Have you ever wondered what composers throughout history thought about our favorite instrument, the clarinet?
"The clarinet is one of the most beautiful instruments in the orchestra."
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
"The clarinet is capable of the most heavenly sounds."
- Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
"The clarinet is a mysterious instrument with a unique and compelling voice."
- Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
"The clarinet has a beguiling and seductive tone that is capable of touching the heart in a special way."
- Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
"The clarinet is a noble instrument with a melancholy beauty that can express every emotion."
- Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"The clarinet is an instrument of exceptional beauty and lyricism."
- Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
"The clarinet is the most expressive and flexible of all the wind instruments."
- Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
"The clarinet has a unique and haunting beauty that is capable of transporting the listener to another world."
- Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
"The clarinet is a magical instrument with a voice that is both powerful and delicate."
- Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
"The clarinet is a versatile and expressive instrument that can convey both joy and sadness with equal power."
- Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
"The clarinet is the true head of the woodwind family."
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
"Oh, if only we had clarinets in C in Vienna! You cannot imagine the beautiful effect of three clarinets, with their tender and delicate tones, when they are well played and in tune. When I get back to Vienna, I am going to write a concerto for the clarinet, and I will make it the best piece I have ever written."
-Mozart
"The clarinet is the most beautiful of all instruments."
- Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
"The clarinet has something divine about it."
- Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
"The clarinet is an extraordinary instrument, capable of producing the most beautiful sounds."
- Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)
"The clarinet is a wind instrument with a soulful and touching tone."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
"The clarinet is an instrument of enchantment, capable of expressing every shade of emotion."
- Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
"The clarinet is the ideal instrument for expressing the warmth and tenderness of the human heart."
- Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
"The clarinet is a magic wand in the hands of a master."
- Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
"The clarinet is the most beautiful of all wind instruments, with a tone that is both warm and expressive."
- Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
"The clarinet is the instrument of the romantic spirit."
- Louis Spohr (1784-1859)
"The clarinet is the most beautiful of all instruments. Its portamento is unequalled, its tone ranging from tender and melancholy to bright and piercing. It is capable of expressing every emotion, from the deepest sorrow to the most joyful exuberance. For me, the clarinet is the ideal instrument for conveying the most profound and spiritual feelings of the human soul."
- Liszt
Johannes Brahms, the German composer, is often credited with the quote that Richard Mühlfeld's clarinet sound was like "a nightingale singing in the middle of a ripe peach."
Did I miss any of your favorites? Let me know!