Trivia
Inspiring composers

Mozart-who left behind more than 600 works-wrote a magnificent work for clarinet, the Clarinet Concerto in A major, Köchel 622. It is said that he was greatly inspired by meeting the clarinetist Anton Stadler. In those days the clarinet had only just been invented, so Mozart too must have been eagerly writing pieces for it in order to find out how best to employ this new instrument in performances.

In his later years, Brahms also wrote many works for the clarinet. Likewise for Brahms, it was meeting the clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld that aroused his creative urge and gave rise to his Clarinet Quintet in B minor-a masterpiece even among great classical works. This work evokes a feeling of deep melancholy.
Among others, Saint-Saëns and Poulenc were also enchanted by the clarinet in their later years. The distinctive richness of the clarinet's timbre and the instrument's expressive power seem to stir up the emotions of composers.