Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581, completed in September 1789, is a renowned chamber work written for clarinet and string quartet (two violins, viola, and cello). Composed for his friend Anton Stadler, it is one of the earliest and most celebrated pieces for the instrument, often featuring the extended-range basset clarinet.
Key Details About the Clarinet Quintet, K. 581
- Context: It was written in 1789 and is sometimes called the “Stadler” Quintet. It was Mozart’s only completed clarinet quintet.
- Instrument: While designed for the basset clarinet, it is frequently performed today on a standard clarinet in A.
- Structure: The piece is in four movements:
- Allegro
- Larghetto
- Menuetto
- Allegretto con variazioni
- Style: It is celebrated for its lyrical beauty, blending the clarinet’s voice with strings to create a warm, intimate sound. It combines elements of opera, concerto, and string quartet.
- Legacy: The work is considered a masterpiece of chamber music and a forerunner to many later clarinet quintets, including those by Brahms and Weber.
The work premiered on December 22, 1789, at a concert in Vienna by the Tonkünstler-Societät for the benefit of musicians’ widows and orphans.
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