The Clarinet: Catalyst and Chameleon Extraordinaire
March 18, 25, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, May 6
Zoom – Wednesday 10:30 am – Noon
Discover the fascinating history of the clarinet. Invented in the early 1700s, it has proven to be an astonishingly versatile instrument, a vital presence in multiple styles and genres. We introduce its inventor and his instrument, and its embrace by Mozart. We focus on the clarinet as the voice of romantic yearning as well as a crucial ingredient in the orchestrations of iconic and beloved works, such as those of composers Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Rachmaninoff.
Later, we explore developments of the clarinet in Klezmer and jazz and its impact on the music of the concert hall and ballet, including the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and Stravinsky’s Petrushka and The Rite of Spring. Did the clarinet also help to define the bravura style of Louis Armstrong? We turn next to jazz icons Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Glenn Miller, and finally, the clarinet-inspired music by Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein.
- Week 1: Johann Christoph Denner and his invention; its embrace by Mozart
- Week 2: The clarinet in Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Rachmaninoff
- Week 3: Klezmer, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Stravinsky and Gershwin
- Week 4: Robert Recker’s High Society, Louis Armstrong and the clarinet tradition
- Week 5: Clarinet jazz overview
- Week 6 and 7: Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Glenn Miller
- Week 8: Clarinet-inspired works by Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein
Joshua Berrett earned a BA from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, an MA from Columbia University and a PhD from the University of Michigan. He has also studied at the Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard and the Tanglewood Music Center. He is a Professor Emeritus at Mercy University, a freelance violinist and the author of many publications on music. He has been interviewed on NPR and lectured abroad. With his wife, Lynne, he co-founded the non-profit Ageless Mind Project, Inc.