Julius Klengel

Hymnus op. 57

Julius Klengel (1859 - 1933) was a German cellist who is most well-known for his compositions for his own instrument, most notably a large output of works for multiple cellos. After joining the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra at the age of 15, he became the principal cellist for the group in 1881 at the age of 22. The largest cello ensemble he composed was his Hymnus, Op. 57, for twelve cellos. In crafting this arrangement for twelve low clarinets, unfortunately, it was not as simple as just transposing the parts into the bass clarinet key. Ultimately, the decision was made to transpose the work from G major to B-flat major, in order to better suit the ranges of the instrument. Also, the addition of the two contra clarinets allowed the accommodation of this transposition, as well as giving some flexibility in regards to shifting some phrases amongst the parts.