Although the Bœhm system clarinet in Bb is the most widelyknown member of the clarinet family, it also has a number ofcousins that share the limelight with contemporary musicians today.

Here we take a look at the clarinet family, from the highest to the lowest voice.

Sopraninoclarinet

in Ab

Now acuriosity in

itself, thisinstrument isvery rare and

one of themost highly

prized piecesamong

collectors. Itsuse, however,

was largelylimited to

militarybands.

The clarinet family

Sopraninoclarinet in D

Also not forthe faint

hearted, thesopranino

clarinet in Dneverthelessfound favour

with Molter inhis concertos

and withRichard

Strauss in hissymphonic

poem TillEulenspiegel. It

has theadvantage of

being easier toplay than its

Ebcounterpart.

Clarinet in C

Increasinglycast aside byexperienced

players infavour of the

Bb, thisinstrument,

whichseduced

both FranzLiszt in Faust

(choralsymphony)

and RichardStrauss in

The Knight ofthe Rose, issometimesused as abeginner’s

instrument.

Sopraninoclarinet

in Eb

Bestremembered

for itscontributionto Berlioz’sSymphonie

Fantastique,this

instrumentdemands a

strongtechnique asits high notes

requirespecial

fingering. Itsstar quality?The perfect

resonance ofits high tones.

Clarinet in Bb

The mostcommonly

used.Combining

brilliance andeloquence with

a full andradiant sound,

it blendsperfectly with

both woodwindand string

instruments.Virtuoso and

faithfulcompanion ofsoloists fromthe worlds ofclassical, jazz

andcontemporary

music alike.

Clarinet in A

A favouriteamongst Bb

devoteeswho revel in

its warmintimacy

combinedwith an

exquisitesoftness and

beautifullydeep tone. It

is littlewonder thatthis clarinet

made itsmark in the

chambermusic of both

Mozart andBrahms.

Bassetclarinet in A

Similar indesign to the

clarinet in Abut with the

addedpossibility ofa low C, this

instrumentexcels inMozart’s

Quintet forclarinet and

strings,K 581.

However, itremains very

rare. Sop

rani

no c

larin

et in

G#

Sop

rani

no c

larin

et in

Eb

Sop

rani

no c

larin

et in

D

Cla

rinet

in C

Cla

rinet

in B

b

Cla

rinet

in A

Bas

s cl

arin

et in

A

two

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thre

eBasset horn

in F

Who wouldn’tthink of Mozart

and his Requiemwhen

considering thisinstrument that

was also afavourite of

Strauss andMassenet?

Previously bentin the middle,

today’s bassethorn is straight

in form and hasa metal neck.

Alto clarinetin Eb

The alto clarinetin Eb differs fromother clarinets in

its curvedmetal neck andbell, much like

the basset horn.It is a muchsought after

instrument and isparticularly

appreciated inchamber music.

Bass clarinetin Bb

This clarinet hasa curved neck

and a larger bell,while its

authoritative bassnotes combine

marvellously withthe wood and

string sections ofjazz and

contemporarymusic alike.

There are twobass models:

one going downto low Eb and

the other tolow C.

Contraltoclarinet in Eb

This clarinetdraws on all the

charms of itssuperbly smooth,

deep register,which gives it

exceptionalrange.

Unfortunately,however, it is all

too rarely used ina symphony

orchestra.

Contrabassclarinet in Bb

The shape of thisinstrument is what

sets it apart fromthe rest: folded back

on itself, it is 2.31metres long. Made

from metal andwood, it extends to

a low Bb bassoctave. Composers

are turning to itmore and more.B

asse

t hor

n in

F

Alto

cla

rinet

in E

b

Bas

s cl

arin

et in

Bb

Con

tralto

cla

rinet

in E

b

Con

traba

ss c

larin

et in

Bb

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