Brahms’s Clarinet Trio, composed in 1891, was inspired by the exceptional musicality of clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld. As he did for his horn trio, Brahms prepared a viola part as a possible alternative to the clarinet. Both scorings were rehearsed (the viola part being played by Joseph Joachim) prior to the premiere and publication of the work.

Bärenreiter’s scholarly-critical edition, prepared by Christopher Hogwood, offers a foreword on the trio’s compositional process with comments on per...