CARL MARIA VON WEBER Quintet in B flat major, Op. 34
Yuhsin Su, clarinet
Matthew Hakkarainen, violin
Takumi Taguchi, violin
Haeji Kim, viola
John Lee, cello
Performed on Friday, February 21, 2020
Field Concert Hall, Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia
Mozart and Haydn heard and composed for the clarinet in its earliest form. Early in the 19th century, however, instrument makers developed technical innovations that made the clarinet more sophisticated, with more virtuosic capabilities. As the new clarinet emerged, Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) collaborated with Heinrich Bärmann, one of the greatest clarinet virtuosos of the time to create some of the greatest works ever written for the instrument. Weber brought to the partnership his brilliance as a melodist (he is known as the father of Romantic opera, after all), and Bärmann brought his technical prowess and advice on exploiting the clarinet’s unique voice and new technical range. In 1815, Weber composed this quintet for Bärmann to play with a string quartet. Unlike Mozart’s clarinet quintet, where the clarinet is an equal voice within the string ensemble, Weber’s is more of a clarinet concerto accompanied by a string quartet, which is perhaps why effective arrangements have been made for clarinet and full string orchestra. The first and second movements show off the mellifluous qualities of the clarinet; the second even sounds like it could be a vocal aria. The third and fourth movements are dazzling, delightful, impressive, and forward-moving. Weber’s grand quintet truly made clarinet history, and is one of many works sparked by friendship between composer and performer.
—Grace Asunción
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