Why we should love the Alto Clarinet | Interesting Instruments

A video about one of the most unfairly derided woodwind instruments: the E flat Alto Clarinet. As a composer, I am 'Pro-Alto'!

Timestamps:

0:06 What is an Alto Clarinet?
0:19 Related Instruments: The Basset Horn
0:57 Which instrument do composers write for?
2:05 How can this be confusing?
4:18 What's the deal with the Alto Clarinet?
5:12 Problems: reasons why people might hate the Alto
8:00 How to write for the Alto Clarinet; What the Alto Clarinet can do
10:05 Effective scoring combinations
10:48 Alto Clarinet in the orchestra
11:58 Josef Holbrooke's use of the Alto Clarinet (orchestra)
13:00 The Alto Clarinet in the modern wind band
14:20 Scoring tips in a wind band using the Alto Clarinet
16:51 Summary of the Alto Clarinet's capabilities; call to composers and bands to embrace it and use it!

Points raised include:
-The Alto Clarinet's place in the clarinet family, and a comparison with its relative, the Basset Horn
-An exploration of a couple of arguments that exist with regard to the possiblity of changing the instrument's name to Tenor Clarinet
-Why the Bass Clarinet may have usurped the Alto in the orchestra in the 19th century
-Various reasons as to why people hate or ridicule the instrument
-How to write for the instrument; reference to its low, middle & high registers with some examples; what the instrument can do
-Scoring combinations and instrument pairings that are effective
-Use of the Alto Clarinet in the orchestra, with reference to Josef Holbrooke's treatment of the Alto Clarinet/Basset Horn in a few of his works
-The Alto's place in the wind band today; and how including it gives the Bass Clarinet a bit of a much-needed break
-Orchestration examples showing various ways of employing the Alto Clarinet in the woodwind section in a band; how it can add depth, lighten the texture, carry the melody, add strength to a melody in the alto/tenor register, and contribute to a full woodwind tutti
-Summary of why we should be using the Alto more

Patreon:   / danthefugueguy  

www.danielbasford.co.uk

Further info:
Mozart Divertimento (audio excerpt at 1:45) - full live performance:
   • Mozart - Divertimento No. 1 for Three Bass...  

The performance of 'Rufford Park Poachers' from Lincolnshire Posy (Grainger) is from Dallas Wind Symphony, cond. Junkin, Reference Recordings 2012
   • Lincolnshire Posy: III. Rufford Park Poachers  .
This excerpt is used under Fair Use/Fair Dealing as it forms part of an educational discussion and informative video, and is not detrimental to the market.

My orchestration of Bach's Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor BWV 582 for band (excerpt shown 8:50) is available at https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/...

Further reading & sources of some info:
Alto Clarinet: The Endangered Species of the American Band (Mark Wolbers)
https://depts.washington.edu/uwwinds/...

The Unrealised Potential of the Alto Clarinet (Annabelle Inhyung Hwang) - includes a comprehensive discussion on extended techniques https://na-st01.ext.exlibrisgroup.com...

A clip from Family Guy (dubbed in German) is used under Fair Use/Fair Dealing as (a) it is employed out of context; (b) is transformative in nature; and (c) is not detirmental to the market.

#altoclarinet #clarinet #windband