Chamber music is the most intimate of art forms. Ensembles are, by design, small enough to fit into a room (or ‘chamber’) making it suitable for smaller gatherings or simply a form of entertainment between musical friends.
Whilst much chamber music focuses on strings, the clarinet has also been a popular chamber music instrument since its invention in the early 18th century. It’s both mellow enough to blend in, but distinct enough to add to the overall colour of an ensemble.
Here are our picks of some of the greatest chamber works that include clarinet, some of which may be surprisingly familiar. You’ll also find some exclusive arrangements of these works, so you won’t need to form your own chamber ensemble to play them!
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If you’re a clarinetist then, well, congratulations! You've chosen one of the the most versatile and beautiful instruments in the orchestra (or wind band, jazz band, chamber group—it certainly gets around). It is also an instrument with a boatload of great repertoire, from classical through to jazz and klezmer. At the pinnacle of this repertoire lies the concerto, solo works with orchestra designed to highlight the instrument’s best characteristics and the technical abilities of their players. The clarinet has some great ones to choose from—here are our best five. Continue reading...
