Louis Spohr - Clarinet Concerto No. 1, Op. 26 (1809)

Louis Spohr (5 April 1784 – 22 October 1859), baptized Ludewig Spohr, later often in the modern German form of the name Ludwig, was a German composer, violinist and conductor. Highly regarded during his lifetime, Spohr composed ten symphonies, ten operas, eighteen violin concerti, four clarinet concerti, four oratorios, and various works for small ensemble, chamber music, and art songs.

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Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 26 (1808-09)

1. Adagio - Allegro (0:00)
2. Adagio (10:06)
3. Rondo: Vivace (13:05)

Paul Meyer clarinet and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne

Spohr was inspired to write the concerto after meeting clarinetist Simon Hermstedt in Sondershausen and performing the Mozart Clarinet Quintet with him, with Spohr playing the first violin part. Spohr began work on the Concerto No. 1 soon after, and finished it in January 1809. While Spohr was familiar with the range of the clarinet, he was not aware of its limitations and was willing to alter the score according to Hermstedt's advice. However, Hermstedt liked the score the way it was and decided to alter his own instrument to be able to play the piece. The result was an instrument with thirteen keys instead of the usual five.[1] Thus, the composition of the concerto could be seen as a driving factor in the clarinet's development throughout the 19th century.

The concerto was premiered by Hermstedt in June 1809 and was received with much enthusiasm. Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, then the leading musical magazine in Germany, praised both the composer and the performer in its review:

‘As no composition whatever existed in which this excellent artist could display all the superiority of his playing, Herr Concertmeister Spohr of Gotha has written one for him; and, setting aside this special purpose, it belongs to the most spirited and beautiful music which this justly famous master has ever written.’