Fantasy for Bass Clarinet

Why not dedicate a little post to an interesting from my point of view music instrument – bass clarinet. You know that old joke (well, and many others, similar ones): “How do you stop an oboe from being stolen? – Put it in a clarinet case.” So yeah, by the way, I WOULD steal the clarinet case because I do like this instrument, I do!

It’s like a man with a low beautiful voice, powerful and charming – an octave lower than its relative ‘soprano clarinet’. Today it’s a common music member to see in various orchestras and ensembles but it was apparently underestimated in the 19th century before its construction was improved by, ironically, Adolphe Sax, the sax inventor. The interest grew and the clarinetists soon were turning into bass clarinetists as well, being lured by the new instruments sounding. Composers, too, grew a liking for it – Ravel, Liszt, Strauss, Berlioz, Meyerbeer and a long row of other wrote for it. The number of solos was very small of course at the beginning, but with time musicians both arranged the classics and later started widening the solo repertoire for bass clarinet.

David Ocker playing Bass Clarinet

Today it’s a loved instrument of great composers like Brian Ferneyhough, David Lang, musicians like Henri Bok, Dennis Smylie, Luciano Berio and many others. Bass clarinet is a ‘reinforcing’ instrument so it’s a common thing in marching bands, orchestras and choirs. Gorillaz, Muse loved and used it a lot, you may hear it in The Beatles songs too. Some clarinet lovers love to dedicate whole works for it – here’s an example of a Fantasy for Bass Clarinet (Natalie Schindler).

So, yeah, bass clarinet doesn’t lack charm.