Richard Mühlfeld

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Richard Mühlfeld (February 28, 1856 – June 1, 1907) was a German clarinettist who inspired Johannes Brahms to write his four chamber works including the instrument. These pieces are the Clarinet Trio, the Clarinet Quintet, and the Clarinet Sonatas.

Mühlfeld originally joined the Meininger Hofkapelle as a violinist and changed to clarinet three years later. After Brahms wrote his String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Opus 111, the composer decided to end his compositional career. But later listening to Mühlfeld perform Weber's Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor and Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, his technique and sound quality inspired Brahms to start composing again. These two acquaintances rapidly began friendship causing the composer to write letters to a close friend, Clara Schumann, about the amazement of this clarinettist's playing. In appreciation of Mühlfeld's relationship to him, Brahms gave him a set of fine silver teaspoons with a monogram to the musician.

Although playing the Quintet along with the Trio in concert at London, the debut for those pieces were held at the Court of Meiningen in November 1891, with the Joachim Quartet playing the Quintet's strings part. Both Sonatas were held for the Meiningen Circle at the Palace of Berchtesgaden in the summer of 1894, with Johannes Brahms playing piano.