Originally scored for two alto voices, strings, two horns and obbligato clarinet; first performed in Darmstadt in 1811; Weber wrote a second version for two contraltos and piano, changing the key from Eb to Bb although he said in his diary that he felt the original scoring was better. The clarinet obbligato part was written with Heinrich Baermann, for whom Weber wrote many of his clarinet works, in mind.