Clarinet Concerto (Mozart)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622, during October of 1791. He wrote the piece specifically for Anton Stadler, a close friend and virtuoso clarinettist. Stadler was also a co-inventor of the basset clarinet, an instrument capable of playing lower notes than standard models. The concerto stands as Mozart's final major work before his death later that same year. Some critics describe it as his swan song or last great instrumental achievement. The exact date of its first performance remains uncertain but likely occurred on the 16th of October 1791 in Prague. Stadler gave a concert there that day without any surviving program listing the new work.
No autograph score survives from Mozart's hand for this concerto. The only relic written by him is an excerpt from late 1789 featuring a basset horn version in G. This fragment closely matches sections of the published A major version though melody lines remain incomplete. After composing the full work, Mozart gave the manuscript to Stadler in October 1791. His widow claimed the original was lost, pawned, or stolen after his death. Publishers André, Sieber, and Breitkopf & Härtel released editions in 1801 with adapted solo parts for standard instruments. These became the standard performing versions for over two centuries. Instrument builders revived the basset clarinet in the latter part of the 20th century using historical engravings. On the 28th of June 1951, Josef Janouš performed a reconstructed version in Prague using a Selmer A clarinet with a basset lower joint. Hans Rudolf Stalder made the first recording of such a reconstruction in September 1968 with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra. Richard Haynes began performing a rewritten score in G major on a basset horn in April 2024.
The modern scoring features a solo clarinet in A accompanied by two flutes, two bassoons, two horns, and strings. The typical performance lasts approximately 29 minutes. The opening Allegro movement follows sonata form spanning bars one through 359. An orchestral ritornello occupies bars one to 56 before the solo exposition begins at bar 57. The development section explores key areas including F minor and D major while hinting at Baroque styles. The second Adagio movement uses rounded binary form in subdominant D major. It exploits the chalumeau register down to written C3 sounding as A2 in reconstructed versions. The final Rondo blends sonata and rondo forms into an A, B, A, C, A, B, A structure. This middle section contains dramatic showcases for the basset clarinet featuring spectacular leaps between registers. The coda builds until a brief pause allows the soloist to lead the orchestra into another statement of the main theme.
Brunswick Records released the first recording of the concerto in 1929 with Clarence Raybould conducting. Copies of Draper's version have been found in Australian pressings though none of the early three versions survived intact. Hans Rudolf Stalder made the first recording using a reconstructed basset clarinet in September 1968. He used a modern Boehm instrument built by F. Arthur Uebel factory in Markneukirchen, Saxony. The first period instrument reconstruction appeared on EMI in 1973 with Hans Deinzer and Collegium Aureum. Parts of the score appear in The King's Speech orchestral sections from 2010 while the Adagio features in Out of Africa from 1985 with Jack Brymer. Recordings span decades from Reginald Kell in 1940 to Ernst Schlader in 2024. Performers increasingly choose period instruments or reconstructions over standard clarinets since the mid-20th century. Sabine Meyer has used a basset clarinet in A made by Herbert Wurlitzer since 1984 for both this work and Mozart's clarinet quintet.
Among all clarinet concertos, Mozart's remains the most frequently performed piece globally. Its popularity persists through diverse recordings spanning nearly a century of audio history. Film scores have adopted its themes including dramatic sequences in The King's Speech and emotional moments in Out of Africa. Critics like Henri Ghéon called it Mozart's swan song while Wolfgang Hildesheimer labeled it his last great completed work. The concerto continues to inspire new reconversions and performances by modern musicians. Richard Haynes undertook rewriting the score in G major using fragment K. 621b starting in 2023. Audiences hear the work across labels ranging from His Master's Voice to Pentatone. The piece maintains relevance through constant reinterpretation by soloists and orchestras worldwide.
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Common questions
When did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart complete his Clarinet Concerto in A major?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed the Clarinet Concerto in A major during October of 1791. The work stands as his final major composition before his death later that same year.
Who was the intended performer for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Clarinet Concerto?
Mozart wrote the piece specifically for Anton Stadler, a close friend and virtuoso clarinettist. Stadler co-invented the basset clarinet to play lower notes than standard models.
What is the duration of a typical performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Clarinet Concerto?
The typical performance lasts approximately 29 minutes. The opening Allegro movement spans bars one through 359 while the second Adagio movement uses rounded binary form.
Which recording first featured a reconstructed basset clarinet version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Clarinet Concerto?
Hans Rudolf Stalder made the first recording using a reconstructed basset clarinet in September 1968 with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra. He used a modern Boehm instrument built by F. Arthur Uebel factory in Markneukirchen, Saxony.
How many movements does Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Clarinet Concerto contain and what forms do they use?
The concerto contains three movements including an opening Allegro in sonata form, a middle Adagio in rounded binary form, and a final Rondo blending sonata and rondo forms. The structure follows an A, B, A, C, A, B, A pattern for the finale.