The Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115, was completed in 1891 by German composer Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897). It is scored for a clarinet in A with a string quartet. When Clara Schumann first heard this quintet, she wrote: "It is a really marvelous work, the wailing clarinet takes hold of one; it is most moving. And what interesting music, deep and full of meaning!" This beautiful autumnal piece is widely seen as one of the highlights of the entire chamber music repertoire, and for me it is even a candidate for the #1 position in that genre. The average playing time is 37 minutes (AllMusic). My version is by Keith Puddy and the Delmé String quartet on a HMP Classics CD.
