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Clarinet in the 21st Century

Author: Ryan K
Date: 2009-07-02 04:28

Well, I'm a sax player on the side. As a result, I'm a huge fan of the New Century Saxophone Quartet. If you've never heard them, you need to. Spend a dollar, and get Drastic Measures: Allegro off of Itunes.

I bring them up in relation to the future of Clarinet. They're a quartet who are doing truly exciting music, doing many new commissions, and really getting young saxophonists excited. I live, near, and have some connections with the Duquesne University Music School, where they do alot of their work. The students that interact with them are brought in, with new exciting music, written for this era.

http://www.newcenturysax.com/audio/01%20Heartbreakers-%20Part%201a.mp3

-Melody and rhythm based on recording from Jerry Springer shows in the 90's

http://www.newcenturysax.com/audio/DrasticMeasures-%20Allegro.MP3
--Drastic Measures

What, in the clarinet world, is making it a viable instrument for today. Will the Clarinet ever become any bit mainstream? Could it be done, is it being done?

Or does someone need to transpose a top 20 hit, make it sound amazing for clarinet choir, and work from there.

Edit: Added Sound Samples

Ryan Karr
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA

Post Edited (2009-07-02 04:42)

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Re: Clarinet in the 21st Century

Author: Franklin Liao
Date: 2009-07-02 20:34

Well, I think that it'd be dangerous if the instrument stops improving, which I am glad to say is definitely not the case. We have seen many innovations coming in to improve the intonation and the acoustics, and even the key mechanics that will push the technical boundaries of the instrument to new heights.

As for complete evolution or revolution, the Electronic Wind Instrument is proving itself as an instrument that will not overtake the Clarinet as Clarinets did Chalameau, although I personally think that a keywork evolution is very much possible, although widespread adaptation will depend on backing from well established Clarinetists and makers, not only from technical improvements in the ergonomics sense.

Will Clarinet be mainstream? I do not think that the mass-produced popular musics of today have much room for the kind of finer beauty to the Clarinet can offer, due to that there is a loss of 'heart' in music production... of course, this will render all instruments, and not just Clarinet into merely an end to produce music for generation of profit.

Having said that, those that do love music as an expression and enjoys the language will find room for the Clarinet dialect. A return to the glorious days of Dixieland and Jazz? Perhaps not, but this voice won't go extinct at all.

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