Clarinet Quintet

1st movement – Listen to an extract

2nd movement – Listen to an extract

3rd movement – Listen to an extract

4th movement – Listen to an extract

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1757 – 1792), was a child genius and prodigy. He was composing from very early childhood and could play the piano brilliantly equally early. One of his earliest compositions was Ah! Vous dirai-je, maman (Mother, if I could tell you) which has been corrupted into Twinkle Twinkle Little star. Whilst the theme of this is straight forward, the variations Mozart wrote certainly were not. Mozart produced a staggering amount of music in his short life which was blighted by mental illness and alcoholism.  As well as 41 symphonies, 27 piano concerti, 22 operas, 5 violin concerti, 4 horn concerti and 7 other wind concerti, 36 violin sonatas and a shed load of chamber and other music (marches, minuets, religious music, divertimenti), he wrote the incredible Requiem.

This modern quintet arrangement is of his clarinet quintet (K. 581) that he wrote for Anton Stadler in 1789. All movements are available although the key is slightly altered to allow for woodwind players. A version in the original key is also available on request.