Brahms had in fact wanted to stop composing in 1890, but his encounter with the clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld inspired him so much that he produced several works in a row for him over a brief period of time. The melodious Quintet op. 115 has been popular with musicians and audiences alike since its premiere in 1891.

Even prior to printing – and presumably with a view toward further dissemination of the work – an alternate version was written with viola instead of clarinet, premiered by no le...