3. The Clarinet Today
Today, most clarinetists either play a clarinet with the German system or a Boehm clarinet. Almost all clarinets can be transposed. Orchestral musicians and soloists mainly play Bb and A clarinets and often use the same mouthpiece and barrel for both models. The pitch range on the Bb clarinet (most commonly used) and the A clarinet spans from low E to four octaves up to high E, although most players only reach C. This range can be divided into three registers. The lowest is the Chalumeau - from low E to Bb (1.5 octaves). The four notes at the top of the Chalumeau register are known as throat tones (G, G#, A, and Bb). The Clarino register goes from written B up through middle C to high C one octave higher. Even higher notes (from C# and higher) make up the Altissimo register. Clarinets are built in five parts: the mouthpiece, barrel, upper and lower joint, and the bell.
In Germany and Austria, clarinets with German fingering are more common. Internationally, clarinets with French fingering - Boehm clarinets - have prevailed. They are easier to finger and do not require roller keys.
As mentioned earlier, Bb clarinets are the most commonly encountered. For higher pitches, there is the Eb clarinet. For lower pitches, there are bass clarinets. C and D clarinets are almost never played nowadays, while bass and Eb clarinets are somewhat more common (e.g., bass clarinet in jazz). A clarinets are only used by professionals.
The clarinet is an integral part of an orchestra and is prominently featured in many pieces. Notable is a very poignant solo in the second movement of Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto and an extended solo in Sibelius' opera "En Saga." Two clarinets open Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, and the bass clarinet strongly influences Wagner's "The Ring of the Nibelung." There is also a wealth of solo pieces, including concertos by Mozart, Weber, Finzi, and Copland, sonatas by Brahms and Bax, fantasy pieces by Schumann, quintets and trios by Mozart and Brahms, and Stravinsky's "Three Pieces."
In the Swing Era (1930s-40s), the clarinet became a dominant solo instrument. Clarinetists like Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and Woody Herman led big bands to success. Since then, players like Eric Dolphy, Eddie Daniels, Don Byron, and Tony Coe have contributed to the clarinet's leading role in jazz.
However, the clarinet is also at home in folk music (around the world). Mention should be made of Klezmer music (a form of Jewish folk music), Central European wind orchestras, and traditional Eastern European folk music.
