The Clarinet…Creating Magical Notes in Music!
The clarinet was created from a baroque wind instrument referred to as chalumeau (pronounced shall-u-MO). The same as the wooden recorder, the chalumeau contained a mouthpiece which had one reed attached.
Sometime in the early 1700 Johann Denner from Germany, who was an instrument maker, added some keys and added tone holes to the instrument’s body. This raised the number of notes which the instrument played.
Effect of Enhancement on Chalumeau
The instrument contained a loud and intense sound, like a trumpet’s. Therefore, it was given the name clarinetto, which means little trumpet in Italian.
Johann Molter, a Baroque composer, composed six concertos for the clarinetto. These concerti have writing which imitates trumpet calls and is the same as trumpet concertos of that time.
Over the decades of the period of 1700 and afterwards, more tone holes and keys were added which greatly enhanced the clarinet’s quality. As the clarinetto was improved, it finally transformed into the instrument referred to as the clarinet.
The first time Mozart listened to the clarinet was in 1778 and adored the attractiveness of the tone, comparing its features and qualities to the human voice.
Clarinet’s Orchestral and Solo Music
In 1700, Anton Stadler, an Austrian clarinetist, was a clarinetist in the Vienna Court Orchestra. He forged a friendship with Mozart. This friendship, together with Stadlier’s tone, in 1791 motivated Mozart to compose his Clarinet Concerto.
Over the centuries, the two works have turned into some of Mozart’s greatest music. The two works contain lyrical melodies which highlight the clarinet’s attractive singing qualities.
Mozart utilized the clarinet as an instrument for orchestral and solo and motivated other composers to write for the clarinet. This instrument became standard for utilization in orchestras.
Beethoven and Brahms emulated Mozart’s example and made far reaching utilization of the clarinet in their symphonies. In early 1800, different composers of clarinet solo works were Louis Spohr and Carl Stamitz.
Carl Maria von Weber was also popular for a lot of clarinet works. Weber composed a lot of choral and operatic works and his solo works had a lot of lyrical melodies, triggering a theatrical, singing kind of playing.
Modern Clarinet Music
The clarinet is widely used today in symphony orchestras, opera orchestras, chamber music, broadway orchestras, military bands, concert bands, jazz, New Orleans jazz, big band music and Dixieland.
In European countries and Latin also, it is utilized in folk music. It plays a vital role in klezmer music, gypsy music in Hungarian, Bulgarian folk music and traditional music in Greece.
How the Clarinet is Played
Players of the clarinet hold this instrument in front of them and blow from one end to the other of the single reed found on the mouth piece. This then produces a sound.
The different sounds are formed when the player presses the keys down and the hinged rings, making the flexible pads cover the holes. This is done in various configurations or patterns of the finger.
The clarinet gives out a mellow tone with a bright upper sound.
