Brahms was a genius in every major form of composition except opera, which he never attempted. He composed in classical forms and did not follow contemporary trends for programme music. Yet his music is highly romantic. The Clarinet Quintet was a late work, inspired by the superb clarinettist of the Meiningen Orchestra, Richard Mühlfeld. It is permeated with an autumnal lyricism and serenity. The Third String Quartet, Op. 67, was written earlier in Brahms's life, and is more heroic in tone: it is one of his most passionate chamber music works. Both works are established as supreme masterpieces of the romantic repertoire.