The Clarinet in Baroque Music

Although limited in quantity, there are some excellent original works that include the clarinet from the Baroque period.

The precursor to the clarinet was a single reed pipe called the chalumeau. Limited in range but rich in sonority, the chalumeau attracted the attention of a number of Baroque composers, perhaps most notably Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767). Telemann composed a Carillon à 2 Chalumeaux which features a duo of soprano and alto voice chalumeau. Tuneful and rhythmic, these duos are very enjoyable to play on the modern clarinet.

Johann Melchior Molter

In the 1740s, German composer Johann Melchior Molter (1696-1765) composed at least six known concertos for solo D clarinet with strings and continuo. These are the earliest known clarinet concertos. Molter's three-movement works are written in the clarino style, a compositional style of instrumental writing featuring virtuosic coloratura passages and requiring great agility in the altissimo register.

Worthy of serious study and more frequent concert performances, the Molter concertos are rarely heard likely due to the scarcity of D clarinets. Occasionally, players have performed these concertos on the E-flat clarinet, requiring a transposition of the accompaniment parts one half-step higher than the original key.

Antonio Vivaldi

The great Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) also composed for the clarinet, including writing for pairs of C clarinets in his concerti for multiple winds, strings and continuo, notably the Concerto in C major for two oboes, two clarinets, strings and harpsichord, F. XII no. 1.

George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) composed an engaging Sonata in D major for two clarinets and corno di caccia (hunting horn).

Due to the limited availability of instruments and skilled performers, and because of the relatively unknown status of the clarinet, it wasn't until the Classical period that the instrument firmly established its permanent place in the musical mainstream, when it became a fixture in the woodwind section of the symphony orchestra.

The proliferation of military bands during that time period was also a contributing factor to the widespread use and acceptance of clarinets.

Ornamentation in Clarinet Baroque Music

Lastly, when discussing Baroque music, it is important to mention ornamentation.

Ornamentation was a common performance practice during the Baroque period that is not a subject generally covered in standard clarinet pedagogy.

Definition

Basically, the interpreter has some poetic license to embellish the melodic lines through the use of appoggiaturas, grace notes, trills, mordents, and a variety of other melodic and rhythmic devices, chosen at the discretion of each interpreter.

There is a great amount of study, knowledge, and historical tradition related to applying stylistically appropriate and tasteful Baroque ornamentation.

I learned about ornamentation by reading source materials such as the Johann Quantz (1697-1773) treatise On Playing the Flute, listening to Baroque music, and learning from respected colleagues who had expertise in ornamentation.

Flautists, oboists, and bassoonists perform a large repertoire of Baroque music and can be a great resource for clarinetists regarding the interpretation and ornamentation of Baroque music.

I invite you to discover or revisit these early masterworks for clarinet. It is interesting to play this music, not only for the musical rewards, but to experience some of the earliest writing for the clarinet. In any case, I hope you enjoy this often neglected and wonderful music for the clarinet!