In the modern world, various types of clarinets can be found in virtually every orchestra and ensemble around the world. While this instrument can be seen as a common instrument in beginner classes around the world, it is one that very few have managed to "master" due to its natural capabilities in a wide range of different styles and dynamics. The clarinet is also often described as having similarities to the human voice, which may explain its popularity with so many composers and artists. Whether used in an ensemble or solo work, the clarinet has captivated thousands of people. The clarinet, however, is actually a relatively young instrument compared to others. From its first version with just three keys, the clarinet has been perfected over the centuries as both artists and inventors have sought to contribute to the making of this instrument. The result of this evolution is the modern clarinet which is very different from some of its ancestors. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Before the clarinet or any of its early forms, there were single-reed reeds dating back as far as 3000 BC Although these reeds did not physically resemble the iconic appearance of a 2016 clarinet, they were the simplest form of one instrument with a reed and occasional finger holes. The Egyptians also had a double tube with a removable reed that could be inserted into the top, which is reminiscent of our concept of reeds today. Around the Middle Ages (500-1500) pipes called 'chalumeau' arose, but it was misleading because this term was used for many instruments as an indirect way of calling something a horn. Although there was a version of the chalumeau with a tapered mouthpiece and single reed, most players in this period preferred double reeds due to their control, thus leaving the development of the clarinet to take longer. derives from the Latin “kalamus”, which means small reed. Other historians tend to argue that its origins derive from the Greek word “calamos” which has become a general term for any small pipe. Origins aside, the chalumeau was a close ancestor of the clarinet. Although it only had a range of one twelfth, it made an appearance in many works or was even used as an alternative to the oboe or flute and the similar-sounding recorder. One of the most predominant composers for the chalumeau was Christopher Graupner with over 80 cantatas. There is much debate as to whether the clarinet has a unique style or whether it is an improved chalumeau, considering that early in the clarinet's existence the words chalumeau and clarinet were often interchanged. The first clarinet was invented in 1690 in Nuremberg, Germany by Johann Christian Denner. The instrument takes its name from the Italian word for trumpet, "clarion". This first edition clarinet was a wooden cylinder with seven tone holes and two diametrically opposed keys positioned around the highest tone hole and spanning approximately three octaves. Compared to the chalumeau, this improvement now had a separate reed, a speaker key (like an octave key), and an extended range. With the addition of the two keys the clarinet was given a much purer sound and greater precision with exaggerated notes and the ability to play a twelfth above the lower register with similar fingerings. After the invention of the clarinet, there were a few years of improvements made in terms of intonation leading to the first clarinet instruction book, published in 1706 and titled "The Complete Book for Mock Trumpet". The first onesclarinet works were limited, of course, to the five keys in which the clarinet could play, but this did not slow the global spread of this instrument in the early to late 18th century as it expanded across much of Europe and some parts of 'America. Beethoven was one of the first composers to include the clarinet in his symphonies along with Vivaldi, who wrote two concertos Grosso for two clarinets and an oboe in 1740. In 1759, the Mannheim Orchestra was the first to employ two clarinettists, which was a monumental step. towards making the clarinet a more notable instrument and getting more orchestras to adapt it. In the 1780s, changes were made to the standard of bore and dismeter of the clarinet that allowed the upper register to speak easily, which caused more composers to use it in their compositions. This led to the writing of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto for Antonin Stadler (a famous clarinetist of the Viennese era) for basset clarinet. An instrumentalist named Ivan Muller developed a new clarinet with seven additional keys in 1812, thus taking the clarinet to the next level. Before we did this, there were various clarinets all pitched to different keys because of the chromatics and semitones of the clarinet, it was impossible to play in multiple keys on one clarinet. Muller's innovation changed the felt pads to wool-filled leather to help with the tone and accuracy of the clarinet. After his innovative improvements to the clarinet were rejected by the Paris Conservatory because they took away the "special musical character" elaborated by single-key clarinets, he toured Europe as a solo artist to showcase his clarinet. world of the clarinet were Auguste Buffet and Hyancinthe Klose. Around 1838, Klose began examining a system based on Theobald Boehm who developed moveable rings (originally for flute) that fingers could close on a hole that simultaneously moved another key on the instrument to improve tone and accuracy. After studying this system, Klose contacted Buffet and had the prototype presented in Paris in 1839. This prototype had seventeen keys and five rings to control twenty-four tone holes. In 1842, Adolphe Sax added a right hand ring on the lower joint. of the original 13-key clarinet, thus taking the first step towards the modern German-style clarinet. Subsequently, further improvements were made to the Muller-style clarinet, lengthening various keys and adding more keys to make more fingerings available to Car Baermann. After all these improvements were made, Oskar Oehler, a German clarinetist, added an additional vent piece to almost every single key of the clarinet to improve the acoustics of the instrument as a whole. The Boehm model clarinet is a very common clarinet model in the United States, while the Oehler altered clarinet is preferred in some parts of Europe purely for the sound it produces. Similar to the early single-key clarinets of the 19th century, various clarinets today are set in different keys but can all be played while keeping all fingerings the same. The smallest clarinet is the A-flat sopranino clarinet and is the smallest of the family. Few ensembles consistently use this clarinet and it is found mostly in military bands. Other less common clarinets are those pitched in C and D. The E-flat soprano clarinet is used to extend the range of the B-flat instrument and was first used in Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique in 1831. The most common clarinet is the soprano in B flat. clarinet. The next common clarinet would be the A clarinet which is about an inch longer than the B-flat and usually..