The Early Clarinet. A Practical Guide

This practical guide is intended for all clarinettists with a desire to investigate music of earlier periods. It contains practical help on both the aquisition and playing of historical clarinets, while players of modern instruments will find much advice on style, approach and techniques which combine to make up a well-grounded, period interpretation. The book presents and interprets evidence from primary sources and offers suggestions for further reading and investigation. Most importantly, a series of case studies which include the music of Handel, Mozart and Brahms helps recreate performances which will be as close as possible to the composer?s original intention. As the early clarinet becomes increasingly popular worldwide, this guide, written by one of the foremost interpreters of early clarinet music, will ensure that players at all levels - professional, students or amateurs - are fully aware of historical considerations in their performance.
- The first book devoted to questions of historical performance on clarinet
- Written by an internationally famous player and CUP author of several clarinet books, especially the Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet
- Suitable for players of all levels and not only those with period instruments

CONTENIDO:

List of illustrations ix
Preface xi

1 The early clarinet in context
Introduction
Historical performance and the clarinet
Clarinet literature
The collector
Style
Interpreting the evidence
The current scene

2 Historical considerations
Aims and aspirations
Origin and development of the clarinet
The chalumeau and its music
Baroque clarinet repertory
Classical
Romantic
A snapshot from 1879
The late nineteenth century
Early recordings and musical style

3 Equipment
Aspects of standardisation
Classical clarinets
Nineteenth-century clarinets
Original instruments
Copies
Mouthpieces
Reeds
Care and maintenance

4 Playing historical clarinets (Ingrid Pearson)
Introduction
Posture
Embouchure and reed-position
Articulation
Fingering
Ornamentation
Other practical and aesthetic considerations

5 The language ofmusical style
Introduction
Sources
Rhetoric
The Romantic era

6 Case studies in ensemble music
Handel: Ouverture HWV 424 for two clarinets and horn
Johann Stamitz: Clarinet Concerto in Bb
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet K581
Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in Eb , Op. 74
Brahms: Clarinet Trio Op. 114

7 Related family members
Introduction
Special projects: high clarinets
Low clarinets
Basset horn, basset clarinet

Notes
Select bibliography
Index