Clarinets

High-range instruments > clarinets in B-flat & A

General

The subtle changes in timbre between clarinets in B-flat and A are noticeable in solo works and chamber music. Igor Stravinsky stipulated in his Three Pieces for clarinet (1918) a change from A to Bb clarinets between the second and third pieces, most certainly imbuing the third piece with a suddenly brighter tonal character. The 'standard' pair of clarinets that all professional clarinettists own are pitched in B-flat and A. They are both equally versatile since most players prefer to have matching instruments (same model, similar quality, same keywork etc.) due to the frequent changes between the two eg. in an orchestral setting. One reason for the continued existence of these neighbouring instruments is the ability to perform “difficult” key signatures (eg. sounding B major) on an instrument where that key signature is rendered “easy” by the transposition: sounding B major (five sharps) would be C# major (seven sharps) on a B-flat clarinet, however D major (two sharps) on a clarinet in A. Whilst key signatures are perhaps rare in contemporary works, the virtues of these instruments can be found in their two distinct tone colours: the B-flat clarinet is woody and bright and the A clarinet is woody and more mellow or dark. Both are capable of achieving colours from dark to bright depending on range, context and setup. The difference in timbre between B-flat and A clarinets might not be overtly apparent to the untrained ear, but even if this works on a subliminal level, it may be worth considering for your music. One virtue of the clarinet in A is the extra semitone in the low register thanks to its nominal pitch a semitone below the B-flat clarinet.

Nearby range and tone colour pairings: flute, alto flute, oboe, oboe d’amore, cor anglais, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, trumpet, high-mid range percussion, violin, viola

Distant range and tone colour pairings: low woodwind, low brass, large/low percussion, low strings

Video example clarinet in B-flat (18th century)

Notable repertoire for clarinet in B-flat:

Carl Maria von Weber — Clarinet Concerto No. 1 and No. 2 in F minor and E-flat major (1811) for clarinet and orch.
Johannes Brahms — Sonatas No. 1 and No. 2 in F minor and E-flat major (1894) for clarinet and piano
Aaron Copland — Clarinet Concerto (1949) for clarinet and chamber orchestra
Pierre Boulez — Domaines (1961/1969) for solo clarinet or clarinet and ensemble
Helmut Lachenmann — Dal niente (1970) for solo clarinet
Liza Lim — Sonorous Body (2008) for solo clarinet

Video example clarinet in A (18th century)
Video example clarinet in A (20th century)

Notable repertoire for clarinet in A:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Clarinet Concerto in A major (1791) for clarinet and orchestra
Johannes Brahms — Clarinet Quintet in B minor (1891) for clarinet and string quartet
Carl Nielsen — Clarinet Concerto (1928) for clarinet and orchestra
Heinrich Sutermeister — Capriccio (1947) for solo clarinet
Jean Françaix — Theme and Variations (1974) for clarinet and piano
Chris Dench — Ruins within (1993) for solo clarinet

Transposition hacks

clarinet in B-flat

sounding > written: think a major second higher [ + M2 ] • read as if tenor clef and play one octave higher
written > sounding: think a major second lower [ - M2 ]

clarinet in A

sounding > written: think a minor third higher [ + m3 ] • read as if bass clef (German notation) and play one octave higher
written > sounding: think a minor third lower [ - m3 ]