Delighted with New Clarinets

Clarinets generally last around ten years, and they have continued to evolve ever since the instrument first appeared around 1690. Clarinettists Julien Hervé and Bruno Bonansea were given the opportunity to choose new instruments. The revolutionary XXI model by Buffet Crampon proved to be just what they were looking for.

It is something many children do: take a toy apart, only to be left wondering how on earth to put it back together again. Julien Hervé once did exactly the same thing with his clarinet, in a moment of youthful curiosity. He began learning the instrument at the age of eight, when children have generally lost their baby teeth and are ready to play the clarinet. One day, he decided to take his beautiful instrument completely apart. The joints, keys and rings were all removed. Then the inevitable happened: there was no way he could put all the pieces back together again. Julien’s mother was firm: ‘There’s only one thing for it. You’ll have to go to the factory. Perhaps they’ll be able to help you there.’

As it happens, the factory in question was only a few streets away, in Julien’s birthplace of Mantes-la-Ville, west of Paris. The company, Buffet Crampon, is a household name among woodwind players. With a very red face, Julien turned up at the factory, feeling rather embarrassed. The staff had a good laugh at the young investigator’s misfortune, but they also helped him put everything back in order. ‘They even took a photograph of me with my clarinet, which they later used for promotional purposes,’ Julien adds.

In recent months, Julien has visited the instrument maker again, but this time for a very different reason. Together with fellow clarinettist Bruno Bonansea, he had been given the go-ahead to look for new clarinets. Their existing instruments were due for replacement. Unlike a violin, a clarinet does not last forever. Over time, it loses its brilliance, and after around ten years it is generally considered to have reached the end of its useful life. In early 2022, both principal clarinettists approached the Friends Association with a request to renew the orchestra’s collection of clarinets. Their appeal was supported by oboist Karel Schoofs, who drew attention to recent developments at Buffet Crampon, where a new model, the XXI, was proving to be ‘a real hit’. After consulting the orchestra’s management, the Friends Association gave the green light. The decision was met with great enthusiasm. ‘It is an opportunity to grow musically, with greater freedom and a whole new palette of colours,’ Julien wrote in his letter of thanks to the Friends Association.

Revolutionary

Just over a year after their request, the orchestra’s collection of clarinets has been thoroughly renewed. Both clarinettists now have new A, B-flat and C clarinets, all made by the renowned French manufacturer and all of the highest quality. The instruments differ in register and character, but all three belong to the soprano clarinet family.

The A and B-flat clarinets are standard instruments in the modern symphony orchestra. The C clarinet is something of an outsider: widely used until the early nineteenth century, it has since been employed very deliberately by composers such as Brahms (Symphony No. 4) and Mahler (Symphony No. 6). Sometimes several types of clarinet are used alternately within the same piece. This was the case, for example, in Verdi’s Requiem last February.

Julien’s new B-flat and A clarinets are based on the revolutionary XXI model that Karel Schoofs mentioned. In this model, the lower joint is extended by several centimetres. A strategically placed resonance hole makes it possible to reach a very low register while retaining a remarkably full sound. The bell at the end of the instrument is slightly shorter, which further enhances its resonance. Prototypes of the XXI – the name refers to the twenty-first century – were tested by renowned clarinettists such as Martin Fröst and Paul Meyer.

Ever since its invention around 1690, the clarinet has been subject to continuous development. ‘Buffet is very strong when it comes to innovation,’ says Julien. ‘There are always details that can be improved, and every new development brings new challenges. Each time, you have to find a new balance.’ There are challenges for the player, too. ‘The XXI clarinet feels completely different from what I was used to. I still have a lot to learn about it. The instrument offers so many possibilities that I have yet to discover.’ But does it blend well with the orchestra? ‘Absolutely! Remarkably well, in fact.’

Although Julien and Bruno discussed the new instruments with each other, they did not choose them together. They rarely play in the orchestra at the same time, so they do not often cross paths. ‘First, I tried out some clarinets at the Buffet shop in Paris,’ Julien explains. ‘After that, I arranged an appointment at the factory. I met a few fellow musicians there, and we exchanged ideas about the different clarinet models.’

French or German?

The new clarinets for Julien and Bruno are all French-style instruments. Their colleague Romke-Jan Wijmenga plays a German-style clarinet, as did the late Jan Jansen. Hector Berlioz once described the difference in his book on instrumentation: ‘French clarinets have a flat, nasal sound, while German clarinets are more like the human voice.’

French mouthpieces are somewhat larger than German ones, and French clarinettists are accustomed to playing with a slightly softer reed. ‘The Netherlands has a predominantly German clarinet tradition, but bringing the two traditions together in the orchestra is no problem,’ Julien once explained in an episode of Meet the Musician. ‘Whatever instrument you play, blending the sound is always important. Those differences simply make things more interesting.’

Meanwhile, attentive listeners will already have heard the new clarinets in action. Julien concludes: ‘It is incredible that the Friends Association has made this possible for us. We are enormously grateful.’

This article previously appeared in Intrada, December–July 2022–2023, issue 2.

Text: Rien van Genderen