Discover one of the most important works in the clarinet literature, the Double Concerto in E flat major Op. 35 by the Czech-Austrian composer Franz Krommer (1759–1831). Highly esteemed during his lifetime, he composed over 300 works. Today he is best known for his works for wind instruments.

Dedicated to the Italian clarinet virtuoso Marsano, Krommer’s double concerto op. 35 was composed in 1803 and was highly regarded during his lifetime. In the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, a reviewer commented on the performance of the concerto in Breslau in 1804: “If only Mr. Krommer would give us more such concertos! Contemporary critics even saw Krommer as a successor to Haydn.

The three-movement concerto for two clarinets impresses with its exceptionally good orchestration. Editor Hermann Dechant, himself a conductor and author of numerous scholarly articles on wind music, notes in the preface to this edition that the first movement follows the classical style in its form, but impresses with its harmonic innovations. The second movement, an Adagio, also features bold harmonic turns. For the Rondo that follows, Dechant quotes a contemporary verdict on Krommer’s music from Gerber’s Lexikon der Tonkünstler (1812-1814): “Full of spontaneous ideas, wit and fire, with new harmonic turns and striking modulations.”

Be inspired by this highly virtuosic and innovative work of Viennese Classicism, which can be mentioned in the same breath as the clarinet concertos of Mozart and Weber. In the preface to this edition, editor Hermann Dechant offers many suggestions