Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826), the great German romantic composer, was, after Mozart, the first master to write distinguished works for the solo clarinet. They include two compositions with piano accompaniment: the Grand Duo Concertant, and Theme and Variations; two compositions for clarinet and string quartet: the Clarinet Quintet and a set of Variations; three works for clarinet and orchestra: the Concertino and two Concertos.

The Clarinet Concerto No.2 in Eb Op.74 is a lively and majestic piece, which truly explores the sonorities and technical capabilities of the instrument – the opening two notes of the solo Clarinet part span an interval of three octaves, showing off the range and compass of the instrument! This is a tremendous work for solo Clarinet and Orchestra, arranged here for Bb Clarinet with Piano accompaniment, and edited by Eric Simon.