Lesser Known Works for the Clarinet

Description

Clarinet in Bb, Piano — Heinrich Baermann (1784–1847) was one of the most celebrated virtuosi of the earlynineteenth century. He traveled extensively throughout his career and was renowned forhis beautiful tone, his musicality and his charming personality. Today he is chiefly knownfor having inspired some of the most revered pieces in the clarinet repertoire, or for havingbeen the father of Carl Baermann, author of the frequently-used Baermann method. It isnot widely acknowledged, however, that aside from his friendships with several prominentcomposers, Heinrich Baermann often wrote and performed his own pieces. This collectioncontains three works by Baermann that have largely been forgotten.The Andante con duolore was written for clarinet and piano. Performance time is aboutfive minutes, and it consists of a lengthy opening cadenza, followed by two lovely arialikesections. A note on the last page of the manuscript indicates that it was completedin May 1829. The manuscript is located in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – PreussischerKulturbesitz Musikabteilung mit Mendelssohn-Archiv, Mus.ms.autogr.Baermann, H.2M.1The Concertstück included in this collection is a one movement work, about ten minutes inlength. It includes the heart-wrenching melodies, as well as the technical fireworks, that onemight expect an early romantic-era virtuoso to write for himself. The piece was originallywritten for clarinet and orchestra, with an orchestration by Phillip Roth, a cellist who wasa contemporary of Baermann’s. The piece was published by Hofmeister in 1844 with thetitle Divertissement for Clarinet and Orchestra, Op. 38.2 It is unknown why this publisherchose to change the title of the work, but because the manuscript clearly says Concertstück;that is what we are now publishing it as. The manuscript can be found in the BayerischeStaatsbibliothek München, Musikabteilung, Signatur: Mus.ms. 1808.3 Heinrich Baermann (1784-1847) was one of the most celebrated virtuosi clarinetists of the early nineteenth century. While he is primarily known for having inspired some of the most revered pieces in the clarinet repertoire, it is not as widely acknowledged that he also often wrote and performed his own pieces. Dr. Madelyn Moore, Instructor of Woodwinds at Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas, has compiled three, largely forgotten works by Baermann in this unique collection. Having pursued research on Baermann's unpublished works at libraries in Germany and Italy, Moore has presented her findings at conferences around the world, and it is her hope that by studying and performing these works, clarinetists will gain a better understanding of this important instrumental predecessor.