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The 'E-flat clarinet' is a member of the clarinet family. It is usually classed as a soprano clarinet, although some authors prefer to describe it as a "sopranino". Smaller in size and higher in pitch than the more common B♭ clarinet, it is a transposing instrument in E, playing a minor third higher than the written notes. In Italian it sometimes referred to as a ''quartino,'' generally appearing in scores as ''quartino in Mi.''^[1]
The E clarinet is used in orchestras, concert bands, marching bands, and clarinet choirs. It plays a particularly central role in clarinet choirs, in which it carries the high melodies that would be treacherous for the B clarinet. Solo repertoire is generally very limited. In many cases E clarinet is doubled by a B clarinetist.
The E clarinet is required to play at the top of its range for much of the time to take advantage of its piercing quality. In this range special, non-standard fingerings are required on most instruments to maintain good pitch. Therefore high, fast passages are often very difficult to play. The embouchure must be much tighter to achieve the brilliance of the upper register which can make the player vulnerable to squeaking. Because of the E's piercing sound, any mistakes are readily obvious to the audience.

Contents

D clarinet

Use in concert and military bands

Use as children's clarinet

Solo and chamber literature for the E (or D) clarinet

Orchestral and operatic music using the E (or D) clarinet

Recent Usage

References

Bibliography

D clarinet

The slightly larger 'D clarinet' is also found. Though in the early and mid-eighteenth century, it was one of the most common types of clarinet (see the Molter concertos below), from the end of that century to the present it has become less common than the clarinets in E, B, A, or even C. An ''Ouverture'' by Handel for two clarinets and horn were probably written for two D clarinets.³ D clarinets were once commonly employed by some composers to be used by one player equipped with instruments in D and E. This usage was sometimes similar to the way in which one player would be equipped with instruments in B and A, but only in the works of certain composers (e.g., Rimsky-Korsakov's ''Mlada'').³ In modern performance (especially in America and western Europe outside German speaking countries), it is normal to transpose D clarinet parts for E clarinet.³ The advantage of this practice is that the E clarinet is far more common, and the player is likely to have more facility with it. The downside of this practice is that the transposed parts will often be in more difficult keys. A composer's choice of E vs. D clarinet is often hard to discern. For instance, the original version of Arnold Schoenberg's ''Chamber Symphony no. 1'' is for E clarinet while the orchestral version is for D.³

Use in concert and military bands

The high clarinets have been important members of military bands from at least the middle of the eighteenth century. At first, the D clarinet was the dominant high clarinet in bands. Towards the end of the eighteenth century the F clarinet took this role until the E clarinet took over beginning sometime in the second decade of the 1800s.³
Although the E is somewhat of a rarity in school bands, it is a staple instrument in college and other upper level ensembles. Unlike the B soprano clarinet which has numerous musicians performing on each part, the E clarinet part is usually played by only one musician in a typical concert band. This is partially because the E clarinet has a bright, shrill sound very similar to the sound of the piccolo. It commonly plays the role of a garnish instrument along with the piccolo, and duo segments between the two instruments are quite common. Despite being a member of the clarinet family, the E clarinet is often heard playing along with the flutes, quite possibly due to its high pitch and relatively weaker low register that would be inadequate for the majority of the clarinet features in band literature.
Important soloistic parts in standard band repertoire for the E clarinet include the second movement of Gustav Holst's ''First Suite in E'' for Military Band (for two E clarinets), Paul Hindemith's ''Symphony in B'', and Gordon Jacob's ''William Byrd Suite''.

Use as children's clarinet

While most E clarinets are built and marketed for professionals or advanced students, an inexpensive plastic E clarinet dubbed the "Kinder-Klari" has been produced for beginning children's use. It has a somewhat simplified fingering system, lacking some of the trill keys and alternate fingerings. This may make it less intimidating for young beginners, but also makes it unwise as a second clarinet for amateurs or professionals, as it is sometimes advertised. The small size (hence narrower finger spacing) and lower weight also make it easier than a B instrument for a young child to play.

Solo and chamber literature for the E (or D) clarinet

Solo literature for these instruments is sparse. The following are notable:

★ Johann Melchior Molter: Six Clarinet Concerti (D; among the earliest extant clarinet concerti).^[2]

★ Concerti by Jerome Neff and William Neil.^[3]

★ Ernesto Cavallini: ''Carnival of Venice'' variations, ''Fantasia on a Theme from Ultimo Giorno Di Pomeii'', and (with Giacomo Panizza) ''I figli di Eduardo 4th'' (all for E♭ clarinet and piano).³

★ Henri Rabaud: "Solo de Concours" for E clarinet.³

★ Amilcare Ponchielli: Quartetto for B and E clarinets, flute, and oboe, with piano accompaniment.³

★ Giacinto Scelsi: "Tre Pezzi for E Clarinet"

★ William Bolcom: "Suite of Four Dances for E Clarinet"

★ Arnold Schoenberg: Suite, op. 29 (E, B, and bass clarinet, violin, viola, violoncello, piano).

★ Anton Webern: Drei Lieder fur Singstimme, Es-Klarinette und Gitarre Op.18.

Orchestral and operatic music using the E (or D) clarinet

Orchestral compositions and operas with notable E or D clarinet solos include:

★ Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (E)³

★ Maurice Ravel: Boléro (E)³

★ Richard Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (D)³

★ Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (D and E)³

★ Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 6 (E), The Age of Gold (E)³ Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (E)
Other orchestral compositions and operas making extensive use of E or D clarinet include:

★ Béla Bartók - Bluebeard's Castle (1&2 double E)

★ Hector Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique

★ Leonard Bernstein - Candide, West Side Story, On the Town, Divertimento for Orchestra

★ Aaron Copland - El Salon Mexico

★ Edward Elgar - Symphony No. 2

★ Leoš Janáček - Sinfonietta

★ Gustav Mahler - Symphonies Nos. 1 (2 Es), 2, 3, 4, 5 (D), 6, 7, 8, 9

★ Carl Orff - Carmina Burana (Orff)

★ Sergei Prokofiev - Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 6

★ Maurice Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé, Piano Concerto in G

★ Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 7, 8, 10,

★ Richard Strauss - Ein Heldenleben, Eine Alpensinfonie

★ Igor Stravinsky - The Firebird (D)

Recent Usage

After 1950, works using E clarinet are too numerous to note individually. Among those where the instrument is particularly featured are John Adams's ''Chamber Symphony'', where two players play E and bass clarinet and "double" on soprano and Adriana Hölszky's ''A due'' for two E clarinets. The extended techniques of the B clarinet, including multiphonics, flutter tonguing, and extreme registers, have all been imported back to the E.

References

1. See for instance, Frances Mayer, "Nineteenth Century American Band Music: The Scala Library" ''Music Educators Journal'' 45 (1959), pp. 42-46.
2. Johann Melchior Molter, , Simon, Aldrich, Continuo Magazine,
3. The high clarinets, , Basil, Tschaikov, ,
In The Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet, , Colin, Lawson (ed.), Cambridge University Press, ,

Bibliography

★ Hadcock, Peter, "Orchestral Studies for the E Clarinet", Roncorp Publications. A useful resource for the E player by long-time E Boston Symphony player and New England Conservatory faculty member, Peter Hadcock, containing many of the standard excerpts, guides to performance, and an extensive fingering chart.