Richard Mühlfeld
Encyclopedia
Richard Mühlfeld was a German
clarinettist who inspired Johannes Brahms
and Gustav Jenner
to write chamber works including the instrument. The pieces that Brahms wrote for him are the Clarinet Trio
, the Clarinet Quintet
, and the Clarinet Sonatas
.
Mühlfeld originally joined the Meininger Hofkapelle as a violinist and changed to clarinet three years later. Following the completion of Brahms's String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Opus 111, the composer decided to end his compositional career. After Brahms listened to Mühlfeld play Weber's
Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor
, Mozart's Clarinet Quintet
and some of Ludwig Spohr's works, his sound quality and musicianship inspired Brahms to start composing again. These two acquaintances rapidly began friendship causing the composer to write letters to a close friend, Clara Schumann
, about the skill level he saw in this clarinettist's playing. In appreciation of Mühlfeld's relationship to him, Brahms gave him a set of fine silver teaspoons with a monogram to the musician.
Although Mühlfeld played the Quintet along with the Trio in concert at London, the debut for those pieces were held at the Court of Meiningen in November 1891, with the Joachim Quartet playing the Quintet's strings part. Both Sonatas were held for the Meiningen Circle at the Palace of Berchtesgaden in the summer of 1894, with Johannes Brahms playing piano.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
clarinettist who inspired Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
and Gustav Jenner
Gustav Jenner
Gustav Uwe Jenner, , was a German composer, conductor and musical scholar whose chief claim to fame is that he was the only formal composition pupil of Johannes Brahms.Jenner was born in Keitum on the island of Sylt...
to write chamber works including the instrument. The pieces that Brahms wrote for him are the Clarinet Trio
Clarinet Trio (Brahms)
The Trio for clarinet, cello and piano in A Minor, Op. 114, was one of four chamber works featuring clarinet composed by Johannes Brahms in rapid succession after emerging from retirement toward the end of his life. Brahms was inspired to compose these works by the playing of clarinettist Richard...
, the Clarinet Quintet
Clarinet Quintet (Brahms)
Johannes Brahms's Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115 was written in 1891 for the clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld. It is widely regarded as Brahms's supreme achievement in chamber music.The piece is known for its autumnal mood...
, and the Clarinet Sonatas
Clarinet Sonatas (Brahms)
The Clarinet Sonatas, Op. 120, Nos. 1 and 2 are a pair of works written for clarinet and piano by the Romantic composer Johannes Brahms. They were written in 1894 and are dedicated to the clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld. The sonatas stem from a period in Brahms’s life where he “discovered” the beauty...
.
Mühlfeld originally joined the Meininger Hofkapelle as a violinist and changed to clarinet three years later. Following the completion of Brahms's String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Opus 111, the composer decided to end his compositional career. After Brahms listened to Mühlfeld play Weber's
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor
Clarinet Concerto No. 1 (Weber)
Carl Maria von Weber wrote his Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 73 for the clarinettist Heinrich Bärmann in 1811. The piece is considered a gem in the instrument's repertoire. It is written for clarinet in B-flat. The work consists of three movements in the form of fast, slow,...
, Mozart's Clarinet Quintet
Clarinet Quintet (Mozart)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, K. 581, was written in 1789 for the clarinetist Anton Stadler. A clarinet quintet is a work for one clarinet and a string quartet . Although originally written for basset clarinet, it is almost always played on a clarinet in A or B-flat...
and some of Ludwig Spohr's works, his sound quality and musicianship inspired Brahms to start composing again. These two acquaintances rapidly began friendship causing the composer to write letters to a close friend, Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann was a German musician and composer, considered one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era...
, about the skill level he saw in this clarinettist's playing. In appreciation of Mühlfeld's relationship to him, Brahms gave him a set of fine silver teaspoons with a monogram to the musician.
Although Mühlfeld played the Quintet along with the Trio in concert at London, the debut for those pieces were held at the Court of Meiningen in November 1891, with the Joachim Quartet playing the Quintet's strings part. Both Sonatas were held for the Meiningen Circle at the Palace of Berchtesgaden in the summer of 1894, with Johannes Brahms playing piano.
External links
- Biography from the International Clarinet Association
- Mühlfeld and Brahms, written by Bernard Portnoy