Detail information

Mendelssohn composed the Concert pieces for clarinet, basset horn and piano in 1833 for the German clarinet virtuosos Heinrich and Carl Bärmann (father and son). The intention was to be together as friends, as Mendelssohn himself played the piano part frequently himself. It has been said that Mendelssohn wrote the second Konzertstück in one day, in the amount of time it took for Carl to make his homemade Dampfnudel and Rahmstrudel (sweet dumplings and cheese strudel). Carl Bärmann described the scene of this day, illustrating how both he and Mendelssohn had until five o’clock to complete their respective tasks (for Carl dumplings and strudel, for Mendelssohn the new Konzertstück). When five o’clock came, each man presented their work in a covered dish. Mendelssohn was said to have claimed that Carl’s “dumpling composition” was more ingenious than his. The events of this particular day are the reason why Mendelssohn’s original title for his second Konzertstück was, The Battle of Prague: A Great Duet for Sweet Dumplings or Cheese Strudel, Clarinet, and Basset Horn...

Instrumentation:

• Solo B-flat Clarinet
• Solo Basset Horn (or Alto Clarinet/Clarinet 2)
• E-Flat Clarinet
• 3 B-Flat Clarinets (divisi)
• Alto Clarinet (or Basset Horn/Clarinet 4)
• Bass Clarinet
• Contrabass Clarinet/Contralto Clarinet