Gaetano Donizetti

Background on little-known (at least for clarinet) composer of a piece I’m working on. The piece is an unaccompanied study composed in 1821, quite early for unaccompanied clarinet solos.

Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)

to be taken with a grain of salt, since the source for most of it is chatGPT

Predecessors

• Johann Melchior Molter (1696–1765): Clarinet Concerto in A major
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788): Clarinet Concerto in A major, H. 622
• Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767): Concerto for Clarinet in D major, TWV 51:D4
• Franz Xaver Richter (1709–1789): Sinfonia à Quattro in B-flat major, featuring clarinet
• Johann Stamitz (1717–1757): Orchestral works with prominent clarinet parts
• Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741): Concerto for Strings and Continuo in G major, RV 151 “Alla Rustica,” which sometimes features the clarinet
• Johann Christoph Graupner (1683–1760): Concerto for Clarinet in D major, GWV 303
• Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714–1787): Ballet music from the opera “Armide” features the clarinet.
• Franz Ignaz Danzi (1763–1826): Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat major for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Cello, and Orchestra, P. 227
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Although Mozart predates the specified time range, his clarinet works are significant. His Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622, and the Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581, are among the most famous pieces for the instrument.

Contemporaries

• Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826): A German composer, Weber wrote several works for the clarinet, including his Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 73, and Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 74.
• Louis Spohr (1784–1859): A German composer and violinist, Spohr wrote clarinet concertos, chamber music, and other works for the instrument. His Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 26, and Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 57, are notable.
• Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868): An Italian composer known for his operas, Rossini wrote the Introduction, Theme and Variations for Clarinet and Orchestra, often referred to as the Rossini Clarinet Variations.
• Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837): An Austrian composer and pianist, Hummel wrote a Clarinet Quartet, Op. 30, and other works for clarinet.
• Ferdinand Ries (1784–1838): A German composer and student of Beethoven, Ries wrote a Clarinet Quintet, Op. 25, and other chamber works featuring the clarinet.

Unaccompanied Clarinet Works before 1850

Unaccompanied clarinet works, especially before 1850, are relatively scarce due to the historical development of the instrument and its role in ensemble and orchestral settings. However, there are a few notable exceptions. Here are some unaccompanied clarinet works written before 1850:

• Bernhard Henrik Crusell (1775–1838): *Introduction et Air Suédois, Op. 12:** This work is for clarinet solo and showcases Crusell’s melodic and expressive writing.
• Hyacinthe Klosé (1808–1880): *25 Etudes for Clarinet, Book 1, Op. 33:** While these are etudes, they are unaccompanied and serve as excellent technical studies for the clarinet.
• Heinrich Baermann (1784–1847): *Sechs leichte Vortragsstücke (Six Easy Pieces), Op. 24:** These are relatively short character pieces for unaccompanied clarinet.
• Louis Spohr (1784–1859): *Fantasia and Variations for Clarinet without Accompaniment, Op. 81:** A challenging and expressive work for solo clarinet.
• Anton Stadler (1753–1812): *Three Caprices for Solo Clarinet:** Stadler was a contemporary of Mozart and a virtuoso clarinetist. His caprices are still studied today.
• Carl Baermann (1810–1885): *40 Studies for Clarinet Solo, Op. 63:** While these are primarily technical studies, they can be performed as unaccompanied solo pieces.
• Friedrich Berr (1794–1838): *Solo für Clarinette:** A lesser-known work for unaccompanied clarinet by this German composer.

Please note that the repertoire for unaccompanied clarinet is limited in the classical period, and more compositions for solo clarinet emerged in the later 19th and 20th centuries.

More About Donizetti

Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) was an Italian composer, best known for his operatic works. He was born on November 29, 1797, in Bergamo, Italy, and died on April 8, 1848, in Bergamo. Donizetti was a leading composer during the bel canto era, which was characterized by beautiful, expressive singing and lyrical melodies.

Some of Gaetano Donizetti’s most famous operas include:

• “L’elisir d’amore” (The Elixir of Love)
• “Lucia di Lammermoor”
• “Don Pasquale”
• “Anna Bolena”
• “La fille du régiment” (The Daughter of the Regiment)

These operas, along with many others, contributed to Donizetti’s reputation as one of the most prolific and successful opera composers of the 19th century. His works are still regularly performed in opera houses around the world.

As for a composition titled “STUDIE fur Klarinette,” it’s important to note that Gaetano Donizetti is not generally associated with compositions for the clarinet.

From IMSLP

Clarinet Study in B-flat major, A 516 (Donizetti, Gaetano) Studio primo per clarinetto per l’amico Begnigni Composer: Donizetti, Gaetano Year/Date of Composition: 1821 Dedication: Benigni Editor Raymond Meylan (b. 1924)

From YouTube

Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the bel canto opera style during the first half of the nineteenth century and a probable influence on other composers such as Giuseppe Verdi.

Concertino in B flat major for Clarinet

YouTube Recordings