In our programme on Monday evening, we explored the clarinet through its greatest Classical and Romantic concertos — Mozart’s sublime concerto of 1791 and Weber’s brilliant Romantic showpiece. Today we add to that picture with a series of shorter works, each one offering a different perspective on the clarinet’s sound world.
Together, these works remind us why the clarinet has captured the imagination of so many composers. From the elegance of Crusell and Weber to the shimmering colours of Debussy, from the salon grace of Pierné to the witty charm of Horovitz, the clarinet reveals itself as one of the most versatile instruments in the orchestra and recital hall alike.
Where the concerto places the clarinet against the full forces of the orchestra, these shorter pieces bring us closer to its intimate, chamber voice — warm, expressive, and endlessly varied.
This programme, paired with the Mozart and Weber concertos, gives us a fuller picture of the clarinet: not only a virtuoso soloist, but also a poetic storyteller, a dancer, and at times, a dreamer. Carl Maria von Weber - Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 73, J. 114_ I. Allegro Performed by Martin Fröst with the Tapiola Sinfonietta conducted by Jean-Jacques Kantorow · Francis Poulenc - Clarinet Sonata, FP 184_ I. Allegro tristamente Performed by Sabine Meyer with Oleg Maisenberg · Bernard Hendrik Crusell - Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 5_ III. Rondo. Allegretto Performed by Martin Fröst with the Göteborgs Symfoniker conducted by Okko Kamu · Claude Debussy - Première rapsodie in B-Flat Major, CD 124, L. 116 Performed by Sabine Meyer with the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Claudio Abbado · Camille Saint-Saëns - Tarantelle, Op. 6 Performed by Les Solistes de l'orchestre de Paris, Laurent Wagschal, Olivier Derbesse, and Vincent Lucas · Joseph Horovitz - Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano Performed by Jaren Hinckley and Vince Humphries · Joseph Horovitz - Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano Performed by Jaren Hinckley and Vince Humphries · Henri Rabaud - Solo de Concours Performed by István Kohán · Gabriel Pierné - Canzonetta, Op. 19 Performed by André Moisan and Louise-Andree Baril · Witold Lutoslawski- Five Dance Preludes For Clarinet & Piano (1954)_ I. Allegro Molto Performed by Kayoko Takae and Dieter Klöcker · Sluka Lubos - Cage For Two Nightingales_ Notturno Performed by Henri Bok and Rob van den Broeck
