High-range instruments > clarinet in C
Range of the clarinet in C
General
The only common non-transposing instrument in the clarinet family, the C clarinet has a hint of the sound of the piccolo clarinets whilst still retaining relative warmth. In the orchestra, a group of two or three C clarinets can compete with the trumpets, having a brilliant, shiny sound. Mendelssohn used it in his incidental music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream in two instances: the Wedding March and the Funeral March, from which one might surmise, that he thought the sound fitting in the context of rituals. In modern music, it has been known to sound like a hyperactive, wound-up regular clarinet.
Nearby range and tone colour pairings: flute, oboe, oboe d’amore, cor anglais, soprano saxophone, trumpet, high/small percussion, violin
Distant range and tone colour pairings: low woodwind, low brass, large/low percussion, low strings
Video example (18th century)
Notable repertoire:
Ignaz Pleyel — Clarinet Concerto (1797) for clarinet and orchestra
Gioachino Rossini — The Barber of Seville (1816) opera buffa
Felix Mendelssohn — A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1826/42) stage play
Bedrich Smetana — The Bartered Bride (1866) opera buffa
Richard Strauss — Eine Alpensinfonie (1915) for orchestra
Richard Barrett — knospend-gespaltener (1992) for solo clarinet in C
James Erber — Strange Moments of Intimacy (1999) for solo clarinet in C
