Mühlfeld had joined the orchestra in 1873 as a violinist, but after teaching himself to play the clarinet, he had become one of the most accomplished clarinetists in Europe.
In 1891, he was impressed by the unusually beautiful playing of its principal clarinetist, Richard Mühlfeld. The following March, however, a visit to the German city of Meiningen persuaded him to change his mind and led instead to his final four chamber works, all focused on the clarinet.Īlthough a small city, Meiningen had one of the finest court orchestras in Europe, and Brahms went there occasionally to hear his works played. Further, he feared that his declining physical strength might impair his creative faculties. Although only 57, he had aged considerably, and he found the task of composing fatiguing. In 1890, Brahms announced to his friends that he was retiring from musical composition.
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