The contra-alto clarinet, E♭ contrabass clarinet, is a large clarinet pitched a perfect fifth below the B♭ bass clarinet. It is a transposing instrument in E♭ sounding an octave and a major sixth below its written pitch, between the bass clarinet and the B♭ contrabass clarinet.
Contra-Alto clarinet
A Contra-alto clarinet with range to low E♭ (right) in comparison with an Alto clarinet with range to low C. (Buffet Crampon/Dietz)
Contra-alto clarinet by Selmer made of rosewood, with imposing size of the bell.
Maldura's contralto clarinet, c. 1880, known as Clarone grande from the side, and a newer instrument from the front.
Clarinets "Paperclip" by Georges Leblanc Paris as contra-alto and as contrabass clarinet
A 352 Leblanc contra-alto clarinet (left) compared to a 342 Leblanc contrabass clarinet.
Buffet Crampon contra-alto clarinet compared to a Selmer contrabass clarinet
The contra-alto clarinet is often used in clarinet choirs[1] and ensembles of clarinets and saxophones. It may also be present in a wind band. The repertoire for contra-alto clarinet in the symphony orchestra is limited. In ensembles it is usually used in unison with the other woodwind instruments, such as (bassoon, bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet), or it plays the lower octave in addition.[citation needed]
The contra-alto clarinet[2] is largely a development of the 2nd half of the 20th century, although there were some precursors in the 19th century:
In 1829, Johann Heinrich Gottlieb Streitwolf [de], an instrument maker in Göttingen, introduced an instrument tuned in F in the shape and fingering of a basset horn, which could be called a contrabasset horn because it played an octave lower than it.
Around 1890 the Belgian clarinet maker Eugène Albert or his son E. J. Albert also developed an alto clarinet in F, but without the additional basset notes typical of the basset horn notated C to it.
In 1851, Adolphe Sax applied for a patent[3] for an instrument, he called "contrabass clarinet in E♭" in order to replace the bowed contrabass of symphony orchestras in wind bands with an instrument whose lowest sounding note is contra-G or G1, like the contrabass. This is the case with a contra clarinet tuned in E♭, whose written lowest tone is the small E♭ (E-flat3), as with most clarinets. The pitch of this instrument today identifies it as a contra alto clarinet. However, it never came onto the market.
Around 1880 the Italian clarinet maker Alessandro Maldura built a contra alto clarinet in E♭ of grenadilla wood with 14 keys, 1.93 m long, which he called Clarone grande, exhibited at the 1881 Italian National Exhibition in Milan.[4][5]
20th century
Georges Leblanc Paris [fr] built two models of a contra-alto clarinet in E-flat, Model 350 and 352,[6] from metal. Model 350 was in a curved shape (known as a paperclip) and went to written low C. These models also have three trill keys on the right side of the upper joint. The curved shape makes the instrument much easier to transport than the traditional straight, non-dismantled model.[7] Model 352 was straight in a bass clarinet-shape to written low E♭.
Other makers of contra-alto clarinets have developed mainly stretched models. These include:
Metal model patented in 1891 for Evette and Schaeffer (patent FR218373/5)[8]
Model Prestige 1553 made of grenadilla, 19 keys.
Conn-Selmer USA (1980 onwards), Bundy (from 1970 to 1980), Buescher (c. 1968–1969): model 1440 made of ebonite, to written E♭ (written), with 18 keys and 7 plateau keys.
Leblanc USA / Vito: Model L7181 in Reso-Tone material to E flat (written).
Ripamonti, Italian manufacturer: model 322 in rosewood, to d (written).
Today's contra-alto clarinets are mainly based on the Boehm system, although models with the German system also existed in the past.
Description and technique
The range of most contra-alto clarinets extends downwards to its low E♭ (concert G♭1). Some models go down to D (concert F1) or C (concert E♭1). For this the instrument must be longer and have additional keys which the player operates with the right thumb and/or little fingers (as with the basset horn). In the altissimo range, the fingerings on the contra-alto clarinet are sometimes different from those on the higher clarinets.[10]
Modern contra-alto clarinets have a double (or even triple) automatic stop key.[citation needed]
The contra-alto clarinet has a curved bell, mainly made of metal, which is necessary for sound projection. It is located in the lowest part of the instrument. On the curved clarinets ("paper clip") the bell is in the upper part of the instrument.
The instrument can be played sitting down or standing up with the help of a peg or a strap.
In orchestration, the contra-alto clarinet's playing is as fast as that of the bass clarinet. Unlike other low wind instruments (contrabassoon, tuba, ...) it can play a wide range of nuances from "fff" to "ppp" and articulations ("legato", "staccato", slap, ...). In contemporary music, composers use its ability to produce polyphonic sounds.[citation needed]
Length
The length of the tube (without bell) ranges from about 190 centimeters for a contra-alto clarinet, which lowest written tone is E♭, and up to about 230 centimeters for an instrument down to C.
Repertoire
As the contra-alto clarinet is a relatively young instrument, its repertoire is limited and much smaller than that of the contrabass clarinet. It is represented in all musical styles that emerged after the end of the 19th century, from neoclassicism, New Music, jazz and contemporary music to experimental rock.[citation needed]
In the mid-1960s, pieces in which contra-alto clarinets were also used were said to be heard even from the loudspeakers of small television sets.[citation needed] The instrument was also in Hollywood: early episodes of The Twilight Zone, Star Trek[citation needed]
Given the limited written repertoire in orchestras and ensembles, contra-alto clarinets can play in unison with other low wind instruments or provide a foundation in the lower octave to the woodwinds playing higher (organ pedal effect).
Parts for baritone saxophone in E♭ for wind bands can also be used for contra-alto clarinet. There are also transcriptions and transpositions of pieces written for low instruments in C, such as double bass, bass guitar, bassoon, and tuba.
In the publishing houses, part of the repertoire of the contra-alto clarinet is shared with that of the contrabass clarinet.
Neoclassicism
Lien, Fantastic Scherzo with Piano.
Siennicki, Nocturne with piano.
Bret Newton, Three Songs for Contra Alto Clarinet and Piano.
Contemporary solo and chamber music
Zeno Baldi: copia carbone for ensemble incl. contralto clarinet and electronics
Chris Dench: Funk for contralto clarinet and percussion
Bernhard Lang: Das Hirn for soprano and ensemble incl. ossia part for contralto clarinet
Lucien Cailliet is known for his arrangements for wind orchestra and clarinet ensemble, combining over 6 octaves different clarinets from the smallest clarinet to the contra-alto clarinet.[11] The contra-alto clarinet is regularly used in professional wind orchestras.[12]
Americans became aware of the importance of instrumentation during the 20th century to give instruments such as the contra-alto clarinet a place in the brass band (in Englishmilitary band or concert band).[13]
Arrangements
There are arrangements for this instrument drawn from the repertoire for other low wind instruments (tuba, bassoon, ...).
Andrea Catozzi, Beelzebub (Varied programme for tuba solo).
CD recordings with contra-alto clarinet
Recordings in which the contra-alto clarinettist appears as a soloist or chamber musician are extremely rare. A compact disc of duets for contra-alto and contrabass clarinets was recorded in 2018.[14]
Brandon Evans, Solo Contra Alto Clarinet (Live in Brussels, 1999) (CD, 2001, Parallactic Recordings label).
Alberto Pinton, Mirror for Contra-Alto Clarinet in the album The Visible, (CD, 2005, Moserobie, MMP, CD022).[15]
Jason Alder and Piotr Michalowski, Contradictions: Duets for Contrabass and Contra-Alto Clarinets (CD, 2019, Creative Sources Recordings label, CS602).
Denis Colin, Quiet men (CD, 2019, label Faubourg du Monde).[17]
Damien Sabatier, with his band Impérial Quartet, GRAND CARNAVAL (CD, 2016, Inouïe Distribution label).
Bibliography
Charles Koechlin (1954), Traité de l’Orchestration (in French), vol. 1: (a) Study of Instruments (b) Balance of Timbres, Paris: Éditions Max Eschig, p. 35, clarinette-contralto, d'une belle sonorité, à l'8ve grave de la Cl. Alto (The contra-alto clarinet has a beautiful sound).
^Weerts, Richard K. (1964). "The Clarinet Choir". Journal of Research in Music Education. 12 (3): 227–230. doi:10.2307/3343790. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via JSTOR.
^Lavoix, Henri (1846–1897) Auteur du texte (2 October 1878). "Histoire de l'instrumentation, depuis le XVIe siècle jusqu'à nos jours, par H. Lavoix fils..." Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via gallica.bnf.fr.
^Description des machines et procédés spécifiés dans les brevets d'invention, publ. par C.P. Molard. [With] Table générale des vingt premiers volumes. [Continued as] Description des machines ... pour lesquels des brevets d'invention ont été pris sous le régime de la loi du 5 juillet 1844 Ministère de l'agriculture et du commerce, Description des machines et procédés spécifiés dans les brevets d'invention pour lesquels des brevets d'invention ont été pris sous le régime de la loi du 5. juillet 1844 (Description of the machines and processes specified in the patents for which patents have been taken out under the law of 5 July 1844).
^"Vincent d'Indy Research Papers - Academia.edu". www.academia.edu. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
^Lucien Cailliet, The Leblanc Contralto and Double Bass Clarinets (book)
^"Eb_Contra-alto". www.lynsgarden.co.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
^"Le chtiot musée des Clariboles et Cie: Clarinettes graves en métal (Post 2)". 7 December 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
^"Alto, Bass & Contra Clarinets | Martin Freres Company". Retrieved 2 October 2021.
^Timothy Reichard. "Alternative fingering chart for Boehm system alto, bass and contra-alto clarinet – Altissimo register:C6# to E7b".
^Friedrich K. Pfatschbacher (2017), Tredition GmbH (ed.), Der Klarinettenchor, eine spezielle Ensembleform erobert die internationalen Konzertbühnen (The Clarinet Choir: A Special Ensemble Form Conquers the International Concert Stages) (in German), p. 148, ISBN978-3-7439-4241-7
^McGavin, Eric A. (1956). "[Letter from Eric A. McGavin]". Tempo (41): 35–36. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via JSTOR.
^Reed, Alfred (1962). "The Instrumentation of the Band". Music Educators Journal. 49 (1): 56–61. doi:10.2307/3389765. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via JSTOR.
^Jason Alder and Piotr Michalowski (10 July 2019). "Compact disc page Contradictions. Duets for Contrabass and Contra-Alto".
^Ken Waxman (31 January 2005). "ALBERTO PINTON Quintet, The Visible, Moserobie (MMP, CD 022)". JazzWord. com.
"Discography around double bass and alto clarinet". contrabass.com. 24 April 2004.
January 07, 2023
contra, alto, clarinet, contra, alto, clarinet, contrabass, clarinet, large, clarinet, pitched, perfect, fifth, below, bass, clarinet, transposing, instrument, sounding, octave, major, sixth, below, written, pitch, between, bass, clarinet, contrabass, clarinet. The contra alto clarinet E contrabass clarinet is a large clarinet pitched a perfect fifth below the B bass clarinet It is a transposing instrument in E sounding an octave and a major sixth below its written pitch between the bass clarinet and the B contrabass clarinet Contra Alto clarinetA Contra alto clarinet with range to low E right in comparison with an Alto clarinet with range to low C Buffet Crampon Dietz Woodwind instrumentClassificationWind Woodwind Single reedHornbostel Sachs classification Single reeded aerophone with keys Playing rangeWritten and sounding ranges of the contra alto clarinet The sounding range is G1 to B 4 Related instrumentsBass clarinet Contrabass clarinet Baritone SaxophoneContra alto clarinet by Selmer made of rosewood with imposing size of the bell Maldura s contralto clarinet c 1880 known as Clarone grande from the side and a newer instrument from the front Clarinets Paperclip by Georges Leblanc Paris as contra alto and as contrabass clarinet A 352 Leblanc contra alto clarinet left compared to a 342 Leblanc contrabass clarinet Buffet Crampon contra alto clarinet compared to a Selmer contrabass clarinet The contra alto clarinet is often used in clarinet choirs 1 and ensembles of clarinets and saxophones It may also be present in a wind band The repertoire for contra alto clarinet in the symphony orchestra is limited In ensembles it is usually used in unison with the other woodwind instruments such as bassoon bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet or it plays the lower octave in addition citation needed Contents 1 History 1 1 20th century 2 Description and technique 3 Length 4 Repertoire 4 1 Neoclassicism 4 2 Contemporary solo and chamber music 4 3 Clarinet ensemble 4 4 Wind orchestra 4 5 Arrangements 5 CD recordings with contra alto clarinet 6 Bibliography 7 References 8 External linksHistory EditThe contra alto clarinet 2 is largely a development of the 2nd half of the 20th century although there were some precursors in the 19th century In 1829 Johann Heinrich Gottlieb Streitwolf de an instrument maker in Gottingen introduced an instrument tuned in F in the shape and fingering of a basset horn which could be called a contrabasset horn because it played an octave lower than it Around 1890 the Belgian clarinet maker Eugene Albert or his son E J Albert also developed an alto clarinet in F but without the additional basset notes typical of the basset horn notated C to it In 1851 Adolphe Sax applied for a patent 3 for an instrument he called contrabass clarinet in E in order to replace the bowed contrabass of symphony orchestras in wind bands with an instrument whose lowest sounding note is contra G or G1 like the contrabass This is the case with a contra clarinet tuned in E whose written lowest tone is the small E E flat3 as with most clarinets The pitch of this instrument today identifies it as a contra alto clarinet However it never came onto the market Around 1880 the Italian clarinet maker Alessandro Maldura built a contra alto clarinet in E of grenadilla wood with 14 keys 1 93 m long which he called Clarone grande exhibited at the 1881 Italian National Exhibition in Milan 4 5 20th century Edit Georges Leblanc Paris fr built two models of a contra alto clarinet in E flat Model 350 and 352 6 from metal Model 350 was in a curved shape known as a paperclip and went to written low C These models also have three trill keys on the right side of the upper joint The curved shape makes the instrument much easier to transport than the traditional straight non dismantled model 7 Model 352 was straight in a bass clarinet shape to written low E Other makers of contra alto clarinets have developed mainly stretched models These include Henri Selmer Paris Model 26 40 in rosewood to written E E or D Buffet Crampon Metal model patented in 1891 for Evette and Schaeffer patent FR218373 5 8 Model Prestige 1553 made of grenadilla 19 keys Conn Selmer USA 1980 onwards Bundy from 1970 to 1980 Buescher c 1968 1969 model 1440 made of ebonite to written E written with 18 keys and 7 plateau keys Leblanc USA Vito Model L7181 in Reso Tone material to E flat written Ripamonti Italian manufacturer model 322 in rosewood to d written Martin Freres Company 9 EE 3488 model in ABS EE 3434 model in eboniteToday s contra alto clarinets are mainly based on the Boehm system although models with the German system also existed in the past Description and technique EditThe range of most contra alto clarinets extends downwards to its low E concert G 1 Some models go down to D concert F1 or C concert E 1 For this the instrument must be longer and have additional keys which the player operates with the right thumb and or little fingers as with the basset horn In the altissimo range the fingerings on the contra alto clarinet are sometimes different from those on the higher clarinets 10 Modern contra alto clarinets have a double or even triple automatic stop key citation needed The contra alto clarinet has a curved bell mainly made of metal which is necessary for sound projection It is located in the lowest part of the instrument On the curved clarinets paper clip the bell is in the upper part of the instrument The instrument can be played sitting down or standing up with the help of a peg or a strap In orchestration the contra alto clarinet s playing is as fast as that of the bass clarinet Unlike other low wind instruments contrabassoon tuba it can play a wide range of nuances from fff to ppp and articulations legato staccato slap In contemporary music composers use its ability to produce polyphonic sounds citation needed Length EditThe length of the tube without bell ranges from about 190 centimeters for a contra alto clarinet which lowest written tone is E and up to about 230 centimeters for an instrument down to C Repertoire EditAs the contra alto clarinet is a relatively young instrument its repertoire is limited and much smaller than that of the contrabass clarinet It is represented in all musical styles that emerged after the end of the 19th century from neoclassicism New Music jazz and contemporary music to experimental rock citation needed In the mid 1960s pieces in which contra alto clarinets were also used were said to be heard even from the loudspeakers of small television sets citation needed The instrument was also in Hollywood early episodes of The Twilight Zone Star Trek citation needed Given the limited written repertoire in orchestras and ensembles contra alto clarinets can play in unison with other low wind instruments or provide a foundation in the lower octave to the woodwinds playing higher organ pedal effect Parts for baritone saxophone in E for wind bands can also be used for contra alto clarinet There are also transcriptions and transpositions of pieces written for low instruments in C such as double bass bass guitar bassoon and tuba In the publishing houses part of the repertoire of the contra alto clarinet is shared with that of the contrabass clarinet Neoclassicism Edit Lien Fantastic Scherzo with Piano Siennicki Nocturne with piano Bret Newton Three Songs for Contra Alto Clarinet and Piano Contemporary solo and chamber music Edit Zeno Baldi copia carbone for ensemble incl contralto clarinet and electronics Chris Dench Funk for contralto clarinet and percussion Bernhard Lang Das Hirn for soprano and ensemble incl ossia part for contralto clarinetClarinet ensemble Edit Dick Hyman Sextet for Clarinets Wind orchestra Edit Lucien Cailliet is known for his arrangements for wind orchestra and clarinet ensemble combining over 6 octaves different clarinets from the smallest clarinet to the contra alto clarinet 11 The contra alto clarinet is regularly used in professional wind orchestras 12 Americans became aware of the importance of instrumentation during the 20th century to give instruments such as the contra alto clarinet a place in the brass band in English military band or concert band 13 Arrangements Edit There are arrangements for this instrument drawn from the repertoire for other low wind instruments tuba bassoon Andrea Catozzi Beelzebub Varied programme for tuba solo CD recordings with contra alto clarinet EditRecordings in which the contra alto clarinettist appears as a soloist or chamber musician are extremely rare A compact disc of duets for contra alto and contrabass clarinets was recorded in 2018 14 Brandon Evans Solo Contra Alto Clarinet Live in Brussels 1999 CD 2001 Parallactic Recordings label Alberto Pinton Mirror for Contra Alto Clarinet in the album The Visible CD 2005 Moserobie MMP CD022 15 Teppo Salakaa Fragmented Visions CD 2018 16 Jason Alder and Piotr Michalowski Contradictions Duets for Contrabass and Contra Alto Clarinets CD 2019 Creative Sources Recordings label CS602 Denis Colin Quiet men CD 2019 label Faubourg du Monde 17 Brian Landrus Richard F Dixon John Linnell with his band They Might Be Giants Nanobots CD 2013 Lojinx label Damien Sabatier with his band Imperial Quartet GRAND CARNAVAL CD 2016 Inouie Distribution label Bibliography EditCharles Koechlin 1954 Traite de l Orchestration in French vol 1 a Study of Instruments b Balance of Timbres Paris Editions Max Eschig p 35 clarinette contralto d une belle sonorite a l 8ve grave de la Cl Alto The contra alto clarinet has a beautiful sound Charles Koechlin 1948 PUF ed Les instruments a vent Que sais je Paris vol 267 p 128 OCLC 301429451References Edit Weerts Richard K 1964 The Clarinet Choir Journal of Research in Music Education 12 3 227 230 doi 10 2307 3343790 Retrieved 2 October 2021 via JSTOR Lavoix Henri 1846 1897 Auteur du texte 2 October 1878 Histoire de l instrumentation depuis le XVIe siecle jusqu a nos jours par H Lavoix fils Retrieved 2 October 2021 via gallica bnf fr Description des machines et procedes specifies dans les brevets d invention publ par C P Molard With Table generale des vingt premiers volumes Continued as Description des machines pour lesquels des brevets d invention ont ete pris sous le regime de la loi du 5 juillet 1844 Ministere de l agriculture et du commerce Description des machines et procedes specifies dans les brevets d invention pour lesquels des brevets d invention ont ete pris sous le regime de la loi du 5 juillet 1844 Description of the machines and processes specified in the patents for which patents have been taken out under the law of 5 July 1844 Vincent d Indy Research Papers Academia edu www academia edu Retrieved 2 October 2021 Schlesinger Kathleen 1911 Pedal Clarinet In Chisholm Hugh ed Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 21 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 36 Lucien Cailliet The Leblanc Contralto and Double Bass Clarinets book Eb Contra alto www lynsgarden co uk Retrieved 2 October 2021 Le chtiot musee des Clariboles et Cie Clarinettes graves en metal Post 2 7 December 2008 Retrieved 2 October 2021 Alto Bass amp Contra Clarinets Martin Freres Company Retrieved 2 October 2021 Timothy Reichard Alternative fingering chart for Boehm system alto bass and contra alto clarinet Altissimo register C6 to E7b Friedrich K Pfatschbacher 2017 Tredition GmbH ed Der Klarinettenchor eine spezielle Ensembleform erobert die internationalen Konzertbuhnen The Clarinet Choir A Special Ensemble Form Conquers the International Concert Stages in German p 148 ISBN 978 3 7439 4241 7 McGavin Eric A 1956 Letter from Eric A McGavin Tempo 41 35 36 Retrieved 2 October 2021 via JSTOR Reed Alfred 1962 The Instrumentation of the Band Music Educators Journal 49 1 56 61 doi 10 2307 3389765 Retrieved 2 October 2021 via JSTOR Jason Alder and Piotr Michalowski 10 July 2019 Compact disc page Contradictions Duets for Contrabass and Contra Alto Ken Waxman 31 January 2005 ALBERTO PINTON Quintet The Visible Moserobie MMP CD 022 JazzWord com Jason Alder Audio Reviews March 2018 Alice Leclercq 9 February 2020 In the intimacy of the beautiful cititizenjazz com External links Edit International Clarinet Association clarinet org Discography around double bass and alto clarinet contrabass com 24 April 2004 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Contra alto clarinet amp oldid 1131001479, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
