CONCERTO No.1 in C minor Op.26

Born in Brunswick in modern Germany to musically gifted parents, Louis Spohr became a touring virtuoso violinist, conductor, teacher and prolific composer of the early nineteenth century Romantic school. Besides 4 clarinet concertos he wrote 11 operas, 10 symphonies, 15 violin concertos, 34 string quartets and much other chamber music. He was considered by many contemporary musicians to be a greater composer than Beethoven.

The first in a series of four concertos written by Spohr for the virtuoso Johann Simon Hermstedt, the c minor concerto of 1809 has lost nothing of its romantic magic and belongs to the standard repertoire of every clarinettist. Spohr was familiar with the range of the clarinet but not its limitations, and offered to adjust the scoring, as advised by Hermstedt, to make it more playable. But Hermstedt liked the score as it was and, instead, altered his instrument to suit it by producing a clarinet with thirteen keys instead of the standard five.

The first performance by Hermstedt in June 1809 was enthusiastically received and warmly reviewed in the German musical press - "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 written."

• Adagio - Allegro
• Adagio
• Rondo (Vivace)

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