Purpose
The Clarinet of the Twenty-First Century (2nd edition) has several objectives as a representative of a third generation of studies on extended instrumental techniques.
1) to present recent information (since 1992) in a context of older information (1961-91) on practical extensions of traditional clarinet performance techniques and materials to composers and clarinetists (as well as other wind players, conductors, etc.) at a multimedia web-site through written text - http://www.research.umbc.edu/~emrich/clarinet21.html (also available in an unabridged hard copy), audio examples (downloadable MP3 files, or on conventional CDs), and video examples (available on DVD). I have attempted to place this information in an historical perspective.
2) to expand the sonic resources of the clarinet based on peculiarities of its acoustical design (including a history of the evolution of its design since c. 1839) and of its current performance tradition: a wedding of theory and practice. The need for this approach has been especially supported by my experience in performing or reading countless new works that utilize new techniques for the clarinet in an awkward fashion, or that do not take musical advantage of some inherent strengths of the instrument. Charts of new sounds have been included, based on acoustical principles of the clarinet. I hope that this approach will help to overcome the idiosyncratic and empirical nature of earlier studies.
3) to present suggestions to composers for use of extended techniques in appropriate musical contexts. These are illustrated by musical examples (represented by notated scores and sound recordings) from a variety of works written since 1960 (with an abundance of works since 1985 by Asian composers), and by musical examples that I have composed. My goal in these illustrations has been to avoid recipes for musical compositions or suggestions of rigid limitations.
4) to present progressive exercises and etudes (more than 50 exercises and 35 etudes) to lead the clarinetist towards gaining facility with these new techniques/sounds. Learning is prescribed through written descriptions, and illustrated with aural (audio sound files) and visual (DVD) examples. I have attempted to coordinate as closely as possible the methods of learning extended techniques with methods of learning more familiar conventional techniques.
5) to describe and document new resources for two other common members of the clarinet family (bass and E-flat clarinet).
6) to identify/create appropriate symbols (notation), descriptions, and/or directions for extended techniques.
7) to provide links to references and websites of publishers, composers, and other areas of interest for the clarinetist of the twenty-first century
Contents
The reader may purchase The Clarinet of the Twenty-First Century and accompanying materials by visiting http://www.research.umbc.edu/~emrich/clarinet21.html .
As a prelude to Chapter I, a brief theory of clarinet technique is presented at the end of this introduction. It is based on a variety of teaching methods and concepts, including those of William Powell , Leon Russianoff, William Kincaid (John Krell), and George Townsend. This theory encompasses current ideas on connections between physical movement and legato technique, tempered by various acoustical considerations. It is believed that by connecting characteristics of methodologies of standard technique with the exploration of new techniques, one can successfully unlock further, reliable new techniques in a systematic fashion. Throughout The Clarinet of the Twenty-First Century an effort has been made to involve fingerings that are closest to standard patterns. One example of this relationship can be found in the ordering of practical microtonal segments; these are most successful when they involve chromatic fingerings of the right and left hands that lead from below to one of the twelve tones. In effect, the clarinetist need only learn a couple of variations of the standard chromatic fingering (Example #1).
Example #1
Listen to line 1 - Listen to line 2
The first chapter ("The Acoustical Design and Evolution of the Clarinet from the Time of Klose/Buffet") traces the development of the Boehm clarinet from its conception to the present, including discussion of recent work in Paris (IRCAM) and London (CNMI), and suggestions for future improvements of design. Included in this discussion are innovations by Muller, Boehm, Klose/Buffet, Romero, Schmidt, Stubbins, Mazzeo, and McIntyre (for a more complete historical discussion, one is referred to Rendall's book, ( http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~ea260599/writings/rendall.html ) The Clarinet . It also elaborates on the acoustical characteristics of the instrument, as it exists today (for more information on clarinet acoustics, see http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/clarinetacoustics.html). The evolution of the clarinet has not run parallel to man's knowledge of acoustics. This is even more intriguing when one realizes that performance practice has also often avoided this information. It has, rather, been controlled by the desire for timbric homogeneity or more practical issues such as ease of realization, improved intonation, etc.
Chapter II is concerned with "Single Sounds." These are divided into three main categories: alternate fingerings (with an emphasis on the altissimo register), quarter-tones (including easy conjunct segments, trills, and tremolos), and microtones (equidistant - 1/6, 1/8, 1/12, and 1/16 tones; practical conjunct segments; trills; tremolos; and with percussive key sounds). For an excellent text on alternate altissimo fingers that offers suggestions for application to the standard repertoire, the reader is referred to Tom Ridenour's book.15 Paul Drushler also offers a fine source, although without the detailed annotations and suggestions.16 A more thorough text on clarinet microtones, written by the author of The Clarinet of the Twenty-First Century , is " Microtonal Systems for Clarinet: A Manual for Composers and Performers ."17 Four-hundred seventy-eight microtones (including quarter-tones) and two-hundred thirteen alternate fingerings are discussed in The Clarinet of the Twenty-First Century in terms of acoustical origin, timbre, dynamic range, response, and stability.
Chapter III is entitled "Multiple Sounds." It consists of a brief historical overview and dialogue of acoustical explanations for this phenomenon. New to the 2nd Edition are illustrations that include spectrum analysis diagrams and phase diagrams that demonstrate movement in space of particularly active multiphonics and multiphonic trills (these recorded examples with accompanying diagrams are in surround-sound and available on the project website: http://www.research.umbc.edu/~emrich/clarinet21.html ). Multiphonics are classified according to property (overtones or undertones), in practical sequences (according to identical left hand, or "short tube" fingerings), by pitch (bottom), timbre (texture), dynamic range, response, stability, and whether they are possible to attack with either their top or bottom pitches alone, with a gradual fade-in of their other voices. Multiphonic trills are also examined; for an extensive catalogue, the reader should consult Gerald Farmer's Multiphonic Trills and Tremolos . 18 In a final section of this chapter, multiple sounds created by simultaneous playing and singing (humming) receive attention.
The fourth chapter is comprised of discourse, musical examples, and charts on other new clarinet resources that are not part of Chapters II and III. These include sounds of definite pitch, sounds of indefinite or ambiguous pitch (noise and pitch approximation), and specific techniques (i.e. flutter tonguing) that may be applied to sounds of one or both categories (or, in addition, conventional clarinet tones, sounds from Chapters II and III, etc.). Care has been taken to avoid those techniques deemed by the author to possess little musical value for the effort expended (such as mouthpiece on lower joint, mouthpiece alone, etc.). In any case, there is no end to the possible "other" clarinet sound resources, and this chapter does not pretend to do more than touch the surface.
New to the 2nd Edition is a collection of etudes and exercises that use material from Chapters II-IV, grouped together in Chapter V – they are intended to serve as a companion to the earlier text. Only a small selection from the encyclopedic catalogues found in The Clarinet of the Twenty-First Century have been used in these etudes in order to provide and encourage ideas for other explorations by composers and clarinetists. Each etude is prefaced with a description of its difficulties and useful suggestions and exercises to approach and master these difficulties both before and during practice. Etudes are organized into four categories, arranged from closest to conventional techniques and aesthetics [alternate fingerings], to most experimental [half-pitched sounds]. Etudes and exercises within each category are also arranged in a similar order. Some etudes/exercises are specifically designed as learning aids for a particular contemporary work (such as Joji Yuasa's Clarinet Solitude , or Akira Nishimura's Aquatic Aura ).
The appendix contains a bibliography of writings on extended techniques (including many for instruments other than the clarinet).
Two final parts of The Clarinet of the Twenty-First Century are also new: audio recordings (available on CD or for download as MP3 files) of sounds from the charts, musical examples from Chapters II-IV, and Etudes and Exercises; and a DVD-Rom with DVD movie (with accompanying booklet) that presents visual illustration of the techniques, methods for producing the techniques, and performances of exercises for the etudes. It is hoped that this will provide answers to questions that the reader may have that cannot be answered by mere words.
The second edition of The Clarinet of the Twenty-First Century is of value to:
• professional and advanced clarinetists -
a) more than 20 charts of 213 alternate fingerings, 463 multiphonics, and other extended techniques
b) descriptions, in several formats, of how to execute extended techniques (written text, sound files, DVD, and over 75 etudes and exercises, of which many address technical problems taken from specific musical works)
c) practical solutions to more than 200 examples within solo and chamber music works that utilize the clarinet in the contemporary literature
• composers (in addition to contents mentioned for professional clarinetists) -
a) recordings of more than 1000 sound examples on 23 CDs.
b) discussion of appropriate musical contexts and examples from contemporary works where composers effectively utilize extended techniques
• clarinet teachers and students of any level -
a) discussion of concepts and connections to standard technique and musical works
b) etudes and exercises that introduce concepts of effectively producing extended techniques that are drawn from standard practice methods
Composers and clarinetists who plan to utilize some of the information presented in The Clarinet of the Twenty-First Century must be aware that all of the examples and charts were compiled from research undertaken with the standard Boehm-system clarinet (17 keys, 6 rings) in B-flat, and represented here at WRITTEN PITCH. Application of this information to other members of the clarinet family (bass, alto, E-flat, etc.), or to other clarinet systems (such as Full-Boehm, Wurlitzer, Oehler, Reform-Boehm, Schmidt-Kolbe, etc.) has not been attempted. Other complete studies would be required to determine what information is adoptable. However, since practically all American student and professional clarinetists play standard Boehm-System instruments, the practical value of this data can be substantial.