LOUIS SPOHR Clarinet Concerto no. 2 E flat major op. 57

Louis Spohr’s concertos have long been a standard feature in the clarinet repertoire, but up to now they have suffered due to a lack of reliable editions. In order to fill this gap, G. Henle Publishers is now following its edition of the Concerto no. 1 in c minor (HN 995) with a critical edition of the Concerto no. 2 in E flat. This is the only one of Spohr’s four clarinet concertos in a major key, and its buoyant atmosphere and joie de vivre remain captivating – especially in the final, “alla polacca” movement. It is hard to believe that this is the first-ever Urtext edition of this concerto! For this edition, Ullrich Scheideler has consulted both the first edition of 1822, published in Leipzig, as well as an important early manuscript. A new, practical, easy-to-play piano arrangement of the orchestral accompaniment has been made by Christoph Sobanski. The orchestral parts may be hired from Breitkopf & Härtel.