The Clarinet Concerto in c minor of 1809 is the very first work by Louis Spohr to grace our catalogue. The first in a series of four concertos written by Spohr for the virtuoso Johann Simon Hermstedt has lost nothing of its romantic magic and belongs to the standard repertoire of every clarinettist. Besides taking a close look at the Leipzig first edition of 1812, our edition reassesses Spohr’s autograph score for the first time: after it was rediscovered, it was possible to do away with many imprecisions and irregularities found in earlier editions. Christoph Sobanski’s new piano reduction wonderfully fits the hands.
Content/Details
- Clarinet Concerto no. 1 c minor op. 26
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Preface
It was only at a relatively late date – around 1800 – that the clarinet was established as a regular feature in the symphony orchestra. However, it soon became an indispensable voice in the Romantic orchestral sound. A major role in this development was played by the solo works written for the instrument in around 1810 by two significant early-Romantic composers: the … more
Critical Commentary
About the composer
Louis Spohr
Composer and virtuoso violinist who also made important contributions to German opera. He was regarded by many of his contemporaries as one of the greatest German composers.
| 1784 | Born in Braunschweig on April 5, the son of a doctor and a singer and pianist mother. |
| 1799 | Appointed second violinist in the Court Chapel of the Duke of Braunschweig. |
| from 1802 | He accompanies the virtuoso Fr. Eck on his concert tours all the way to St. Petersburg. He receives instruction in violin and gains experience as a concertmaster. After 1803 he undertakes his own travels and rises to become one of the most sought-after violin virtuosi. Numerous compositions, including violin concerti, chamber music, the Symphony No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 20, and the first three operas. |
| 1805–12 | Concertmaster in Gotha. |
| 1813–15 | Orchestral director at the Theater an der Wien; composition of chamber music and his opera “Faust,” which is premiered in Prague in 1816. |
| 1817–19 | Director of opera and music at the Stadttheater in Frankfurt am Main. |
| 1819 | Premiere of his opera “Zemire und Azor.” |
| 1819/20 | Travels to London and Paris. |
| 1822 | Kapellmeister in Kassel, where he will remain until the end of his life. Primarily director of the opera. Numerous compositions (further symphonies, concerti, piano works, chamber music, songs, oratorios). His “Appeal to German Composers” to compose large-scale Romantic operas. |
| 1823 | Premiere in Kassel of his most important opera “Jessonda,” an important contribution to the development of German grand opera through its replacement of recitatives with dialogues. |
| 1825 | Premiere of his opera “Der Berggeist” (“The Mountain Spirit”). |
| 1827 | Premiere of the oratorio “Die letzten Dinge” (“The Last Judgment”). |
| 1843 | He performs Wagner’s “Der fliegende Holländer” (“The Flying Dutchman”) in Kassel. |
| 1859 | Death in Kassel on October 22. |
Finally, one of the four concertos of Spohr has been published in an Urtext edition, accurately by Ullrich Scheideler. (...) Comprehensive scholarship of this type is crucial for informed and faithful performance.
Die vorliegende Ausgabe des Klarinettenkonzerts aus dem Henle-Verlag als Gemeinschaftsproduktion mit Breitkopf & Härtel ist in bewährter Manier mit dem Markenzeichen einer wissenschaftlich fundierten Arbeit behaftet. Die dem Original beigefügten Vereinfachungen im Klarinettenpart reduzieren die technischen Anforderungen erheblich; dennoch kann sich ein Oberstufenschüler einer Musikschule mit Drang zum Aufstieg auch an dieser Fassung abarbeiten.