Orchestre de chambre de Paris

Strauss was only nineteen when he composed his Horn Concerto No. 1. He was almost eighty in 1942, when he wrote a second score for this instrument. The youthful freshness and Mozartian clarity of this new concerto dedicated to the memory of his father, who was a horn player, conceals a whole host of inner tensions. In 1946-1947 after World War II, he composed his Concertino for clarinet and bassoon, his last musical score. By his own admission, the work conjured up a princess dancing with a bear which was transformed into a charming prince! In addition to his surprising choice of line-up (two unusual solo instruments, a string orchestra and a harp), it references the Baroque concerto grosso and the clarity of the classical style which represented the youthful Strauss’ ideal. It makes perfect sense to combine this with Mozart, especially as Symphony No. 36, the “Linz”, was performed in Salzburg in August 1943, just a few days after the premiere of Horn Concerto No. 2. 

Production Orchestre de chambre de Paris