True Romantics
Works by Brahms and Clara Schumann
In True Romantics, two of Australia’s most accomplished musicians, clarinettist Philip Arkinstall and pianist Kristian Chong, bring new light and lyrical warmth to Brahms’ Clarinet Sonatas, Op.120, and Clara Schumann’s Three Romances, Op.22 (here transcribed for clarinet by Roger Young).
This album explores the late flowering of two intertwined musical souls: Johannes Brahms,
whose inspiration was rekindled by the playing of clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld, and Clara
Schumann, whose influence and artistry shaped Brahms’s creative life. This recording is
steeped in tenderness, nostalgia and expressive intimacy — music where, in the words of
Brahms’s friend Eusebius Mandyczewski, “it is as though the instruments were in love with each other.”
Recorded with clarity and warmth, True Romantics reveals the natural partnership between
Arkinstall and Chong, two of Australia’s leading interpreters of Romantic chamber repertoire. Together they capture both the intensity and inward grace of these works, highlighting the lyrical introspection and passionate dialogue between clarinet and piano.
Track Listing:
Clara Schumann Arr: Roger Young
Romances (3) Op. 22
Johannes Brahms
Sonata Op.120, No.1 in F minor
Johannes Brahms
Sonata Op.120, No.2 in E flat
Performers:
Philip Arkinstall (clarinet)
Kristian Chong (piano)
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Released October 2025
Move Records MCD668