Since the eighteenth century, clarinetists who also functioned
as composers have made many contributions to the instrument’s
repertoire. For example, Joseph Beer, one of the first great clarinet
virtuosos, also wrote several clarinet concertos as well as a variety
of chamber works. Franz Tausch, the prominent German clarinetist
and teacher, is known to have produced two solo concertos, two double
concertos, and an extensive repertoire of duos, trios, and quartets.
In addition to solo and chamber works, many clarinetists also produced pedagogical
literature, following a great tradition of teachers creating the specific music
their pupils would study. Although many such works amount to simple, harmonically-driven
exercises, a large body of études, caprices, duos, and accompanied solos
also exists, representing music of artistic merit, and reflecting the unique
voice of the region and time period in which it was produced.
A “clarinetist-composer” brings a unique perspective to his or her
works. Early clarinetists, such as Beer and Tausch, undoubtedly wrote new works
at least partially out of necessity; even as late as 1800, the instrument’s
repertoire was remarkably small. Nevertheless, due to their understanding of
the most intimate details of clarinet performance, clarinetists themselves may
be among the most qualified to write idiomatic works for the instrument.
The clarinet came to prominence in Italy rather early in its history. In a 1716
oratorio, Vivaldi included parts for two “clareni” – possibly
the earliest orchestral use of the clarinet. In 1770, the Neapolitan composer
Gregorio Sciroli wrote what may be the earliest sonata for the clarinet. This
three-movement work was written for B-Flat clarinet, and included a single basso
continuo line accompaniment. Furthermore, Mozart’s earliest work to employ
clarinets, the Divertimento, K.113, was written during a visit to Milan in 1771.
In opera, Giovanni Paisiello used two D clarinets in I scherzi de amore, which
was first performed in Naples in 1771. Later, in Venice, Ferdinando Paer made
substantial use of clarinets in C, B-Flat and A in his opera L’intrigo
amoroso of 1795. Undoubtedly, by the turn of the century, the clarinet enjoyed
widespread acceptance in most Italian musical centers.
As the nineteenth century progressed, many native-born Italian clarinetists built
successful performing careers. Among the most important and best-known players
were Ernesto Cavallini and Luigi Bassi. Both of these musicians have been dealt
with extensively in the related literature, including in dictionaries, periodical
articles and dissertations. Many of their compositions, including the caprices
and solo works of Cavallini and the operatic fantasias of Bassi, are widely available
in modern performing editions. However, at least ten additional nineteenth-century
clarinetists also produced important clarinet compositions. These works reflect
the unique attributes of each individual clarinetist’s performing skills,
the qualities and limitations of the types of clarinets being used in Italy at
the time, performance practice issues unique to the region, and the stylistic
and artistic climate that was nineteenth-century Italy. The purpose of this study
is to examine and explore the works of these other musicians, with special emphasis
on how their works illustrate both the history of the clarinet—and the
history of musical style in general—on the Italian peninsula.
The earliest Italian clarinet treatise of the nineteenth century appeared in
approximately 1802. Vinatier Adami, an active player and teacher in the city
of Torino, produced a Method for Clarinet that was subsequently published by
Reycend. Born in northern Italy, Adami evidently arrived in Torino no later than
the early 1760’s, as his son Giuseppe, who was also an important clarinetist,
was born there in 1762. Several authors mention the existence of Adami’s
Méthode, although a complete copy has apparently failed to survive. Regardless
of its exact content and format, the existence of a complete Italian clarinet
method at such an early date suggests that a clear, systematic course of instruction
was firmly in place by at least the late decades of the eighteenth century. Furthermore,
Adami’s proficiency as a teacher is proven by the rapid development of
his son Giuseppe, who later became first clarinetist at La Scala and the first
clarinet teacher at the Milan Conservatory.
At approximately the same time, Giovanni Battista Gambaro developed a far-reaching
reputation as clarinetist, composer and publisher. Contemporaries described Gambaro’s
chief attributes as “a beautiful sound, and a noble and expressive manner
of singing on the instrument.” Over the course of his short 43-year life,
Gambaro played a significant role in the musical life of both Italy and Paris.
Born into a well-known musical family in Genoa, Gambaro relocated to Paris sometime
around 1812. By 1816, he served as first clarinetist in the orchestra of the
Italian Theater, and continued an active and successful performing career until
ill health afflicted him in the late 1820’s.
During this period, the Gambaro family built a successful music publishing firm
in Paris. The company published works by both members of the Gambaro family (including
Giovanni and his brother Vincenzo) as well as works by other composers. The fact
that many of these works were published simply under the name “Gambaro” makes
creating a definitive list of Giovanni’s compositions highly problematic.
However, it does seem that Giovanni produced a variety of unaccompanied études
and caprices, duets, quartets, and several solo works for clarinet and piano.
One notable aspect of Giovanni’s career was his decision to make Ivan Müller’s
13-key clarinet his instrument of choice. Gambaro touted the advantages of Müller’s
instruments to others (most notably Frédéric Berr), and even published
Müller’s method for the instrument. The Müller clarinet allowed
for substantially more technical dexterity than other clarinets of the day, and
this aspect is clearly evident in Gambaro’s works. For example, in the
airs and variations for clarinet and piano, the clarinet parts require rapid,
florid passagework in diatonic and chromatic patterns. In addition, the Gambaro
caprices extend beyond C and F major and into such keys as E-flat major and C
minor. Gambaro’s virtuosic style in many ways foreshadows the characteristics
of later Italian works, including those by Cavallini and Bassi.
Among the many clarinetists active in and around Milan, Benedetto Carulli holds
a special place. In many ways, Carulli bridged a generational gap: as a student
of Giuseppe Adami at the Milan Conservatory, he maintained a direct link to the
earliest systematic clarinet program in Italy. Later, during a long and prosperous
tenure as clarinet professor at the same institution, he nurtured the next generation
of Italian players, including such prominent musicians as Cavallini, Bassi and
Romeo Orsi. Although he did not produce a clarinet method of his own, he did
complete a new edition of the Méthode of Jean-Xavier Lefevre.
Carulli’s compositions include a variety of solo works, as well as small
chamber works. He also was among the earliest Italian clarinetists to write reductions
and fantasias based on popular Italian operas, a practice that would become common
for later Italian clarinetist-composers. Carulli wrote works based on Rossini’s
Semiramide, Petrella’s Marco Visconti, and Verdi’s Rigoletto. On
the other hand, his chamber works largely follow the eighteenth century model.
The Trio for Two Clarinets and Bassoon, for example, utilizes a clearly structured
sonata form for its first movement. The third movement follows a minuet and trio
format (as opposed to the more Romantic scherzo), and the finale is a rondo.
Further south, in the city of Naples, Ferdinando Sebastiani held the prestigious
position of professor at the Naples Conservatory, and also performed as first
clarinetist in the orchestra of the San Carlo Theater. Like Carulli, Sebastiani
produced numerous operatic fantasias, including works based on Bellini’s
Norma and Rossini’s Semiramide.
From a pedagogical perspective, Sebastiani produced an important treatise in
1855, during the midst of his tenure in Naples. His Method was likely the first
clarinet method published in Italy since Adami’s 1802 treatise. Among its
more significant features are illustrations and sketches indicating the use of
a 13-keyed clarinet performed with the reed on top of the mouthpiece. The book
consists of five parts, including sections on mechanical construction, ornamentation
and embellishment, and 84 progressive duets (many based on the violin works of
other composers). A complete review of Sebastiani’s Método appeared
in the July 1855 issue of the Italian journal La Musica, in which Sebastiani
was described as an “esteemed artist” and the “first clarinetist
of Europe.”
Domenico Liverani held the most important clarinet posts in the city of Bologna,
where he also taught at the Liceo Musicale from 1835 to 1870. A proponent of
the newer Boehm system clarinet, Liverani played a major role in popularizing
this instrument in Italy; he also supported the appearance of the saxophone in
Italy, an instrument that would later be promoted by Romeo Orsi. As with other
mid-century Italian clarinetists, Liverani wrote works based on Rossini, Bellini,
Donizetti and Verdi. He also wrote a trio for clarinet, cello and piano, a concerto,
and numerous smaller works for clarinet and piano.
Many of Liverani’s works follow the Romantic idea of “character pieces,” complete
with descriptive titles. For example, individual movements in his 6 Morceaux
bear such titles as “Tranquillity,” “Gaity” and “Expectation.” His
works also demonstrate the advanced capabilities of the Boehm system clarinet,
complete with highly florid passagework, chromatic lines, and arpeggiated figures
in complex keys.
Giovanni Bimboni, one of the most prominent Florentine clarinetists of the century,
enjoyed a 29-year tenure in the orchestra of the Teatro della Pergola. He also
served as a professor at the Florence Conservatory, teaching not only clarinet,
but also flute and saxophone. Bimboni developed a far-reaching reputation, earning
the respect and admiration of Mercadente and Cavallini, among others. Notable
aspects of Bimboni’s career include his decision to play with the reed
on the bottom of the mouthpiece, and his early performance and promotion of the
saxophone in 1848, coming just two years after the instrument received a formal
patent.
Due to the fact that Giovanni had a brother named Gioacchini, who was also a
musician, significant confusion has surrounded the authorship of his compositions.
Gioacchini, a brilliant trombonist, taught both trumpet and trombone at the Florence
Conservatory, and even wrote an early method for the euphonium. As both men were
apparently of short stature, they were also known by the respective nicknames
of Giovanini and Giovacchini. The problem is further complicated by the frequent
transcription of Giovanni’s works for trombone, and Gioacchini’s
works for clarinet.
Among the compositions we can definitively ascribe to Giovanni Bimboni are a
variety of method books, including mechanical exercises on scales and chords.
He also produced two books of studies and caprices. Bimboni’s Variations
on Lucrezia Borgia follows the typical model of an Italian operatic fantasia.
The work consists of an introduction, theme, and five variations (although variations
1 and 3 are for piano solo). However, these variations present far fewer technical
demands on the clarinetist, probably because the work was issued simultaneously
for trombone and piano.
In Naples, Gaetano Labanchi succeeded Sebastiani as the leading clarinetist in
the region. Replacing Sebastiani in both the court orchestra and the Teatro San
Carlo, Labanchi also became professor of clarinet at the Naples Conservatory
from 1892-1908. In addition, like Sebastiani before him, Labanchi produced a
highly influential Progressive Method, but in this case intended for the Boehm-system
clarinet. Carl Fischer published portions of this method in 1914 and again in
1961. A new edition, including thirty-six etudes from part two and all ten duets
from part three, appeared in 2002. The etudes cover all key areas (including
C-Flat Major/A-Flat minor and C-Sharp Major/A-Sharp minor), and are generally
very long (some over 200 measures). The complexity of the writing, particularly
in complicated key areas, highlights the superiority of the 18-key Boehm system
instrument favored by Labanchi. The duets are also very long (number 10 alone
is 384 measures), and feature the ornate, lyrical, bel canto style typical of
Romantic Italian music. In particular, these duets demonstrate the influence
of Cavallini, with whom Labanchi had studied in Milan.
In addition to his method, Labanchi followed the Italian trend of composing operatic
fantasias, including works based on Verdi and Mercadante. He also produced a
Gran Duetto for oboe, clarinet and piano based on themes from Donizetti, and
an original Fantasia for clarinet and piano written for and dedicated to the
Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome.
In the later nineteenth and early twentieth century, Italian clarinetists continued
to focus on pedagogical literature. Ferdinando Busoni, perhaps best-known as
the father of Ferruccio Busoni, maintained a successful career as a traveling
soloist in Italy, France and Austria. His Method, published in 1883, continued
to propagate the more traditional Italian method of performing with the reed
on top of the mouthpiece.
In Milan, Romeo Orsi worked not only as a clarinet soloist, but also developed
an important musical instrument factory in 1880. Here he built standard brass
and woodwind instruments, and also developed such novel ideas as a unique clarinet
capable of changing from low pitch to high pitch due to additional tubing. Orsi
also became a strong proponent of the saxophone, producing a saxophone method
in 1893. Although primarily intended for soprano saxophone, the title page states
additional uses for alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, as well as for clarinet.
Ricordi subsequently published a separate edition for alto and bass clarinet.
Aurelio Magnani, the last great clarinetist-composer of the century, enjoyed
a successful career as a performer, teacher and composer. A student of Liverani,
he taught at the Marcello Liceo in Venice, and later at the Academy of Santa
Cecilia in Rome. Magnani’s solo works with piano include two Divertimentos,
a Solo de Concert (dedicated to the French clarinetist Charles Turban), and the
Mazurka Caprice. He also produced a Romanza based on themes from Gounod’s
Faust, and a number of large-scale unaccompanied duets.
Maganani also wrote the final Italian clarinet treatise of the nineteenth century,
a three-part method published by Evette and Schaeffer in 1900. Intended for the
Boehm-system clarinet, this method indicates the growing acceptance of the French
clarinet on the Italian peninsula. Republished in 1949, the text was translated
into French, English and Spanish, indicating wide spread acceptance of Magnani’s
pedagogical ideas.
In comparing the works of these musicians, several stylistic trends become evident.
In the early nineteenth century, most compositions tended to follow simple forms,
including theme & variations, minuet & trio and sonata form. The writing
for clarinet was generally less virtuosic from a technical point of view, although
this aspect was noticeably more prominent in the music of Gambaro (likely due
to his use of the Müller 13-key clarinet). Also during this period, the
first operatic fantasias for clarinet appeared, indicating the wide-spread influence
and appeal of Romantic Italian opera. Most of these early works were based on
compositions by Rossini and Bellini, including Bellini’s Norma and Rossini’s
Semiramide.
During the mid-nineteenth century, clarinetists placed more emphasis on études,
duets and formal method books. Bimboni produced many studies, caprices and exercises,
while Sebastiani completed a full clarinet method. Sebastiani maintained a committment
to the 13-key clarinet performed with the reed on top of the mouthpiece. Liverani,
on the other hand, promoted the Boehm system clarinet; consequently, his works
demonstrated a higher level of technique. Operatic fantasias continued to be
popular, but composers made a noticeable shift to works based on Donizetti and
Verdi. However, works based on Rossini can still be seen in the music of Sebastiani
and Liverani, a testimony of the immense popularity of Rossini into and through
the 1840s.
As the century neared its conclusion, clarinetists tended to focus less on operatic
fantasias and transcriptions. Nonetheless, an adherence to the bel canto concepts
of beautiful melody and lyrical style persisted, both in opera-inspired works
and in original compositions. During this period, the superiority of the Boehm
system clarinet became evident, and both Labanchi, Busoni and Magnani wrote methods
for this instrument. Consequently, composers such as Labanchi felt free to write études
in all possible keys. Although Labanchi and Busoni maintained a strict adherence
to performing with the reed on top, Bimboni had been an early convert to the
reed-on-bottom technique. However, it would be the early years of the twentieth
century before this practice would become universally accepted.
In many ways, the compositions of these clarinetists reflect the history of the
clarinet in Italy. Their compositions became more complex as the clarinet itself
became more technically advanced (progressing from 6 and 7 key models in the
early century, through the 13-key clarinet, and finally to the late-century Boehm-system
instrument). At the same time, the uniquely operatic bel canto style continued
throughout the period. This aspect is clearly evident not only in the fantasias,
but also in the many pedagogical studies and duets.
Unlike the works of Cavallini and Bassi, most of these compositions have fallen
out of the standard performing repertoire. The majority are out-of-print, while
a number were likely never published at all. Additional archival research is
needed to develop definitive lists of works by these composers, as well to produce
reliable modern performing editions. Their significance as historical documentation
of the history of the clarinet in Italy simply cannot be overstated.
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