Clarinet Concertos (1986)

`The contrast is striking. Stanfords Clarinet Concerto may be the more solidly constructed and efficiently crafted work, but compared with Finzis vitality, expressive subtlety and long-breathed lyrical charm, its rarely more than a worthy effort. Thea Kings shaping and colouring of Finzis almost improvisatory melodic lines is more deeply persuasive than any other recorded version I know touching without being sentimental. As for the Stanford, Ill just say that Kings playing suggests she likes it more than I did. Neither recording sounds quite as fresh and clear as they did when they first appeared, 20 years ago, but theyre still more than serviceable`.