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 Richard Strauss’s Sonatine No. 2 in E♭ major, TrV 291, subtitled Fröhliche Werkstatt (“Cheerful Workshop”), was composed in 1944–45 in Garmisch and first performed in March 1946 by Hermann Scherchen and the Winterthur Musikkollegium. Dedicated “to the spirit of the immortal Mozart,” the work extends to a substantial 38 minutes, prompting Strauss’s publisher to market it as a “Symphony for Wind Instruments”.

Scored for 16 wind instruments—2 flutes, 2 oboes, clarinet in C, 2 B♭ clarinets, basset horn, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, and 4 horns—the Sonatine treats these forces more as a chamber ensemble than a wind orchestra. The writing demands impeccable balance and blend, as Strauss weaves lyrical woodwind solos and rich horn chorales into a transparent, dialogic texture.

The work unfolds in four movements played without pause:

1. Allegro con brio (E♭ major) – a sonata‑rondo with spirited themes and a nod to Wagnerian grandeur,

2. Andantino, sehr gemächlich (B♭ major) – a lyrical interlude of gentle poise,

3. Menuett. Etwas lebhaft (E♭ major) – a playful, canonic dance,

4. Einleitung und Allegro (E♭ major) – a brief introduction leading into a vivacious finale