Transcript File - Artist Portfolio

The Clarinet Family
Bb, Eb, alto, bass, and contrabass
Bb Clarinet
Origin
Early 18th century
Made in Germany
Designer: Johann Christoph Denner
Evolved from Chalumeau
To increase the instrument range, improve
the mouthpiece and bell
- Woodwind Family
-
Bb Clarinet
Material
-
African Blackwood
Good Quality Plastic
Range
Written Range
₋ From E one octave below middle C
to G three octaves above middle C
₋ Treble Clef
₋ 3 ½ - 4 octaves
₋ Extended: beyond A (experienced
players)
Bb Clarinet
Tone
-
Varies a lot over the big range
Chalumeau (low register): rich and dark
Clarino and Altissimo (higher registers): clear, direct
sound, impressive
Extreme Upper Register: shrill, piercing tone
Technique
- Embouchure (lower lip over the teeth of
lower jaw, pull the lower lip tightly as
“smile”, avoid pressing the mouthpiece
onto the lower lip too hard but firmly
against the upper teeth)
- Attack and Articulation (“TA ” or “DA”)
- Fingering
Bb Clarinet
Ensemble Playing
-
Voice: Soprano
Other Setting:
Jazz, contemporary, chamber music
Bb Clarinet
Primary Solo Composers
- Brahms and Mozart
* Mozart loved the clarinet, and brought it
into popularity in orchestral music.
Brahms
Mozart
Professional Musician
-
Famous jazz clarinet player Benny
Goodman
Well-Known Repertoires
- Ensemble Based: Capriccio Espagnol
clarinet (Rimsky-Korsakov)
- Solo: Carnival of Venice
- Solo: Clarinet Concerto (Mozart)
Benny Goodman
Eb Clarinet
Background
-
Smallest of the standard clarinet known as
the baby clarinet
A third shorter than the Bb or A clarinet.
Took over the role of F clarinet beginning in
the late 18th century.
Constructed in early days to replace the high
trumpet or cornet.
Woodwind family
Eb Clarinet
Material
-
African Blackwood
Plastic or resin
Mixtrure of resin and wood
Range
₋ From E one octave below middle C
to D two octaves above middle C
₋ Treble Clef
₋ 3 and half octave
Eb Clarinet
Tone
-
Exaggeration of the soprano clarinet
Perky, bright, and blatant that is agile and assertive
Can be shrill at loud dynamics
Similar to the sound of the piccolo
Resembling a trumpet
Ensemble playing
- Adds a bright clean tone
- Cut above the clamor of the brass section
- Garnish instrument along with the piccolo
and/or flute
Eb Clarinet
Technique
-
Correct Embouchure
Breathing and blowing properly
Fingering
Attack or articulation
Eb Clarinet
Professional Musicians
-
Laurence Liberson
Pascual Martinez Forteza
Composer
-
Hector Berkuiz
Albert. Heinrich
Anton Webern
Hector Berkuiz
Albert Heinrich
Eb Clarinet
Solo Repertoire
Note: Solo pieces for the sopranino clarinet are
very rare, and there are currently no professional
clarinetists who play this instrument only.
•
•
•
Rondo Caprice
Tre Pezzi
Suite of Four Dances
Ensemble Repertoire
•
•
•
Symphonie Gantastique
Bolero
The Rite of Spring
Alto Clarinet
Origin
Early 19th century
First in the key of F
Germany and France
Designers:
Cuvillier and Simiot (France)
Grenser and Wiesner (Germany)
- It served to enrich the sound produced from
the clarinet family
- Evolved from bass clarinet, similar to alto
saxophone
- Woodwind Family
-
Alto Clarinet
Details
- hard rubber, plastic, Grenadilla or any other kind of wood
- upturned metal bell, arched neck, two-piece body
- Good full tone, warm, dark, blends well, one octave lower than Eb clarinet.
* No difficulty in balancing other modern instruments
- 3 octaves
- Treble clef
- Range:
chalumeau, clarino, altissimo register
Alto Clarinet
MTSU Clarinet Choir
Alto Clarinet
Ensemble Playing
- a regular constituent of American concert
bands, but little used in the orchestra, and is
no longer included in British Army bands.
- fits between soprano and bass clarinet
- is mostly used to replace or complement the
3rd part of a quartet or the alto saxophone
section
- voice is tenor;
In high registry: alto
- Other setting: Military
bands (past)
- Other types: Contra alto,
selmer alto clarinet
Alto Clarinet
Techniques
- tone holes covered by plates instead of
directly by the fingers
- NOT EASY!
- Larger bite
- Lot of air
- Avoid too much embouchure adjustment
- A strap or foot peg is needed
Clarification
- Is also called “tenor clarinet”
- Different than basset horn:
lower pitch, wider bore than the basset horn
Alto Clarinet
Composers
Wolfgang Amadeus Molzart
Franz Schubert
Fritz Renold
Elliott Schwartz
Alto Clarinet
Solo Repertoires
-
A Waltz Dream (Oscar Strauss/Harris)
Allegro Spiritoso (J.B. Senaille/Gee)
Praeludium (Schmutz)
Solfeggieto (Carl P. E. Bach)
Professional Musicians
- Kiyoshi Arai
- Mark Wolbers
Ensemble Repertoires
-
Air and Gigue (Handel)
Allegro (J.C. Bach)
Allegro Rococo (Koepke)
An Der Wiege (Grieg)
Ballad (Rimsky-Korsakov)
Blue Twilight (Walters)
Theme from Christmas Oratorio
Menuetto (Mozart)
Bibliography
Bb and Eb:
http://www.1st-clarinet-music.com/Articles/e-flat-clarinet.htm
http://soundcloud.com/robbieellis/three-sibilants
http://musiced.about.com/od/beginnersguide/a/clarinettypes.htm
http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/E-flat+Clarinets
http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/thesoundexchange/the_orchestra/instruments/cla
rinet/range/
http://wiki.youngcomposers.com/Clarinet
http://www.vsl.co.at/en/70/3161/3173/3175/5583.vsl
Bibliography
Alto:
http://the-clarinets.net/english/clarinet-family.html
http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/texta/Altoclarinet.html
http://hem.passagen.se/eriahl/clarinet.htm
http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/Basset_Horn.html
http://www.usefulweb.org/clarinet/types.html
http://www.altoclarinet.org/
http://wiki.youngcomposers.com/Clarinet#Eb_alto_clarinet
http://www.penders.com/index.php/2032/class-uil-alto-clar-solos?cPath=2032
How Much You Know About the
Clarinets
How Much You Know About the
Clarinets
LEVEL 1
1) Who invented the clarinet?
- Johann Denner
2) Which continent does the wood to make clarinet come from?
- Africa
3) What is the lowest the note on a Bb Clarinet (how many octave(s) below
Central C)?
- Low E (one octave below Central C)
4) From what Renaissance instrument did the clarinet develop?
- Chalumeau
How Much You Know About the
Clarinets
LEVEL 2 (a little thinking)
5) What is the highest sounding clarinet (CAREFUL)?
- Sopranino Clarinet
6) Is violin very closely related to the clarinet?
- No, they have no relation. Well, the only way they can be related is that they
are both instruments played in orchestras ;)
7) Is the French horn related to the clarinet in any way?
- Yes, they are both aerophones /wind instruments, HAHA 
8) What is the firmest, hence most difficult reed (of those named)?
- 4.5 (most general); if you answer “5”, that’s okay too.
How Much You Know About the
Clarinets
LEVEL 3 (knowledge is critical)
9) What part of the clarinet holds the reed in place?
- Ligature
10) What fingering system is currently used on clarinets?
- Boehm System
11) This composer wrote a piece for clarinet just before his death in 1791.
Give the name of this composer and this piece.
- Mozart, Clarinet Concerto in A (basset clarinet)
How Much You Know About the
Clarinets
*bonas*
Or, if you want, call it the
HAGAN CHALLENGE

Finally, roughly what does the word “clarinet” mean? (It’ll be great
if you can also come up with the Italian word)
Italian Word: Clarinetto, derived from the word “clarino”, which is a kind of
trumpet that is loud and clear!
Is this the answer you expected?
THE END
Thanks for participating!