Jean Françaix's Clarinet Concerto was composed in 1967-68, and was dedicated to Fernand Oubradous, who was a conductor, chamber music teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, and bassoonist at the Opéra de Paris. The premiere of this work was on July 20, 1968 and the clarinet soloist was Jacques Lancelot, a French clarinetist.
The piece is written in four movements:
- Allegro
- Scherzando
- Andantino
- Allegrissimo
1. Allegro
This movement is the longest of the four, and is written in sonata form. It starts off with a flute solo playing the main theme of the movement, which is then echoed by the solo clarinet, and then by the full orchestra. The solo clarinet then repeats the motif before the orchestra transitions it to a quick, lively passage filled with sixteenth notes and triplets, with numerous solos in the background as the soloist plays. Afterwards, the soloist plays a harmonious legato passage while the flute plays sixteenth-note runs.