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.

Discover More 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!

About Mitchell Estrin

Mitchell Estrin is Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of Florida where he was founder and music director of the University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble and a University of Florida Research Foundation Professor. He served as the Artistic Director of the Vandoren Clarinet Ensemble Festival and was founder of the Buffet Crampon USA Summer Clarinet Academy. Prof. Estrin was the 20th President of the International Clarinet Association (ICA). He is the author of the biography Stanley Drucker, Clarinet Master published by Carl Fischer and Writing the Vandoren WAVE published by CAMco. His critical edition of the Weber Concertino for Clarinet, Op. 26 is published by Jeanné.

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. His other influential teachers include Jerome Stowell, Walter Wollwage, Leon Russianoff, Larry Combs, Robert Bloom, and John Moses.

Prior to his academic appointments, he had a 25-year association with the New York Philharmonic. He performed in hundreds of concerts and on 19 international tours with the Philharmonic as principal, second, and E-flat clarinetist under music directors Alan Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez, Leonard Bernstein, and many distinguished guest conductors including Erich Leinsdorf, Sir Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, Klaus Tennstedt, Andre Previn, Sir Colin Davis, and Leonard Slatkin. He performed on dozens of recordings with the Philharmonic and on numerous occasions performed with the orchestra on the PBS award winning series, Live From Lincoln Center.

As an international concert artist, Mitchell Estrin has performed in over 40 countries on 5 continents. He performed and recorded the world premiere of The Shadows of October for clarinet and orchestra by Michael Whalen with the Janacek Philharmonic.
“This beautiful and lushly scored tonal piece…. is performed by clarinetist Mitchell Estrin…. He plays beautifully with a lovely colored tone.”
The Clarinet

As a chamber musician, he has performed with such notable ensembles as The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New Arts Trio, American Chamber Winds, at the Newport Music Festival, and was a founding member of the Amadeus Ensemble.

Prof. Estrin has an extensive discography of solo and chamber music and recorded hundreds of television commercials and Hollywood motion-picture soundtracks. He has performed and recorded with many leading popular artists including Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Peter, Paul and Mary, Ray Charles, The Fugees, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Smashing Pumpkins, and Natalie Merchant. His motion picture soundtrack credits include recordings for Columbia, Walt Disney, Paramount, 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 recognized him as a Most Valuable Player nominee for his outstanding performances in the recording studio.

Prof. Estrin has presented recitals, masterclasses, workshops, and seminars at many prestigious educational conferences and institutions. This list includes the Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, Arizona State University, Florida State University, University of Maryland, University of Alabama, University of Arizona, University of Illinois, 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, Texas State Clarinet Fiesta Clarinet Choir, Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium Clarinet Choir, Texas Clarinet Colloquium Clarinet Choir, and United States Navy Clarinet Choir. He held a Guinness World Record 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 multiple articles on the history, development, repertoire, and logistics of the clarinet choir.

As a music producer and annotator, he has worked on projects with such renowned artists as trombonist Joseph Alessi, jazz pianist Lynne Arriale, and saxophonist Mike Smith. He has produced five clarinet choir CDs for Mark Recording.

Prof. Estrin’s students 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”, United States Army Field Band, and West Point Band. His students hold educational positions at several major universities including Indiana University, University of Arizona, University of Florida, and University of South Alabama.

Mitchell Estrin is a Buffet Crampon Legacy Artist and performs exclusively on the Buffet R13 clarinet. As a Vandoren Performing Artist, he endorses and performs exclusively on Vandoren reeds (V.12) and mouthpieces (BD2). 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.