W. A. Mozart
Larghetto from
Clarinet Quintet (K. 581)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , composer, violinist and piano virtuoso, was born on January 26,1756 in Salzburg, Austria and died on December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria. Mozart’s works are identified by Köchel numbers (pronounced “Kershel”), named for the Austrian musicologist Ludwig Kochel who, in 1862, published a numerical list of Mozart’s works in the order in which they had been written ‑ i.e., K. 1 was the first piece Mozart wrote and K. 626, the last.

Mozart’s Trio, K. 498 (for clarinet, viola & piano), Quintet, K. 581 (for clarinet & strings) and Concerto, K. 622 (for clarinet & orchestra) were all written for clarinetist Anton Stadler (1753-1812). Stadler’s younger brother Johann (1755-1802) was also a clarinetist and even though Anton was the better player, when they performed together, Anton usually played 2nd - because he preferred the lower notes of the clarinet. This fascination with lower notes led him to have a clarinet constructed which could play down to low C - usually referred to as a Basset-Clarinet.

The Basset-Horn had been invented in 1770 by Mayrhofer; its range went down to low C but it was usually pitched in F or G. Mozart’s original sketch (only 199 bars) for the Concerto in 1789 was for Basset-Horn in G. It is probable that the final versions of both the Quintet (completed September 29, 1789 and first performed December 22, 1789) and the Concerto (completed in October, 1791, less than two months before Mozart’s death) were written for Stadler’s Basset-Clarinet in A; however, the original manuscripts have disappeared (most likely into Stadler’s hands) as have any examples of Stadler’s actual Basset-Clarinet. All modern versions of the work are based on editions for the standard Clarinet in A, published ten years after Mozart’s death.

The Clarinet Quintet (K. 581) has 4 movements: Allegro; Larghetto; Minuet & Trio(s); and Theme & Variations. This arrangement has been transposed up a semitone so that it can be played on a Bb Clarinet and a one bar introduction has been added to the Solo part and the CD; however, the (real) piano accompaniment part begins on bar 1.

9”X12” - 8 pages - $14.95
Piano accompaniment part - 8 pages
CD - 18 Audio tracks

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