In a few days I will have the great pleasure of performing a work that I like very much and is not one of the best known in the repertoire: the Concerto for clarinet and orchestra Op. 36 in E flat major by the Czech composer Franz Krommer (1759- 1831), whose real name, in the Czech language, was František Vincenc Kramář. I had studied this concerto when i was a teenager, accompanied by a piano reduction, and now I will finally be able to do it together with an orchestra, as it should be, which makes me very happy. Krommer wrote this beautiful classical-style concerto in 1803 and features the usual three movements: Allegro - Adagio - Rondo (Alla Polaca). Its approximate duration is 24 minutes.
We are going to perform it in three successive concerts together with the San Isidro Youth Symphony Orchestra, directed by Mtro. Ramiro Soto Monllor and the program will be completed with Symphony No. 2 Op. 73 in D major by Johannes Brahms. About Franz Krommer During the second half of the 18th century many musicians emigrated from Bohemia or Moravia to Vienna in the hope of getting a position at court. They were often quite successful and their works were sometimes even more popular than those of the famous masters! But when, in the course of the 19th century, music history focused almost exclusively on the 'immortals', the less important composers were often completely forgotten. This not only prevented a deep understanding of the uninterrupted development of music from the Pre-Classical to the Romantic period, but also deprived music lovers of a rich musical heritage worth listening to. Among these 'forgotten' composers of the Viennese classical period we find Franz Krommer, born in 1759 in Moravia and settled in Vienna in 1795. He quickly seemed to gain appreciation, as his works began to be printed shortly after the turn of the century. As was usual in those times, Krommer was a prolific composer although he limited himself to writing mainly instrumental music, which today is accessible but only a part of all of it. Krommer was a violinist, conductor, composer, and professor of theory and composition. His more than one hundred string quartets show an intimate knowledge of the works of Haydn and Mozart. For a time, his symphonies used to be quite popular - Schubert, however, was not very enthusiastic when he had to play them in his school orchestra! Already in the 20th century some of Krommer's concertos have come to light and are considered among his most outstanding works. They follow the pattern of Viotti's concertos, which had become the established model for a whole generation of composers. Most likely, some of the wind concertos originated as violin concertos, as Krommer himself was an accomplished violinist. He probably transcribed them for wind instruments to meet the growing demand that resulted from the growing number of virtuosos constantly in need of new concertos. With Krommer's death in 1831, four years after Beethoven, his music fell into almost total oblivion. For a long time, the Viennese classical period was largely regarded as the exclusive domain of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. A new understanding of history was needed before the works of minor composers received due appreciation. Along with the participation of leading players, such as Peter Lukas Graf, Heinz Holliger, Thomas Friedli and Antony Pay, it brought a well-deserved and rewarding revival of the elegant and lively music of Franz Krommer. Much of Krommer's music shows the influence of the great figures of his time and follows the Viennese tradition. He was successful, and his works aroused much musical attention. However, his compositions exhibit few innovations, which might explain why his music did not remain popular. It is interesting to note that there is no record of Krommer being influenced by any clarinetist of his time, such as Mozart and Weber. The Clarinet Concerto Op. 36 was first published in 1803. Sources:
- Verena Weibel-Trachsler, for the album by Thomas Friedli, Anthony Pay and the English Chamber Orchestra.
- Bernard Portnoy, "The Clarinet" magazine Volume 24 N°3, year 1997
