The only work of its type remaining from the period of this survey, Josef Schelb's Concerto for bass clarinet is unusual in both musical and technical aspects of its treatment of the bass clarinet. It is dominated by bright colors and a buoyant light-heartedness seen only occasionally in earlier solo works for the instrument, which tended to frequently confirm the dark role given to it in dramatic and programmatic music. Its outer movements, a march like allegro giusto and vivace waltz, both display a casual verve, while the middle movement, molt tranquil e cantabile, is pensive and introspective, but not sombre. It is also unusual in its very minimal use of the chalumeau register and the importance of the light, quick articulation.

Totaling 486 measures in length, the Concerto is written a neo-classic style, employing quartile harmony. B is the central tone of the outer two movements, in with the melodic line has pronouncedly major flavor. The second movement, which is modally ambiguous, focused on C-sharp. The pieces required reasonable, but not overwhelming virtuosity, as was typical of the practical and not particularly emotional Gebrauchsmusik, which was being written in Germany during the thirties. It does, however, require a great skill of articulation than was frequently encountered in earlier works. Extended non-legato triplet and sixteenth passages occur, particularly in the first movement. Articulation unusual for woodwinds, but common for stringed instruments in which the longer pitch values of a slow moving melody are divided into rapid repeated tones in order to enhance a feeling of movement and vitality, is also found in the first movement.

Although the range of three octaves and a major third, extending from D to f-sharp'', is not wider than that found in some other works in this list, its focus on the upper register is unusual. The distribution of range use in the first movement is:

The third movement pushes the tessitura still further away from the chalumeau:

Schelb's specific motivation for composing a bass clarinet concerto is not known. The work, which has remained unpublished [until 1998 by Antes Edition - (editor's note)], bears no dedication or indication of who may have first performed it. Born in 1894, Josef Schelb was a pianist and self-taught composer who taught both of those subjects at the Badische Musikhochschule in Karlsruhe.¹ Lotte Schelb, the composer widow, stated in a letter to the bass clarinetist Terje Lerstad the work was probably written before 1932. The first version was lost when the composer's house was destroyed by bombing in 1942. The work was of enough importance that Schelb composed the extant version in 1943.² Although Schelb stayed in Germany during the years of the Nazi regime, he was not in good graces with the authorities and his compositions from that period were not published and seldom performed.

¹ Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 1963 ed., s.v. "Josef Schelb."

² Lotte Schelb, Freiburg, to Terje Lerstad, Oslo, 17 February 1979. Used by permission.