Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Concert Pieces Op.113 And 114 For Clarinet, Basset Horn (2 Clarinets) And Piano
“Favourite dish in exchange for favourite music” – this perfectly summarizes the genesis of the Konzertstücke. When the clarinettist Heinrich Joseph Baermann and his son Carl, who also played the Basset Horn, stopped to pay a visit to Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in 1832, they came to a most curious agreement: they promised their composer friend a generous portion of “Dampfnudeln” (steamed dumplings) and “Rahmstrudel” (sweet-cheese strudel) that Mendelssohn was mad about, if he were to write a piece for them which they could use on their concert tours. The Konzertstück in f minor that originated in this fashion was followed shortly afterwards by a second one in d minor. Both are extremely effective works which wonderfully bring out the unique sound and performance technique of the two instruments from the Clarinet family.