Clarinet Quintet (Brahms)

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The Clarinet Quintet in B minor op. 115 consists of four movements and was composed in 1891 by Johannes Brahms . Although he had considered his work as a composer to be completed after the 2nd string quintet op.111, he wrote the clarinet trio op.114 and this clarinet quintet a good year later , which was due to the fact that he had recently been the clarinetist of the Meiningen court orchestra , Richard Mühlfeld had heard. Brahms dedicated the trio and the quintet to him. The quintet is composed for clarinet and string quartet , i.e. two violins , viola and cello . A performance lasts about 37 minutes. At the private premiere on November 24, 1891 in Meiningen , Mühlfeld himself played the clarinet part, accompanied by the Joachim Quartet . The public premiere took place with the same cast on December 12, 1891 in the hall of the Berlin Singakademie .

construction

First sentence

The first movement is an allegro and 218 bars long. The entire melodic material of the first movement comes from the opening theme, which is introduced by two violins. It is often described as "undulating". Viola and cello play the actual main theme only after the first clarinet solo. The dramatic increases in the first movement are triggered by a martial counter-topic.

Second sentence

The 138 measures long Adagio gets its peculiar sound from the string sound base of duoles and triplets . A meditative clarinet melody unfolds over this "sound base". In the entire second movement, the sound of the clarinet is particularly emphasized.

Third sentence

The 192 bars long third movement has the performance designation Andantino - Presto non assai, ma con sentimento . Starting from the introductory intermezzo, a nimble middle section quickly develops, based on a hunting motif that is carried by the violins .

Fourth sentence

It is 222 bars long and entitled Con moto and first explores the dark and restless theme with five variations. Then the opening theme of the first sentence returns.

literature

  • John Burrows (ed.): Classical music: composers, works, performers . Dorling Kindersley Verlag, Munich 2012, ISBN 978-3-8310-2214-4 , p. 214

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