both works. The CD also includes a world premiere recording of Sven- Ingo Koch’s Hommages for clarinet and piano, giving a rst chance for musicians and music-lovers alike to acquaint themselves with this hauntingly rich and expressive piece of music, one which deserves to nd its place, alongside Schumann, Brahms, and Berg, at the heart of the clarinet repertoire.