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 less t