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3e Concerto, Op. 117, No. 1a (1783-90/2020)

For Bb Clarinet and Orchestra

Score Video:

Perusal Score:

Duration: 21

  1. I. Allegro
  2. II. Adagio
  3. III. Allegretto

Instrumentation:

  • Solo Clarinet in Bb
  • Oboe 1
  • Oboe 2
  • Bassoon
  • Horn in Eb 1
  • Horn in Eb 2
  • Violin I
  • Violin II
  • Viola
  • Violoncello
  • Double Bass

Program Notes:

This concerto served as the solo de concours for the Paris Conservatoire in 1824.

Jean-Xavier Lefèvre was the first clarinet professor at the Paris Conservatoire (1795-1824). He played in the French Guards band and played in and conducted the National Guard of the French Revolution. He also performed at the Concert Spirituel, the Paris Opéra, and the Imperial (Royal) Chapel.

This clarinet concerto is the third of six that Lefèvre wrote and was likely originally intended for his Concert Spirituel performances. He subsequently used his concertos as contest pieces for the students. Only three of the concertos survive in playable forms (the third, fourth, and sixth) and all parts except for the solo clarinet survive for the fifth. There are some indications that the fifth concerto was used as the contest piece in 1798 or 1799, but the third concerto is the first contest solo from when the Conservatoire began keeping records in 1824.

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