Richard Wagner — Lohengrin for 3rd & bass clarinets

Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin is an opera that was completed in 1848 and is scored for a large orchestra, stage musicians and of course, singers. The clarinet section comprises four parts: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and bass clarinets. The 1st and 2nd parts double on A, B-flat and C instruments. The 3rd on A and B-flat. The bass clarinet part is written in A and B-flat.

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Gold-plated Leblanc contra clarinets

Over the last six months I’ve been busy upgrading my original Leblanc contralto and contrabass clarinets. These heritage instruments were built in the 1960s and have surely seen their fair share of action. I purchased my contrabass in 2008 and my contralto in 2021 from second-hand dealers and have been playing them in various orchestras and smaller ensembles ever since.

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