Weber Clarinet Sabine Meyer

Soft and cantabile, with sparkling virtuosity: we owe it to the internationally celebrated soloistSabine Meyer that the clarinet has conquered the world's concert stages as a solo instrument. She has been rediscovering forgotten repertoire for decades now, presenting to a delighted public not only the famous clarinet concertos by Mozart, Weber and Rossini, but also gems by lesser known composers.

Franz Krommer was Czech by birth but spent the major part of his career in Vienna; he was the last official court composer in the Habsburg court. A violinist, Krommer wrote mostly orchestral and chamber music, including at least six dozen string quartets. Born less than four years after Mozart, he outlived Beethoven, but his style is firmly based in the 18th century. The Clarinet Concerto, op. 36, was composed almost exactly midway between those of Mozart and Weber; a fairly ambitious work, it features a large orchestra including trumpets and timpani. It is certainly a virtuoso showpiece, but well written for the instrument; everything fits well under the fingers.