Clarinet Vibrato: History, Technique, and Musical Application

If you want to start a fast and heated debate in a gathering of clarinetists, just mention the word vibrato.

Definition of Vibrato

Vibrato, by definition, is a tool of musical expression utilizing controlled pitch wavering of the tone. These undulations of pitch rapidly alternate between rising slightly above and falling slightly below any given note. How far the pitch deviates (width) and the rapidity of the vibrato undulations (speed) are at the discretion of each player.

How Musicians Use Vibrato

Vocalists regularly incorporate vibrato, achieving this effect by manipulating their air, throat, and oral cavity.

String players make controlled up and down movements of their left hand on the fingerboard.

Brass players can achieve vibrato through pulsating their air and/or using their physical equipment, such as slightly and rapidly moving the slide in and out on trombone, and moving the fingers laterally back and forth on the valves of the trumpet, French horn, and tuba.

Vibrato on flute and saxophone is achieved through a combination of pulsating air and controlled undulating lip and jaw movements. Oboe and bassoon vibrato can also be achieved in this manner, but most double reed players utilize a diaphragm vibrato, where the diaphragm muscle is consciously moved rapidly up and down while sustaining the tone.

These methods of vibrati have been standard performance practice on these instruments for well over a hundred years. Teachers of these instruments spend many hours teaching and cultivating vibrato with their students. So where is the clarinet in this discussion?

The Controversy with Clarinetists

Vibrato is a controversial subject with clarinetists.

Those Against

There are those who believe that the clarinet's tone is pure and should be "straight", achieved without using any vibrato. They argue that because the unique overtone series of the clarinet (overblowing at the interval of the 12th) eliminates the first note in the harmonic series, that vibrato should be avoided.

Those For

Others argue that using vibrato as a tool to make the musical line more expressive is not only acceptable, but preferable.

Most of the vibrato I have heard with clarinetists is unique and has developed naturally over time by the individual player. I have not heard of a specific and/or documented pedagogical approach to clarinet vibrato.

Influence of Jazz Music

In the early to mid-twentieth century, the omnipresence of jazz music certainly had an influence on clarinet vibrato. Many jazz clarinetists were multi-instrumentalists and most played saxophone. So, oftentimes, saxophone vibrato was carried over on to the clarinet. Therefore, the use of vibrato for jazz clarinet became the norm and remains so to this day.

Ethnic and folk music of that time, especially from Eastern Europe, Turkey, and Greece, often featured the clarinet. Many of these players had no formal training and vibrato came naturally to them as they were imitating the human voice.

Vibrato in the Classical World

Richard Mühlfeld

In the classical world, it is documented that Richard Mühlfeld (1856-1907), the great German clarinetist for whom Brahms composed his clarinet compositions, used vibrato. Mühlfeld began as a violinist, so it was quite natural for him to carry this tool of expression over to the clarinet. Unfortunately, there are no known recordings of Mühlfeld; so much is left to the imagination.

Reginald Kell

The great English clarinetist, Reginald Kell (1906-1981) was the true pioneer of clarinet vibrato in classical music. Kell, like Mühlfeld, began as a violinist and his use of vibrato stirred controversy amongst classical clarinetists, many of whom openly criticized him for his free use of vibrato. After serving as principal clarinet in the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Royal Philharmonic, Kell became an internationally acclaimed soloist. Some of the greatest conductors of the time praised Kell for his tasteful use of vibrato and encouraged him to continue his personal approach to playing.

American Clarinetists

In more recent years, leading American classical clarinetists like Harold Wright, Stanley Drucker, and Richard Stoltzman have freely used vibrato, each in an individual and unique way. This has also been the case in a number of players and schools of clarinet teaching from around the world, perhaps most notably in the leading players from the French school of the twentieth century.

Where Does This Leave Us Today?

The controversy continues today. It is up to posterity to continue or settle this great debate - vibrato or no vibrato? Personally, I enjoy great musicianship, which can be enjoyed with or without vibrato.

About the Author

Mitchell Estrin is Professor of Clarinet at the University of Florida, Music Director and Conductor of the University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble, and a 2018 University of Florida Research Foundation Professor. He served as the founding Artistic Director of the Vandoren Clarinet Ensemble Festival and was founder of the Buffet Crampon USA Summer Clarinet Academy. From 2018-2020, Prof. Estrin served as President of the International Clarinet Association. He is the author of the biography Stanley Drucker, Clarinet Master published by Carl Fischer, LLC.

Prof. Estrin is a 2023 recipient of Honorary Membership in the International Clarinet Association. This accolade, marking the highest honor in the clarinet world, is said to acknowledge individuals with a distinguished background in the areas of professional service, teaching, performance, and lifetime achievements.

Mitchell Estrin studied clarinet with Stanley Drucker at The Juilliard School where he received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees and was awarded a Naumburg Scholarship. During his 25-year association with the New York Philharmonic, he performed in hundreds of concerts and on 19 international tours as principal, second, and E-flat clarinetist under such distinguished conductors as Alan Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Erich Leinsdorf, Sir Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, Klaus Tennstedt, Andre Previn, and Leonard Slatkin. He performed on dozens of recordings with the orchestra and on numerous occasions performed with the Philharmonic on the PBS award winning series, Live From Lincoln Center.

As an international concert artist, Mitchell Estrin has performed in 38 countries on 5 continents. He performed and recorded with the Janacek Philharmonic in the world premiere of The Shadows of October for clarinet and orchestra by Michael Whalen. The work was recorded on the Arabesque label and the CD is being aired on classical radio stations internationally. The recording was reviewed in The Clarinet, which stated: “This beautiful and lushly scored tonal piece…. is performed by clarinetist Mitchell Estrin…. He plays beautifully with a lovely colored tone.”

An active chamber musician, he has performed with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New Arts Trio, been an Artist-in-Residence at the Newport Music Festival, and was a founding member of the Amadeus Ensemble. The ensemble recorded a critically acclaimed series of wind chamber music for Musical Heritage Society. Other chamber music projects include recordings of wind serenades by Dvorak and Mozart with the American Chamber Winds, and Monochrome III by Peter Schickele under the composer’s direction.

Prof. Estrin has presented recitals, masterclasses, workshops, and seminars at a number of prestigious educational conferences and institutions including the Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, Arizona State University, Florida State University, University of Maryland, University of Alabama, University of Arizona, University of Texas, Texas State University, Texas A&M University, Midwest Clinic, New York State School Music Association, Connecticut School Music Association, and Florida Music Educators Association. In 2019, he was a guest clinician in Australia at the University of Melbourne. He has performed in recital with clarinetists Stanley Drucker, Karl Leister, and Mark Nuccio.

Widely acclaimed as a conductor and proponent of the clarinet choir, Prof. Estrin has served as director of the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest® College, Festival, and Professors Clarinet Choirs, Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium Clarinet Choir, Texas Clarinet Colloquium Clarinet Choir, and United States Navy Clarinet Choir. He is a Guinness World Record holder for conducting the world's largest clarinet choir (367 members) in 2019. He has conducted the University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble throughout the United States and Europe, including three feature recitals at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest®. The ensemble has produced four critically acclaimed CD's for Mark Masters, Christmas Clarinets (2016), Clarinet Choir Classics (2012), Clarinet Thunder (2009), and Wind in the Reeds (2006). Each of these recordings was selected for the Grammy Nomination eligibility list. Prof. Estrin has authored a number of articles on the history, development, and logistics of the clarinet choir, and his critical edition of the Weber Concertino for Clarinet, opus 26 is published by Jeanné.

As a studio musician, Prof. Estrin recorded dozens of motion picture soundtracks for Columbia Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, MGM, 20th Century Fox, United Artists, and Warner Brothers on feature films including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Alamo, Intolerable Cruelty, The Score, You’ve Got Mail, Primary Colors, Fargo, Batman Forever, Interview with the Vampire, Home Alone 2, Pocahontas, Doc Hollywood, Regarding Henry, The Untouchables, Reds, and Dressed to Kill. His television credits include recordings for ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, HBO, TBS, and ESPN. Prof. Estrin was principal clarinetist for the NBC 75th Anniversary Special; broadcast from the famed NBC Studio 8H in New York City. He has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Phil Donahue Show, the television series Nurse, and in Kramer vs. Kramer, the 1980 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture. His clarinet playing has also been heard on hundreds of television and radio commercials. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has recognized him for his outstanding performances as a recording artist.

Prof. Estrin's students hold positions at major universities, and have performed with such prestigious ensembles as the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, New York Pops, United States Army Band "Pershing's Own", and United States Army Field Band.

Mitchell Estrin is a Buffet Crampon Clarinet Artist and performs exclusively on the Buffet R13 clarinet. As a Vandoren Performing Artist, he endorses and performs exclusively on Vandoren reeds and mouthpieces. Prof. Estrin's educational articles are published regularly in the Vandoren Wave and his biography is listed in Who's Who in Classical Music, Who’s Who in American Music, and Who’s Who in International Music.