MOZART “GRAN PARTITA”, SERENADE NO. 10, K.361, AND
​BRAHMS CLARINET SONATA NO. 1, MVT. 2.

By Judith Eckelmeyer

(GRACE WOODS MUSIC SESSION OCTOBER 21, 2024)

---

Posthumous painting by Barbara Krafft in 1819

Before discussing Mozart’s Serenade in B, K.361, we need to consider a bit of historical context in which the work was created. 

First of all, Mozart wrote 4 movements of this serenade while in Munich, completing a long journey seeking better employment and also awaiting the premiere of his opera, Idomeneo, the first of his mature operas. In this waiting time he composed several works, one of which is our focal piece, Serenade No.10. But why in Munich? As it turned out, Munich was where one of the best orchestras in Europe was at the time. And this was because it was the former Mannheim orchestra, recently removed to Munich because its employer, the Elector Palatinate Karl Theodore had inherited Elector Maximilian’s Electorate of Bavaria, the seat of which was Munich. There’s a lot to unpack here….

Karl Theodore, Elector of Bavaria- by Anna Dorothea Therbusch in 1763

The “electors” were the princes of German states (remember there were lots of them in the 18th century) who voted—elected—the Holy Roman Emperor, the first of whom was Charlemagne in 800; the College of Electors was established soon after 1250. After centuries of complex twists and turns, by the 18th century the HRE was basically a loose federation of German princes. Karl Theodore was Elector of the Palatinate from 1742-1777, seated in Mannheim in the Rhine district. There he was renowned as a patron of the arts, famous for the magnificent orchestra he established by drawing superb musicians from various places in Europe; the composers and orchestra importantly also developed a number of innovative techniques adopted by later Viennese composers and used thereafter as standard devices. After the Elector of Bavaria Maximilian died, Karl Theodore and his entire ensemble moved to Munich in 1778. Mozart had already met and heard the orchestra when he visited Mannheim while outbound on his journey; he met them in Munich again on his return in 1881.
Jan (Johann) Wenzel Anton Stamitz, a Bohemian composer and violinist, was a founding member of the orchestra; his son, Carl Stamitz, and Johann Christian Cannabich and others continued as the second generation of musicians in the orchestra. Among the musicians were also clarinettists who also played  bassett horn. Their playing inspired Mozart’s use of the instruments in Idomeneoand, later, in a number of his compositions in Vienna.

Johann Stamitz

Carl Stamitz

Christian Cannabich - copper engraving by Egid Verhelst 1779

The Serenade in B, K.361, is a unique work. It’s frequently described as being for 13 wind instruments, but in reality Mozart included one string bass among 12 winds. The ensemble consists of 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassett horns, 4 horns, 2 bassoons, and the string bass. This unusual combination provides for lots of sonic variety and an extraordinarily rich sound. The secondary title, “Gran Partita”, points to the structure of the work as a suite (the German word “partita” meant suite), a series of dances and other types of movement:

1. Largo – Molto Allegro
   
2. Menuetto – Trio I –Trio II
   
3. Adagio
   
4. Menuetto (Allegretto) –Trio I –Trio II (a Ländler) (1787-88)
   
5. Romance (Adagio –Allegretto) (1787-88)
   
6. Theme with 6 variations –Andante (1788)
   
7. Finale (Molto Allegro)

Mozart: Serenade No 10 for Winds 'Gran Partita', III. Adagio | London Symphony Orchestra Wind Ensemble

---

Brahms in 1889

 Can you believe it? In 1890, Brahms almost decided to quit composing! 
 
​Well, it never happened because he heard Richard Mühlfeld perform.

Richard Mühlfeld

That year Brahms visited Meiningen, where Hans von Bülow had become the conductor of the excellent Meiningen orchestra, which had already performed a number of his compositions. While there he heard Mühlfeld play solo clarinet, clearly exposed in chamber music by Mozart and von Weber. On this  occasion, Brahms couldn’t help but pay attention to Mühlfeld, who had been principal clarinet in the Meiningen orchestra for 14 years! Finally recognizing the exceptional quality of Mühlfeld’s playing, Brahms immediately wrote two chamber works involving his participation. Two years later, Brahms produced a series of shorter piano pieces (Opp. 116-119); on a roll, he continued on in 1894 with the two clarinet sonatas, Op. 120, Nos. 1 and 2, for Mühlfeld. Brahms performed his farewell concert accompanying Mühlfeld on the piano.

The Meiningen Court Orchestra with Hans von Bülow, 1882

Of the four movement of the first clarinet sonata, the second is particularly lovely. The clarinet’s melody throughout is akin to the second movement of Mozart’s clarinet concerto in its demands on the soloist: long melody lines and dynamic levels require exquisite control over rich harmonic background.

Clarinet Sonata in F Minor, Op. 120 No. 1: II. Andante un poco adagio · Karl Leister, David Levine

Judith Eckelmeyer ©2024