Starting from Karl Maria von Weber to Brahms, the clarinet was undoubtedly the most fashionable wind instrument in the Romantic period. But what is most striking is the role of the clarinet in the French Romantic repertoire. This instrument that was newly made and still little known won the curiosity of great composers for its expressive and virtuosic abilities. In parallel, the clarinet was also among the instruments favored by 19th-century French women composers, who chose it to replace the violin in trios with cello and piano (Rita Strohl and Louise Farrenc) or as a solo instrument (Fantaisie by Augusta Holmès, Méditation by Mel Bonis). This appointment will be an opportunity to highlight this key period in the history of an instrument that, to this day, has managed to maintain its popularity both with aspiring musicians in conservatories and with composers.
