Clarinet

Clarinet (English clarinet, Italian clarinetto, French clarinette, German Klarinette; from Latin - clear (sound)) - a musical instrument of the family of woodwinds, invented in 1701. It is widely used as a solo instrument, as well as in a symphony orchestra, and is considered one of the most virtuoso musical instruments.

The clarinet belongs to the transposing instruments, clarinets are used in various systems, mainly in the B flat style ("in B") and in the "la A" style. Clarinet range (by entry) from e to c ^ 4. Varieties of clarinet are piccolo clarinet (in Es, rarely in D), basset horn (almost out of practice, in F) and bass clarinet (in B). In a symphony orchestra score, the clarinet part is written between oboe and bassoon parts.

History of the tool

The clarinet was invented in the late 17th - early 18th centuries (some reference books indicate the year of the invention of the clarinet 1690, other researchers question this date and point out that the first mention of the clarinet dates back to 1710 ) by Nuremberg musician Johann Christoph. Denner (1655-1707), who at the time was working to improve the design of an ancient French wind instrument, the shalyumo. The main innovation that makes it possible to clearly distinguish between a shalyum and a clarinet is the appearance of a valve on the back of the instrument, which is controlled by the thumb of the left hand and helps the transition to the second octave. In this register, the sound of the first samples of the new instrument (originally called simply "advanced shalyumo") resembled the timbre of the pipe used at the time, called "clarino" (clarino), whose name, in turn, comes from Latin. clarus - "clear" (sound). This trumpet gave its name first to the register, and then to the whole instrument -clarinetto (Italian name for clarinet) literally means "little clarino". For some time shalyumo and clarinet were used on an equal footing, but in the second quarter of the XVIII century shalyumo almost disappeared from musical practice. Denner's work was continued by his son Jacob (1681-1735), and three instruments of his work are preserved in the museums of Nuremberg, Berlin, and Brussels. All these clarinets had two valves. Instruments of this design were quite common until the XIX century, but the Austrian master Paur around 1760 added to the two existing valves, the third, the Belgian master Rottenburg - the fourth, the Englishman John Hale in 1785 - the fifth, and finally the famous French clarinetist. and composer Jean-Xavier Lefebvre around 1790 created a classical model of a clarinet with six valves.

By the end of the XVIII century the clarinet became a full-fledged instrument of classical music. There are virtuoso performers who improve not only the technique of clarinet performance, but also its design. Among them is Ivan Mueller, who changed the design of the mouthpiece, which significantly affected the timbre, simplified the prelude and expanded the range of the instrument, in fact, creating a new model. From this time begins the "golden age" of the clarinet.

Improvement of the clarinet continued in the XIX century: Professor of the Paris Conservatory Hyacinth Klose and music master Louis-Auguste Buffet (brother of the founder of "Buffet-Crampon" Danny Buffet) successfully adapted to the clarinet ring valve system, invented by Belian and flutist only on the flute. This model is called "Bem's clarinet" or "French clarinet". Other outstanding masters who took part in further improving the design of the clarinet include Adolf Sachs (inventor of the saxophone and wide-brass brass instruments) and Eugene Albert. In Germany and Austria, the so-called "German" and "Austrian" clarinets became widespread, originating from an instrument with a valve system designed by Johann Georg Ottensteiner (1815-1879) together with clarinetist Karl Berman, who graduated from the School of Playing. for this system. In the 1900s, the Berlin master Oscar Eleri (1858-1936) made small improvements. Traditionally, such a system is called "Elery's system". The mechanism of the German clarinet differs from the French and is less suitable for fast virtuoso playing. Mouthpieces and canes of these clarinets are also made by a technology different from the French. It is believed, however, that the instruments of the German system provide greater expressiveness and volume. For a long time, the clarinets of the German system were widespread throughout the world, but around the 1950s began the transition of musicians to clarinets of the French system, and now German clarinets are played mainly only Austrian, German and Dutch, and keeping the tradition. - Some Russian clarinetists. In addition to the Bem and Eleri systems, there are several other options for the location of valves on the instrument, in particular, in the early XX century, the company "Selmer" produced "Albert clarinets" (reminiscent of instruments of the mid-XIX century), and in 1960-70's - " Clarinet Mark ». The range of the latter could be extended up by an octave. However, these tools are not widespread. Among the experimental samples of various designers should be noted the quarter-tone clarinet of Fritz Schuller, intended for the performance of modern music.

French and German clarinet

Fritz Schuller Quarter Clarinet (1933)

Modern clarinet is a rather complex mechanism. The tool has about 20 valves, many axes, springs, rods and screws. Leading manufacturers of musical instruments are constantly improving the design of the clarinet and creating new models.

Mouthpiece

Mouthpiece with modern ligature and cane

The mouthpiece is a part of the beak-shaped clarinet into which the musician blows air. On the back of the mouthpiece on a flat surface is a hole that is continuously closed during play and opened with a vibrating cane - the sound-forming element of the clarinet. On both sides of the hole are the so-called "rails" (rails), responsible for limiting the vibration of the cane. A small bend in their upper part away from the cane is called a "notch". The length of the notch, as well as the distance from the free end of the cane to the top of the mouthpiece ("openness" of the mouthpiece) - the main characteristics that distinguish mouthpieces from each other and affect the timbre of the tool as a whole. The shape of the cane hole, the angle of the upper surface of the mouthpiece, the characteristics of the ebonite used and others may also differ. In the modern market of mouthpieces there is a wide range of models, among which the musician can choose the appropriate option for the desired purposes (solo, chamber, orchestral performance, jazz, etc.).

Mouthpiece with modern ligature and cane

In the early stages of clarinet history, the mouthpiece was not a separate part of the clarinet and passed directly into the main body of the instrument, the material for which was wood (eg, pear). With the need to separate the mouthpiece from other parts of the clarinet, it began to use stronger materials: ivory, metals, etc. appeared in the second half of the XIX century, ebonite mouthpieces soon became essentially the standard. They are most often used in music of all genres and provide ample opportunities for sound control. There are also mouthpieces made of glass ("crystal"), relatively easy to operate and have a more open sound, as well as plastic (which have a lower price and less rich sound), which are commonly used in training. Solid wood mouthpieces are common in Germany. Regardless of the material from which the mouthpiece is made, its surface is usually ground and polished (except for the part to which the cane is adjacent).

Cane

From left to right: clarinet cane in B, clarinet cane in Es, soprano clarinet cane in As

Cane (tongue) - sound-reproducing (vibrating) part of the instrument, which is a thin narrow plate, which is made of special varieties of reeds (Arundo donax). The cane is attached to the mouthpiece with a ligature (in the slang of musicians - "typewriters") - a special metal, leather or plastic clamp with two screws (newer models of ligatures can have one screw, which gives bidirectional screwing). The invention of the ligature is attributed to Ivan Mueller and dates back to the first quarter of the XIX century. Until then, the cane was tied to the mouthpiece with a special lace (on German and Austrian clarinet models, this method of attaching the cane is still used).

From left to right: clarinet cane in B, clarinet cane in Es, soprano clarinet cane in As

In the earliest models of clarinets, the cane was on top of the mouthpiece and controlled by the upper lip, but from the end of the XVIII century began the transition to performance on the cane, located below the mouthpiece and controlled by the lower lip. Recommendations for this way of playing are contained in the textbooks of a number of famous clarinetists of the time, in particular, Ivan Mueller. However, many musicians, including the famous English clarinetist Thomas Lindsay Willman, preferred the old way of performing until almost the middle of the 19th century, and the Paris Conservatory did not officially announce the transition to teaching with a cane under its mouth until 1831.

Device for processing canes

Canes are sold in packages, according to their "hardness" or, as musicians say, "weight", which depends on the thickness of the working surface of the cane. Some musicians use special instruments to make canes themselves or rework already purchased ones (before clarinetists did this before producing canes on the assembly line). The "weight" of the cane and the characteristics of the mouthpiece are interrelated.

In the process of using canes fail quickly due to wear of reed fibers. The service life of the cane depends on the strength of the blown air flow, the "weight" of the cane itself, the force of pressure on it and other factors, and usually does not exceed a month of daily active activities.

Clarinet canes are a fragile and thin device. To prevent accidental damage, a special metal or plastic cap is used, which is put on the mouthpiece if the tool is not used for a long time.

Barrel

Barrel

The barrel is the part of the clarinet that connects the mouthpiece to the main body of the instrument (upper knee). In addition to aesthetic and practical (in case of damage, the barrel is easy to replace with a new one) functions, it is also responsible for tuning the clarinet. Slightly pushing the barrel out of the case or pushing back before the game, you can change the overall structure of the instrument within about a quarter tone. As a rule, clarinetists stock up on several barrels of different lengths to be able to adapt to changing playing conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.).

Upper and lower knee

Part of the valve mechanism on the lower knee

These parts of the instrument are located between the bell and the barrel. They have sound holes, rings and valves. Behind the lower knee is a special small stand that rests on the thumb of the right hand, which thus maintains the weight of the entire tool. The other fingers open and close the holes on the instrument body to produce sounds of different pitches. Seven holes are closed and opened directly with the fingers (six on the front of the tool and one on the back), valves are used for all others. The elements of the valve mechanism are interconnected by a complex system of axes, springs, rods and screws.

Funnel

Funnel

The invention of the bell is attributed to Jacob Denner (1720s). This part of the instrument allows you to extract the lowest sound (low octave) and improve the intonation of some other low sounds, as well as achieve greater accuracy between the low and middle registers. The bell of the basset horn and lower clarinet versions is made of metal and bends.