Concert Piece for Clarinet, Basset Horn and Piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 113

The piece unfolds as one continuous span rather than separate movements, moving through several contrasting tempos and moods. It opens with a songful, lyrical exchange between the two woodwind soloists, who trade phrases and often blend into close harmony because the basset horn sits just below the clarinet in range. A faster, more playful central stretch follows, with quick exchanges that show off both players' agility, before the piece closes with a bright, energetic finish. Listen for how closely the two soloists interact throughout, less like a soloist and orchestra and more like two singers in duet, with the accompaniment providing light support underneath.

Mendelssohn wrote this concert piece around 1832 or 1833 for Heinrich Baermann, one of the leading clarinetists of the day, and his son Carl, who played the basset horn, after the two musicians had impressed Mendelssohn with informal performances. It was one of two similar concert pieces, Op. 113 and Op. 114, written around the same time for the same duo, both composed quickly and given as gifts of friendship as much as formal commissions. The pieces were originally accompanied by piano and later orchestrated, and they remain part of the small but treasured repertoire written specifically for this pairing of instruments.