20th Century Clarinet Music

An orchestra normally contains two or three clarinetists and there has been a lot of clarinet music written as orchestral pieces or as chamber music. It is also favored as a solo instrument, featured in clarinet concertos by Mozart and Carl von Weber. American composer Aaron Copland has also composed for the clarinet. There are plenty of examples of 20th century clarinet music by leading composers, including Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky and Olivier Messiaen. Popular formats for the clarinet include the Clarinet Quintet, made up of a clarinet and a string quartet. The Wind Quintet consists of clarinet, oboe, flute, bassoon and horn.