Caroline Schleicher-Krähmer

Born in Stuttgart, Germany, to a family of professional musicians, Caroline Schleicher-Krähmer was trained as a virtuoso violinist and clarinetist. Among her surviving works is a three-movement, early Romantic period Sonatine for clarinet and piano (1820).

Stöckach

Caroline Schleicher-Krähmer (1794-1873)

Caroline Schleicher-Krähmer was a well-known clarinetist in Vienna during her lifetime. She was born to bassoonist Franz Joseph Schleicher and violinist and clarinetist Josepha Schleicher (née Strasbourg). Caroline had 13 siblings. She and her sister, Cordula, began studying violin with court musician Baumiller in Stuttgart, where the family moved after Franz Schleicher’s was offered a position in the royal court orchestra. Young Caroline took up clarinet lessons at the age of nine with her father, and the rest, they say, is history.

As both girls demonstrated undeniable skill at their instruments, their father soon began taking them on professional tours, and the two girls were raised as virtuoso performers. Later in her career, Caroline worked with the Baden orchestra, where she played first violin, solo clarinet, and often conducted. After her father’s death, she continued to perform as a successful clarinet soloist, and enjoyed notoriety and great acclaim during her lifetime. She dedicated her life to performing, composing, and teaching, even after marriage and the birth of her own 10 children, of whom only five survived to adulthood.

Clarinet Works
Among her surviving works is an early-romantic period, standard, three-movement sonatine for clarinet and piano. Although a copy has not yet been uploaded to IMSLP, you can find the sheet music for the work in a few different locations. Purchase links are provided at the bottom of the page. Click here or scroll down to view all options:

Most recently, the first movement was published by itself without the other two movements in a collection of works by women composers. If you’re looking for the whole piece, an early edition of the complete sonatine can be found in the second volume of a collection of various classical repertoire for the clarinet, and, finally, a digital copy of the parts can be made upon request from the library at the Institute of Musical Studies Vecchi-Tonelli in Modena, Italy. Click here or scroll to the bottom of the page to listen to excerpts and find purchase links.

There is extensive additional biographical information available about Schleicher-Krähmer’s life and career. This very concise excerpt is a summary of the available information from several more complete. For a complete biography, please consider visiting the sources referenced at the bottom of the page.