# Favorite Clarinet Concerto Composer after Mozart and Weber?



## Bevo (Feb 22, 2015)

Not trying to say everyone agrees that Mozart and Weber were the best, but I would think that there are plenty out there who would pick them. Anyways. Who would you say is your favorite Clarinet Concerto composer if Mozart and Weber were out of the picture? To name a few off the top of my head, Spohr and Stamitz wrote some nice ones. Also there's Krommer, Hoffmeister, Crusell, and Finzi. (Plenty more, these are just a few.) Who would you take, and what do you like so much about them? Any particular concerto need a listen?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bevo said:


> Not trying to say everyone agrees that Mozart and Weber were the best, but I would think that there are plenty out there who would pick them. Anyways. Who would you say is your favorite Clarinet Concerto composer if Mozart and Weber were out of the picture? To name a few off the top of my head, Spohr and Stamitz wrote some nice ones. Also there's Krommer, Hoffmeister, Crusell, and Finzi. (Plenty more, these are just a few.) Who would you take, and what do you like so much about them? Any particular concerto need a listen?


I favor the Aaron Copland Clarinet Concerto; a winning blend of typical Populist Copland nostalgia with jazz.

Speaking of Louis Spohr, his Fourth Clarinet Concerto deserves a listen. It is the best of the four.


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## Bevo (Feb 22, 2015)

hpowders said:


> Speaking of Louis Spohr, his Fourth Clarinet Concerto deserves a listen. It is the best of the four.


Haha, actually listening to it now. :tiphat:


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Carl Nielsen wrote a great one.

The clarinet part is supposed to be a bear. I have the sheet music but never tried messing with it.


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## WildThing (Feb 21, 2017)

Gerald Finzi Gerald Finzi Gerald Finzi Gerald Finzi Gerald Finzi Gerald Finzi.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bevo said:


> Haha, actually listening to it now. :tiphat:


The toughest part is the slow movement-long passages with no place to breath. Super-human breath control needed.

Spohr was a sadist!

I have Michael Collins doing all 4 Spohr Concertos and the performances are okay.


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## musicrom (Dec 29, 2013)

My favorite is probably Magnus Lindberg's Clarinet Concerto. It's a modern work, as opposed to most of the ones that you list, but I think it's pretty accessible. It's very colorful, well-orchestrated, and intriguing. Other clarinet concertos I enjoy are those of Mozart, Backofen, Crusell, and Françaix. I'm pretty sure there are more but I can't remember at the moment.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Probably *Nielsen*.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

hpowders said:


> I favor the Aaron Copland Clarinet Concerto; a winning blend of typical Populist Copland nostalgia with jazz.
> 
> Speaking of Louis Spohr, his Fourth Clarinet Concerto deserves a listen. It is the best of the four.


How about the 11 of *Stamitz*?


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

I've been quite fond of Piston's Clarinet Concerto since I discovered it a couple of months ago.


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

Favorite? Finzi, probably.

This is a great recording of Aho and Nielson:


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Copland easily, probably with Frost as the soloist.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Krommer, Hoffmeister, Crusell, and Finzi will do for now.

see also:

http://www.talkclassical.com/48353-clarinet.html?highlight=clarinet


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Kozeluch, Crusell, Nielsen, and above all (except Mozart himself) Finzi.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Vaneyes said:


> How about the 11 of *Stamitz*?


Sabine Meyer please .


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## Ziggabea (Apr 5, 2017)

Lindberg, Omg!!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Ziggabea said:


> Lindberg, Omg!!


Must have left a good impression ...


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## Bevo (Feb 22, 2015)

While not a "Concerto" per se, another work for soloist and orchestra that I find to be underappreciated is Rossini's Introduction, Theme and Variations for Clarinet and Orchestra.




Why does this piece not get brought up more? I love it!


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## lluissineu (Dec 27, 2016)




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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

lluissineu said:


>


Yes. The soloist is the great, former first clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, Stanley Driucker.

I used to ride the subway train home from NY Philharmonic concerts and often Drucker would be sitting next to me on the train!

This concerto was also a favorite of the jazz clarinetist, Benny Goodman.


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## Bevo (Feb 22, 2015)

Again, while not a Clarinet "Concerto," another piece for Clarinet soloist and orchestra that I find to be one of the most overlooked is Danzi's "Fantasia for Clarinet and Orchestra on the theme, 'La ci darem la mano.'" It's essentially a introduction and theme and variations on one of Mozart's duets from Don Giovanni.




I personally see this as one of the MOST neglected pieces out there. Not saying it's amongst the most complex or anything, but I at least find it very enjoyable and think more should know about it.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

Spohr and Crusell are the two I thought of right away. I love clarinet concertos, so I'd love to hear more.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

hpowders said:


> Yes. The soloist is the great, former first clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, Stanley Driucker.
> 
> I used to ride the subway train home from NY Philharmonic concerts and often Drucker would be sitting next to me on the train!
> 
> This concerto was also a favorite of the jazz clarinetist, Benny Goodman.


Goodman commissioned it (along with a number of works from other composers).

I never met Drucker, but I did have dinner with Sabine Meyer (and the Tokyo String Quartet).


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

One recent work is _Gnarly Buttons _by John Adams, which is essentially a clarinet chamber concerto (with cow obligato). A very fine work. Selections 12-14 in this playlist:


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

My preference points to Crusell's three delicious concerti... yummy!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The Louis Spohr Clarinet Concerto No. 4. For me, the best of the neglected clarinet concertos, not including those of Weber.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Antonio Cartellieri - Clarinet Concerto No.1 in B-flat major


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

musicrom said:


> My favorite is probably Magnus Lindberg's Clarinet Concerto. It's a modern work, as opposed to most of the ones that you list, but I think it's pretty accessible.


I love Lindberg's!

Others that I love are, Elliott Carter's and Thea Musgrave's.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Well, seeing as I started a whole thread on Jean Francaix, I suppose one has to mention his clarinet concerto here. Not sure if it's a great one, but like just about all of Francaix's music, it is delightful:


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

The breathing demands of certain works are why some clarinetists will learn how to circular breathe. But it's definitely an advanced technique. The versatile Martin Fröst is known for having this ability.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Louis Spohr.


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Nielsen Nielsen Nielsen


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## dzc4627 (Apr 23, 2015)

Hmm I'd have to say Mozart's. And after that, Mozart's. Oh, and don't forget about Mozart's, that one too.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Weber, Aho and Crussel.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

After the classics, the clarinet concerto I play most often is John Adams's _Gnarly Buttons_.










In fact, I play it more often than the classics!


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Most definitely the Copland Clarinet Concerto, but as much as I like Benny Goodman in jazz, not the one by him.






I also like the performance used by Ken Burns in his World War II documentary, and it was not by Benny Goodman, though that was the performance used on the Ken Burns CD.

Incidentally, the William Walton used in The War documentary is not the same one that's on the CD! The performance used in the documentary was by William Walton recorded in Australia. It's far superior to the one used on the CD, and it's necessary to download the original performances beyond what's on the CDs to get the real thing. In my opinion, the Copland Concertoc by Goodman is too self-conscious and he plays out of tune in the upper register of the instrument.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Louis Spohr wrote some. They are OK but not near Mozart's exquisite concerto.


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## Joachim Raff (Jan 31, 2020)

Not sure if anyone has posted this one, but its a real beauty just as good as a Mozart or Weber and in the same idiom. Explore!









Winter, P von: Clarinet Concerto in E-Flat Major

Dieter Klöcker (clarinet)
Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra
Johannes Moesus
Recorded: 4-5 and 9-10 April 2002
Recording Venue: Karlsruhe, SWR-Studio, Germany


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## Simplicissimus (Feb 3, 2020)

For me, Hindemith. He was a violist so he was very comfortable with the clarinet's range.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Leaving Mozart aside, my favorite clarinet concerto is Finzi's, then Crusell's no. 1.


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## QuietGuy (Mar 1, 2014)

Robert Aldridge


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Finzi's, (Elliott) Carter's, Nielsen's, Lindberg's and the 4th Strathclyde concerto of Maxwell Davies are all important clarinet concertos to me. Crusell's concertos are a pleasure.


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Joseph Fiala (1748-1816) - Concerto for English Horn and Clarinet in B flat Major


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Enthusiast said:


> Finzi's, (Elliott) Carter's, Nielsen's, Lindberg's and the 4th Strathclyde concerto of Maxwell Davies are all important clarinet concertos to me. Crusell's concertos are a pleasure.


I agree, the Carter is very good. I ought to hear the Nielsen clarinet concerto.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Franz Krommer *Concerto Op. 36*, especially this recording for its fire and headlong surge









I would also second the delightful concertos of *Henryk Crusell*.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Art Rock said:


> Kozeluch, Crusell, Nielsen, and above all (except Mozart himself) Finzi.


Three years later, I would definitely have to add Corigliano, Aho, Boris Tchaikovsky, both Arnolds, Rautavaara, Lindberg, Penderecki, Saariaho, to name a few.


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

^^^^^^^^^
Thanks for some great ideas for all the spare time I have now for listening.


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## perdido34 (Mar 11, 2015)

Copland. Here's a beautiful performance by Harold Wright, with the composer conducting the BSO:

https://www.bso.org/brands/bso/at-home/bso-at-home-week-4-bso-performs-musical-landmarks-of-the-20th-century.aspx?utm_source=88407&utm_medium=facebook_organic&utm_campaign=BSOatHome#april-18

(scroll down a bit and you'll find it)


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## TMHeimer (Dec 19, 2019)

jegreenwood said:


> Carl Nielsen wrote a great one.
> 
> The clarinet part is supposed to be a bear. I have the sheet music but never tried messing with it.


I'd probably agree. I played once with piano (no snare drum) in 1990. Wouldn't do it again. Too much work at my age. Too much work when I was 36 then.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

Listening to Spohr's Concerto No. 4 right now. Crusell is also good.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Bending the parameters, might I sneak in a mention of Max Bruch's Concerto for Clarinet, Viola and Orchestra?


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

The one Brahms wrote in a parallel universe.


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