IDAGIO | Spohr: The Forgotten Master — 4 Concertos for Clarinet 3760014196058

Featuring

Paul Meyer
Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
Louis Spohr

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Critical Reception

In 1848, the Philharmonic Society of London declared Spohr the "first composer of the day, without a possible rival," praising his universal genius across all styles.

Instruments

The clarinet, an instrument with a cylindrical bore, was relatively new when Spohr composed for it, having been invented in the late 17th century by Johann Christoph Denner.

Compositional Technique

Spohr was a pioneer of early Romanticism in his musical content, but generally retained Classical proportions in his forms, with Mozart being his idol and ideal.

Composition History

Spohr composed nearly three hundred works, including fifteen violin concertos, ten symphonies, thirty-six string quartets, ten operas, and about a hundred lieder.

Composer Biography

Louis Spohr (1784-1859) was not only a composer but also a virtuoso violinist, a renowned teacher, and possibly the greatest conductor of his time.

Composition History

Spohr's works for solo clarinet were written in close collaboration with the virtuoso clarinettist Johann Simon Hermstedt (1778-1846), who was his preferred performer.

Historical Context

Between the death of Beethoven and the rise of Wagner, Spohr was considered by many contemporaries to be the greatest and best-known German composer in Europe.