The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s Fond Farewells brings together two masterpieces from late in the careers of two Viennese giants – Mozart and Mahler. Mozart’s much-loved Clarinet Concerto dates from the final year of his life (1791) and is the last completed instrumental concerto before his untimely death. No doubt inspired by his friendship with virtuoso Anton Stadler who had already supplied obbligato lines for two soprano arias in La Clemenza di Tito and the piano concerto in C Minor, K.491, the work was originally envisaged for basset clarinet. However, after Stadler had lost the manuscript whilst on tour, editors set to work on three separate occasions between 1801 and 1803, rescoring the work in A for the modern clarinet.

Mark Wigglesworth. Photo © Sim Canetty-Clarke

Soloist Andreas Ottensamer comes from a distinguished dynasty of clarinettists with his father and brother also making admirable careers within the ranks of the prestigious Vienna Philharmonic. Ottensamer himself is no slouch either in becoming the equally fine Berlin Philharmonic’s chief clarinettist at the tender age of 20, and it is a position that he holds until this day. Given his experience with such a fine orchestra as...