The Classical Clarinet Thread

[VEGANGELICA]

The clarinet. Squeaky torture device? Or wonderful, resonant, sensitive instrument capable of creating beautiful, haunting melodies with dramatic intensity? I hope this thread will prove the latter.

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Please share your favorite classical pieces for solo clarinet.
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My favorite is the Brahms Sonata for Clarinet and Piano No. 2, 1st Movement. I used to play this piece and adored it back in my teenage heyday of clarinet playing, accompanied by my dad on piano.

The song put Brahms on my list of favorite composers. It also made me love the clarinet. This was a nice emotion to have, because I generally didn't care for the sound of the clarinet very much...which was really a shame because I put many hours into practicing and played it exceedingly well.
(I did! It's true! ) The Brahms sonata made me feel I was creating beautiful music with the clarinet at last.

The sonata shows how sweet, delicate, and mellow a clarinet can be, yet also how piercing and passionate. Hearing this piece again reminds me that I've been meaning (for years) to practice my clarinet enough so that I can play it easily for a good length of time, which will require me to increase my lip strength.

I love how this sonata has so many emotions in it, for the clarinet sounds (to me) alternatively peaceful, driven, relaxed, plaintive, angry, determined, anxious, playful, ecstatic, yearning, demanding, patient, hopeless, and hopeful.

Brahms Sonata for Clarinet and Piano No. 2, 1st. Movement
Levan Tskhadadze - Clarinet