Harry Sparnaay
The bass clarinet - a personal history
El Clarinete bajo – una historia personal
Published by Periferiamusic - Barcelona
www.periferiamusic.com
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| The Bass Clarinet: a personal history Book + CD ISBN: 978-84-938845-Price: 69 EUR |
El Clarinete bajo - una historia personal Libro y CD ISBN: 978-84-938845-1-2 / Precio: 69 Euro |
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The book is for sale on-line at:
El libro está a la venta on-line en:
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Comments, Critics and Reviews
Stylianos Dimou – composer / Greece
I have recently received your book and I am really impressed with its content. Personally
speaking, I find a well organized and meticulously written handbook that covers a wide range
of issues concerning multi phonic sonorities and other interesting experimental sounds of the
harmonic spectrum of the instrument. The most important thing is that there is a rational and
faithful articulation - recording of numerous harmonic trills - tremolos and multi phonics. This
is of immense importance while it gives the composer the ability to listen and understand the
way in which such sounding "effects" can be rationally performed in the best possible way. For
this reason I believe that this book is very useful for any composer who is interested in an
effective and "tone-color" use of the Bass Clarinet's harmonic spectrum. I am really impressed
and thank so much Harry.
With very much appreciation..!!! Congratulation and.... Μπράβο!!
Paul Roe – (bass) clarinettist/ Ireland
Anyone who has met Harry Sparnaay will know what a phenomenon he is. His playing is
wonderful and distinctive, however it is his creative spirit and personality which really sets him
apart. His contribution to contemporary music is immense and anyone who has been fortunate
enough to work with him will testify to his generosity of spirit and imagination. Harry's new book
is a treat-a real portrait-personal, idiosyncratic and amusing. Whilst you might not get to meet
him in person-you should do yourself a favour and do the next best thing, get the book.
Ian Shanahan – composer / Australia
Harry Sparnaay has recently published a marvelous book on the bass clarinet, published by
PeriferiaMusic. Containing excerpts, a lot of examples and all you need to know about advanced
techniques you'll find in this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
All composers, clarinettists and libraries ought to buy a copy.
María Eugenia Luc – composer / Argentina
When I had "The bass clarinet - a personal history" in my hands, and since I know Harry, I
knew I was about to read a very complete technical book that would present all the possibilities of
the instrument and even the most subtle. But the subtitle: "a personal history"; that I didn't
understand immediately.
Given my profession as a composer, I am used to reading these books. Some are very good and
some less so. But reading Harry's book, I was caught from the first to the last page. That's
because, besides being an excellent technical and timely text, with information I have not had
before, it is the passion (in the broadest sense of the word) that Harry conveys for the music as
performed by the bass clarinet. This is why I think that, besides being an indispensable book for
any composer or performer, it is a book that any real musician would enjoy reading and having.
Thank you, Harry, for allowing us, through "The bass clarinet - a personal history," to extend
our horizon for this wonderful instrument and for sharing with us your personal story and love of music.
Tomás Marco – composer / Spain
I finally read your book quietly. I congratulate you very sincerely because it is excellent. Not only is
a very good and useful guide about the bass clarinet but is also very well written and very funny, it
reads better than a novel!
Congratulations and a hug.
Thanks Harry for this book. The title says it all, it is a reflection of the passion for your
instrument, music and life, a life you have spent to share with us the beauty and power of the bass clarinet.
Thank you so much for this great gift you gave to us all.
Serban Nichifor – composer /Romania
Congratulations for your so wonderful book THE BASS CLARINET - A PERSONAL HISTORY !
This book is the great testimony of the most important Bass Clarinetist in the Music History !!!
Laurent Mettraux - composer / Switzerland
This is the essential book, which up to now was lacking for composers and bass clarinettists to
learn in detail the modern techniques of the bass clarinet. Moreover, it is not a dry and merely
intellectual book; on the contrary, the reading of it is pleasant, rendered even more lively by
numerous anecdotes. Plenty of musical examples also gives practical information that goes far
beyond simple theory.
Anahi Oraisón – violinist / the Netherlands
I’m not a clarinetist, not a bass clarinetist and even not a composer, but reading the book it was
clear to me that it is a very good lesson for any contemporary musician on any instrument
whatsoever. It provides great guidance in collaborating with composers and colleagues and in
dealing with difficult situations.
Ana Lara – composer / Mexico
I've always admired Harry Sparnaay.
First of all because he has convinced everyone that the bass clarinet is a great instrument capable of
doing everything imaginable and unimaginable and has created a very extensive repertoire. And
then also because he formed a new generation of not only virtuosi, but also of great bass
clarinettists.
He is the great master of the bass clarinet.
Everything about the instrument he knows and is using all his sound possibilities with an
immense enthusiasm.
All he needed to do was writing the long-awaited book on his instrument and he did so.
And the book is wonderful, funny and profound. All you have to know about the instrument is
included, written with the same lightness and depth it’s author has. Many examples, many stories
but mostly this book is him, with his charm, intelligence and talent.
This is a must for music lovers and musicians (performers and composers).
Harry Sparnaay has the great talent to combine his personal experiences (not without humor) with
essential information for those who want to write for or to play the bass clarinet.
Thanks Harry for this book. The title says it all, it is a reflection of the passion for your
instrument, music and life, a life you have spent to share with us the beauty and power of the bass
clarinet.
Thank you so much for this great gift you gave to us all.
Sergio Fidemraizer – composer / Argentina
After just finishing Harry Sparnaay's book, the first thing you feel is that it is a great fortune to be a musician,
because the text manages to communicate the passion and commitment of a lifetime dedicated to the bass
clarinet and, most importantly, to Music. It is delivered from the hand of this undisputed master of 20th-21st
century music. He is both a protagonist and stimulator of that historical period rich in projects, whose
influences have still not finished. An honest text, vital and outspoken, concise and clear. The book exhibits
technical, aesthetic and practical aspects, anecdotes, illustrations, many music and sound examples, all is
written in a very pleasant and direct way.
The large doses of humor and irony allow him to make strong criticism of malpractice and prejudices about an
art that takes more than one century of evolution. "The bass clarinet/a personal history" is not a scholarly
treatise, but a powerful tool for any professional in music, bass clarinetist or not. A breath of fresh air that any
musician or person connected with music should read. It is written from the humility and need to
communicate that only great artists possess.
Above all, the book strives to be useful to others. This is Harry.
José Gomez Nieblas – bass clarinettist / Spain
I bought your book and I want to thank you for having written it. I liked very much the personal
approach, to read about your experiences, and I consider it very valuable reference material that I
will surely be using many times over the years of my remaining career.
Josep Borràs i Roca - bassoonist/director of the ESMUC Barcelona / Spain
Reading your book I became very jealous: for your career as solid and rich in the personal and
professional way and to have been able to write (and record) a book so fabulous.
I liked it a lot for many reasons.
First of all by the personal and friendly tone, incredibly pedagogical, which captivates you from the
first moment, also being a reflection of your strong personality.
Secondly, I believe that it is a very good choice to write a book about the bass clarinet with a dose
of very strong personal involvement, based on your experiences, and away from the eclectic hiding in
treaties or methods we are accustomed to seeing.
This is your book on the bass clarinet, your choice of repertoire and your strategy of motivation
(leaving aside the good dose of humour and poetry).
I do not think there is a better option at the moment and I refuse to think that, after reading the
book, someone would dismiss playing the bass clarinet as a first option. Even I wonder if I should
have played bass clarinet instead of the bassoon!
Thank you very much for your extraordinary contribution.
I think that this book is a synthesis which can easily compete with similar contributions of other
great musicians.
Alessandro Polito – composer / Italy
Dear Harry, your book is really beautiful! I'm a composer and I teach composition in my country. I
think that your work is very, very important for the new generation of composers and bass
clarinetists.
It's the book we've been waiting for a long time.
Paolo De Gaspari – bass clarinetist / Italy
Dear Harry, you are the best bass clarinet player that exists in the world. You wrote the story of
this instrument, at the same time you gave it a future with your ability in advance technique and in
your collaboration with composers.
What I’m doing now my way is thanks to you. Without Sparnaay 30 years ago, we would still be
playing the "Aida" solo, considering that this was the most difficult part existing for our
instrument. I don't want to comment your book, because it is also about your life. I would like to
thank you for your great job and the passion you show for this wonderful instrument.
Luiz Rocha – bass clarinettist / Brasil
Harry, I loved the quality of your book, the depth of the technical part and the personal tone
of the narrative.
Reading it is just like talking to you about your experience and knowledge as a musician. And this is
one of the reasons that makes your book unique, you have managed to be really comprehensive
about technique, concepts, history and yet it's easy and fun to read. All of your sense of humor
is included in the book! As a bass clarinetist, it offers a great help exploring the instrument,
detailing it's possibilities and teaching how to approach the special effects. This book is all
about a life time experience, love and dedication to the instrument. It is really inspiring and can
teach more than just playing the bass clarinet better. Thanks for sharing.
Ernesto Molinari – bass clarinettist / Switzerland
Your book arrived a few weeks ago and I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed reading it. It is
not only informative but entertaining as well! Your passionate journey and your quest to fathom
new worlds of sounds, notations and techniques has inspired clarinetists and bass clarinetists
(including myself!) and continues to do so. I wish there had been a book like yours while I was
beginning my own quest over twenty years ago. I will recommend your book to all of my students
and introduce it in my master classes in Darmstadt and Graz because it is a genuine personal
history of the bass clarinet journey still under way. Thank you for taking the time and effort to
write a book while still continuing a full concert and teaching schedule and for sharing your
experiences, your discoveries and your passion for music!
Congratulations, Harry!!!
David Bennett Thomas – composer / USA
I just finished your amazing book. I can't imagine a more informative
and helpful book for anyone wanting to play or compose for the bass
clarinet. I read all of the text on the train, and finally had a minute
to listen through the musical examples. I'm so glad I did! It
was amazing to hear those sounds. There were some effects that I
didn't even know were possible. The book is very well written, in an
enjoyable and sometimes humorous style. Who would have thought that a
book about the bass clarinet would be such a page-turner!
Now if we can just get someone to write a similar book for every other
instrument to help those wanting to compose.
Sungji Hong – composer / Korea
A vast amount of experience is collected within this book, where we find a wide range of extended
techniques explained with diverse examples of contemporary music.
It leads us into the musical journey of Harry Sparnaay, whose career is a true history of
contemporary bass clarinet music.
‘The Bass Clarinet’ by Harry Sparnaay will certainly be an inspiration for all clarinettists and
composers who are seeking for a deep knowledge of the instrument.
Oguz Büyükberber – bass clarinettist / Turkey
I remember the day my uncle brought a student model bass clarinet for me from Paris. It was the
first bass clarinet I had ever seen in my whole life until then! In Turkey, it was so hard to have
access to the right material in those days: Instruments, recordings, books... I was so lucky to travel
all the way to study with you personally. But this book you wrote gives the possibility to musicians
from all over the world to enjoy and benefit from your incredible knowledge, unprecedented
experience and great personality. The high standard you set for this lovely instrument that I have
so much passion for will only be clearer and better understood as a result of this book.
Thank you so much!
Jane O’Leary – composer / Ireland
A great reference book when writing my next piece for bass clarinet! It is a
wonderful achievement-congratulations. With a life as full and rich as
yours, it's so important to have it recorded in this way. Great fun to read
and hear all your stories. It feels like having a conversation/meeting with you when reading
it....very nice!
It's lovely!
Hugo Queirós – bass clarinettist / Portugal
Thank you very much for writing your book. So easy and so exciting, for me it has been a pleasure
to read and follow the great adventure that was your life with the bass clarinet!
Thank you for sharing so much valuable information and I hope you will continue sharing so
much knowledge that you have about this noble instrument...
During your live you inspired great musicians and composers and with this book you will reach
much more...
Congratulations for this masterpiece!
Daniel Schröder – (bass) clarinettist / Germany
I really enjoyed that your book is written from such a personal point of view. It is so much nicer to
read if you got an impression what a special subject means to the person who is telling you about it.
Then it is like a story that is told and you like to listen to.
Al Wegener – composer-bass clarinetist / USA
It is a great book ... like all your reviewers say. And I have found it very useful for my bass
clarinet composing and performance. The book cost me $135 U.S. dollars. That, here in the U.S.
and now, is just a lot of money but the book is well worth. Perhaps a good idea to put up some
selected pages from the book on your web site to give folks a taste, perhaps including some audio
too? Buying the book blind this will make sales easier.
Thanks for everything you do for the bass clarinet!
Roderik de Man – composer / the Netherlands
“Maybe the bass clarinet has been waiting all these years for Harry Sparnaay” wrote William
Littler (Toronto Star) in the seventies.
We may now add: This certainly is the book bass clarinettists and composers have been waiting for
all these years.
The book is a real gem!!
Sarah Watts – bass clarinetist / England
When you would expect that as it is Harry Sparnaay writing a book it will be absolutely full of
contemporary music and nothing else, than you will be really pleasantly surprised that it is so much
more. It isn’t just a personal history; it covers everything about the bass clarinet.
Harry Sparnaay - a personal history, is really a must for everyone who wants to know more about
the bass clarinet. It is a huge wealth of information from the history of the instrument to
information on general techniques, contemporary techniques and repertoire. Also it is full of
information about other players and I like the way that contact details are included for many
players from around the world and products associated with the instrument. It is written from the
heart with much affection and humor.
Luc Lee – bass clarinetist / Taiwan
This book is bass clarinetist's gift!!
It includes so many bass clarinet information.
Let me learn more about bass clarinet. I enjoyed it very~~~ very much!!
I love this book.
Bravo!! Bravo!!!!
Sergio Blardony – Sulponticello, Revista on-line de música y arte sonora / Spain
Periferia Sheet Music surprises the music world with this book by the bass clarinettist Harry
Sparnaay, that, far from being limited to mere theoretical and technical treatise, introduces the
composer, performer and musician in general, to the world of his instrument from a personal and
analytical point of view. It is a very well presented edition that includes a CD with multiple
examples of the techniques discussed.
To write a review about a theoretical treatise on an instrument (if that is indeed what we can call
this book!) can tend to be complex and often be boring for the reader. However, the present case,
the Periphery Sheet Music edition of”The Bass clarinet”, bass clarinetist Harry Sparnaay, dispels
these fears from the very first page. Firstly, it is observed from the very beginning that this is a
personal approach, living up to the caption that accompanies it ("a personal history"). Secondly,
the author (without doubt, one of the most important players of the bass clarinet) has managed to
reconcile, on the one hand, extreme seriousness and technical rigor with irony and a frequent sense
of humor, which makes the reading quite agreeable, on the other hand. This is something highly
unusual in a book of this kind. These factors give to the written text something which, as I shall
try to convey in this article, makes this editorial proposal both atypical and quite valuable. It is
definitely a book addressed equally to performers and to composers, but the later will always be
indebted to it. I will try to delve into why this is observed to be so, and precisely from the
composer’s perspective, about which I am able to speak from experience.
Usually, when faced with an instrumental treatise, the composer's main concern is, and in this
order, 1) if it deals with the extended or contemporary techniques (something which that is
generally not rare in any text of this kind) in case our own language proficiency is limited, 2) in
which language is written and if it is "readable" (this generally is not considered a major problem);
and finally 3), the abundance of tables and examples of the techniques (one is always on the hunt
for a good table multiphonics ...). If the text meets these needs, and does it well, it will be eligible to
sit on the shelf of reference books in instrumentation. However, time and experience tells us that
many treaties, for various reasons are not as useful as they might seem at first sight. In many cases,
it is not so much that they contain incorrect or inaccurate information (of which there is generally a
bit of that), but that over time the current techniques become a bit moldy or out of date. It is not
uncommon to find that a multiphonics example cannot be realized due to small changes in the
instruments or in the reeds, that are no longer used as commonly as in the time the books were
written. These aspects are of great importance for the composer, as an inadequate organization of
multiphonic examples in a publication can mislead the composer into believing in a decieving kind
of soundscape where practically everything that appears in a table can be done exactly as the book
says. We must also bear in mind that many of these books have been made in research settings in
which the starting point was "possible" rather than "reason", primarily because the motive was to
study the physical and acoustic potentials of the instrument, rather than from the perspective of
genuine usefulness for the composer (in these cases, good judgement and experience are to be
expected of the composer, since there is no reason to limit a comprehensive technical or investigative
text out of concern for the composer’s lack of understanding about the instrument).
The Bass Clarinet emerges from a completely different point of view than that of a purely
investigative text or compilation of material. It emerges from the perspective of being a useful book
for composing precisely because it warns the creative mind of the illusions, very precisely setting
limits on those techniques and aspects of the instrument that may be conflictive. One could argue
that this route is dangerous or limiting because it tends to restrain the impulse to create and
explore freely on the instrument, but nothing is further from the truth. Sparnaay makes it clear
that almost anything is possible on the instrument, and what is not possible, can be generally be
achieved with work and inquiry. This may be. However, the concept of "almost anything is
possible" should be taken into careful consideration, because it is not productive to expectun-limited
possibilites from the instrument, or to cultivate an excessive confidence in the capabilities of the
player to solve these challenges. Because the composer then falls into the trap of trespassing the very
real technical impossibilities of the instrument.
From this perspective, I can cite a number of passages that clearly illustrate the focus of the book.
For example, Mr. Sparnaay says of trills, tremolos and bisbigliando: "In general, playing trills
does not pose major problems for us, but a trill c to c sharp in the low register is-on almost all bass
clarinets-almost impossible". Another example about the quarter-tone: "Also playing a phrase in
an insanely high tempo, flying over three octaves, fortissimo and 'Flatterzunge',and full of quarter
tones is meaningless. The result will be a terrible roar hawking without any discernible pitch. It
looks nice and well thought-out, but it does not function at all! " Or on multiphonics:" There are
completely written out books with multiphonics which may give the impression to composers that
actually all the notes sound clearly notated and equally and that you as composer can just go
ahead. However this is a fallacy and seems to be misleading for many composers." These quotes
make clear the points about the book that I have tried to expose and explain, and the importance
of a book like Sparnaay’s for realizing a logical and effective manner of writing for the instrument.
In addition to these aspects, perhaps the most relevant from a practical point of view, including the
important collection of samples and examples contained on the CD that accompanies the book,
and as I mention at the beginning of this article, is the particularly pleasing style in which the book
is written. We feel as if we are privy to a very personal musical experience, and this implies the
risk of coming across at times as excessive But Sparnaay dispels this through an effective
combination of the essential objectives of the text. In other words, it is both completely original and
personal and, at the same time equally effective from a “technical” point of view, all the time not
coming across as labored or contrived. In this sense, it comes across as seamless in a very
satisfactory way.
In regards to the organization of the book by chapter: in addition to a significant amount of text
devoted to forms of notation, instrumental ranges, extended techniques, use of the instrument in an
electro-acoustic context, etc., we also find chapters which are to be considered less common and
which result very interesting and entertaining. From the "Personal introduction" and "From the
very begining until now”, to a journey through the history of the latest music, going all the way to
a chapter devoted to programming of works for bass clarinet, there is even a section dedicated to
stories and anecdotes that will give the reader a good laugh. On the practical level are the sections
dedicated to repertory, publishers and music information centers, or to composers who have written
works for the instrument, withvarious references to them, including the web.
In short, this is an essential book on the bass clarinet for the composer or performer, but it is also
highly recommended to other music professionals who can find in this text transversal aspects
which, above all, offer the occasion for reflection on ideas that transcend the specific study of an
instrument.
Núria Giménez Comas – composer / Spain
For me it was the discovery of a fascinating personal history closely tied to development and sound
research for an instrument that is (thanks to the dedication) very rich in possibilities. Consequently
I think it is a practical tool for composers and performers through numerous examples and
comments, resulting out of a huge experience in the field, making it a very important tool, we could
say an obligatory one. Thanks Harry!
Marij van Gorkom – bass clarinettist / the Netherlands
I have read your book several times and enjoyed it very much. I find it very personal and very
recognizable.
I dreaded a little bit to go through a multiphonics chart again, since it usually takes ages and ages
because not everything works etc.
But it only took me a quarter of an hour!
Great and really wonderful to have a chart which you can just pass on with the message that it
really works and also for me as a Selmer player.
Without doubt it’s clear to me that I will strongly recommend this book to every composer.
So, thanks again and again.
Jacobo Durán Loriga – composer / Spain
Books on instrumental techniques can be very dry and boring. Lucky are they who are interested
in the bass clarinet, because with "The bass clarinet" by Harry Sparnaay they have a book which
is comprehensive and entertaining as well. On almost every page there's a reason to smile, or laugh
even, for example when he lists various remote regions of the globe that are ideal for studying the
very high notes that can usually cause problems with family and neighbors.
The advice given to composers and musicians is priceless. Advices based on experience, not just on
theory. It is the strength that comes from knowing what you are talking about and to argue from
practical experience. With his guidance composers will know what can be done and how, and what
best to be avoided, the way to use notation with advantages and disadvantages explained. All
documented with photos, sheet music, fingering chards and a CD.
There is only one thing that would surpass this book. To have the author at your side to be
consulted at any time, although I suspect that he would sometimes use his own book to have the
most complete and reliable reference.
Petra Stump/Heinz-Peter Linshalm – bass clarinettists / Austria
We received your book about a week ago and read all the chapters by now.
It is not only a comprehensive encyclopaedia about the bass clarinet and its techniques but also an
inspiring story of a life dedicated to the bass clarinet. Complete in every respect!!!
Thank you for all your efforts!!!
Davo van Peursen – Director Music Centre Netherlands/MCN / the Netherlands
A beautiful book! I read it through bit by bit.
This is a wonderful standard work for your instrument. A must have for sure.
Laura Carmichael – bass clarinettist / USA
You have written a superb book, with comprehensive examples, fingering charts, repertoire lists
and stories of his forty-plus years of work with the bass clarinet. What stands out the most to me
is the way your personal voice is heard throughout; the reader is exposed to the various sides of you:
demanding and focused, funny and self-deprecating, energetic and sharp. Your stories, opinions
(often dosed out with humour), and way of living with the bass clarinet are interwoven with a
plethora of technical information. You let the reader in on your personal perspective, your thinking,
motivations and drive. I cannot think of another clarinet book which achieves this combination of
practical information with such a compelling informal voice. In the section about notation, "The
Confusing Notation" and "The Really Bad Notation" I had to laugh out loud. The book is a
rich resource, definitely a must have reference for bass clarinettists and composers, and no doubt
useful to anyone interested in the development of the bass clarinet as a contemporary music solo
instrument over the last forty years.
Montse Martínez Gracía – Consultant Feng Shui Traditional / Spain
What fantastic reviews and comments your book received!
Surely the fundamental value of the work is YOU, your personality and LOVE, in capital
letters, your feelings for the music and your instrument.
This love is in everything you say when you speak about them, or during teaching or through
anecdotes and it is certainly reflected and transmitted through reading your book.
Hence it isn’t an other music book . . . it is something different and very special.
Tobias Klein – bass clarinettist / Germany
What a great treasure this book is! A much-needed resource of information about the instrument.
Love the anecdotes!
Josep Barcons Palau – Revista Musical Catalana - / Spain
It is no exaggeration to say that Sparnaay has opened Pandora's Box of the bass clarinet, giving
the instrument a privileged place in the music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, thus
redeeming it from the secondary role it was sentenced to in the orchestras. This Pandora's Box is
now presented in a book that is like a Bible of the bass clarinet.
Like the Bible, consisting of several books, Sparnaay’s book contains several books in one: a
technical book indispensable for both composers and instrumentalists (covering everything from the
reeds to the notation of multiphonics), a history book, a catalogue of compositions, a collection of
special effects and examples (with a CD attached), a multimedia reference source, and an
autobiography.
The novel approach of the book is that even though the paragraphs and chapters are fully indexed
and sorted, the contents know no boundaries and circulate freely from the beginning until the end.
The text is like a sponge, having absorbed the lively, provocative and humorous style of the
author; in the midst of a technical explanation, anecdotes and personal assessments appear.
This book is suggested for anyone who wants to approach the world of contemporary music, the
bass clarinet, or musical culture in general.
Sparnaay’s book crosses the same borders that the bass clarinet itself has crossed. He is the most
authoritative voice on the art and history of bass clarinet, and now the fact that he has written
about the instrument has become a significant historical event itself.
Klas Torstensson – composer / Sweden
Yes, indeed - I too think your book is very successful!
A goldmine for both composers and bass clarinetists as well.
Ilse van de Kasteelen – singer-composer / the Netherlands
I have spent the past days with your book. BRAVO, what a wealth of information, what an
adventure. And written as you are, driven and with a great sense of humor. Many people here will,
like me, learn a lot from it. It is a privilege to be included.
Lyell Cresswell – composer / Scotland
A splendid book.
It's full of lively and historic pictures (I do like the parrot) and insightful examples from a wide
variety of scores.
The complementary CD is very enlightening.
The eloquence of your writing matches the eloquence of your playing. As well as being a very informative
book it is entertaining to read.
Ainhoa Miranda – bass clarinettist / Spain
Not only seeing all what you have done for this amazing instrument but also to read all your
experiences adds joy and fun to play it.
You make playing not difficult but interesting. Any new challenge becomes a trip through the
sound and possibilities of an instrument that thanks to you is admired.
I am so happy for you writing this book!
A book that makes the bass clarinet to be alive
Gérard Pape – composer / France
How nice to find a book on the bass clarinet that does not
forget that there is a person behind the instrument! Not only the history of the instrument but also
that of the instrumentalist! That your book is a "personal" history means a lot for me as it makes
your advice to young instrumentalists to play with their soul, to find a sound that comes from who
they are all the more important!! While your book is very helpful as to what is possible or
not on the instrument, you admit that the impossible does exist!
While you have found and describe many wonderful possibilities for the instrument, you also tell
that certain things are really not so possible which is also quite honest and helpful!
So, I come to the conclusion thanks to your book that writing for an instrument should also
include a phase of testing one's ideas with the player. Research in music is a real collaboration
between player and composer. Your book is an invaluable report on many years of research and
collaboration with composers.
Best wishes and thanks.
Stephan Vermeersch – bass clarinetist / Belgium
I have been enjoying your book for the last two weeks; a must for every bass clarinetist and
composer who wants to write for this beautiful instrument.
I cannot think of any item that is not included, the recordings also are straightforward: no tricks.
Thank you very much for this beautiful work!
Mercedes Zavala – composer / Spain
Dear Harry, Congratulations, you've accomplished a great work, essential for all composers, and
above all also very pleasant to read. Thanks a lot!
Jaap Bosman – bass clarinettist / the Netherlands
I immediately copied the support strap Harry describes in chapter 7, “Playing position”. In this
way the book paid itself. The strap is really great, much more comfortable than all the other ones.
The bass clarinet literature list is the solution for the lonely bass clarinettist searching for new
pieces. Everything you cannot find on the net is in the book, and the personal way of writing
makes it an enjoyable book to read and use.
Aygün Lausch - UNIVERSAL EDITION AG / Austria
Thank you very much for your super book which I received now.
Didier MASSIAT - Copyright Department, Gérard Billaudot Editeur SA / France
I have just received your book, and all I could say can be summed up: congratulations for such a work!
The result is really marvellous.
Ivo van Emmerik – composer / the Netherlands
I'm currently reading your book, it radiates enthusiasm! The book is like listening to your stories
after a concert, very entertaining. This recalls (good) memories of the time you played my piece.
Jetle Althuis - bass clarinettist / the Netherlands
The book is grand in many respects: it presents a good overview of not only the possibilities- but
also the impossibilities of the bass clarinet. (For me as bass clarinettist is comforting to see some
things are just not possible).
Here someone speaks with not only a wealth of knowledge and experience, the passion for the bass
clarinets radiates from every passage you read.
On every page you sense the bass clarinet holds no secrets for Harry Sparnaay. To me it is most
remarkable the book reads as if the writer is speaking directly to you.
Harry Sparnaay is speaking!
This book is a must have for every (bass) clarinettist and is strongly recommended to composers.
Victoria Cooke - Copyright & Royalties Administrator, United Music Publishers
/ England
I must say, as a clarinettist myself, I have thoroughly enjoyed looking through the book.
Fie Schouten – bass clarinetist / the Netherlands
How wonderful the examples sound on the CD of your book!
The bass clarinet will always be a magnificent instrument and it’s a challenge to make all
possibilities sound well!
Hans Joachim Hespos – composer / Germany
Many thanks for the wonderful book, the compendium of your life's work
- you and your instrument -. It will be a standard work for many young musicians.
Many congratulations!
Gabriele Bonomo - Edizioni Suvini Zerboni / Italy
Thanks Harry, your book is really excellent and I agree with most of the beautiful critics.
Gabriel Brnčić – composer / Chile
It was a great pleasure to read your book. A useful book for composers, bass clarinettist
and students.
In it's seventeen chapters we are witnessing the knowledge and the personality of the author and the
revelation of the story of an instrument which has been mostly developed in the music of the 20th
century.
The biographical aspect is summarized in a brilliantly way and with affection, two qualities that
mark all the text: the information is told with sympathy, precision and effectiveness, something
that we always have seen and heard in your concerts.
It is a gift to bring the expressive quality of a musician, a wonderful soloist, and the orderly,
systematic, drafting of all aspects of the instrument which dominates: the bass clarinet.
We can see in the examples chosen to comment each topic, a strict technical, historical and
interpretative remark addressed to the readers.
I think that in these seventeen issues of the index, and its exhaustive subdivisions (two in
chapter 6, which talk about the range of the instrument and the seventeen parts in chapter 8,
the body of the book with 96 pages, dedicated to special techniques and effects, among which we
highlight the themes of the multiphonics, the Micro tonality and electro acoustics. These make this
book, lovely iconography with well designed graphics and all kinds of practical and informative
details, a treaty that is compliant with three main functions: the first of them enhance the bass
clarinet, its timbre and dynamic range and versatility. The second, for composers and performers to
enter a path of development which the author suggests through criticism (see the commentary on the
various notations for example) in a reasoned and careful exposition. And the third, to know an
important part of the music of the music of the 20th century, its tradition and evolution through
one of their most important players: Harry Sparnaay.
Anton Willems – bass clarinettist / the Netherlands
Congratulations on your beautiful book. I have it and I’m still reading it with great pleasure. It is
an inspiring book, especially because it has a relaxed and often humorous personal style (I think
so, but so your lessons often were), but really to the point regarding the possibilities and
impossibilities, and everything is told with passion. The CD sounds very beautiful and natural in
terms of sound. For me it is a very valuable addition to the bass clarinet literature. Often these
books are quite business like and dry thus boring to read. It really surprised me.
I hope the book finds its way to the musicians well.
Kathinka Pasveer – flutist / Stockhausen Foundation - Germany
Thanks Harry, we received your amazing book.
It is an important acquisition for our archive, full of valuable information!
Frans Moussault – bass clarinettist / the Netherlands
I adore your book. The best thing I bought over the last years.
When I read it I hear you talking. The next week I’ll go through it and study the
standard techniques in the book and they will undoubtedly inspire me.
I am a proud disciple of the writer.
Sarah Watts - HARRY SPARNAAY INTERVIEW FOR CASSUK
In May I went to see Harry Sparnaay perform a concert in Barcelona and also to interview him
about my research on multiphonics. During my trip I also made time to talk to Harry about his
new book ‘Harry Sparnaay. A personal history’.
SW: My first question to you is why did you decide to write this book?
HS: Why did I write it? Well first of all I have to be honest already years ago they asked me to
do something and I said no. Now this is very interesting - it has nothing to do with music. I have
one problem. When I have to do something in my house or something else I make a list. And I
love to do this! So I make a list and when I have finished everything on the list ... the satisfaction!!
And that is the mistake of what I did!! Two years ago Roderik de Man (the composer) asked me
and said you have to do it! I said no. The next day I was sitting at the computer and I made a list
of what I thought had to be included in the book. And that was the mistake! The next day I was
speaking with my wife about something and I said wait a moment and I went to the computer -
that was a mistake and from that moment on it was nearly every day and of course I have so many
things that have happened, so many pieces written. So first I wrote what came in my mind and
then I was doing this until the day before going to print. So that was the reason.
SW: I expected and I think many people in the UK would expect that as it is you writing a book
it will be absolutely full of contemporary music and nothing else. And it was really pleasant that it
was so much more. It wasn’t just your personal history, it covers everything about the bass clarinet ...
was that your intention?
HS: Yes. That was my intention. That’s why I am really pleased and I am especially pleased
with the critics and comments on the book because everybody is mentioning what you are saying
and that was what I wanted. I have read a lot of serious books and that’s not me - I love jokes, I
love life. I cannot write a complete serious book because when I was writing for example about
quarter tones immediately I was thinking of the bad things! That’s why I said that I didn’t want
to write a book about the bass clarinet - I wanted to do it a personal way. I think I succeeded
quite well. Still when I look at it and read it I am still laughing.
SW: You have many musical examples in your book. How did you go about selecting them?
HS: I was talking for example about notation and then I thought wait a moment I have a
memory that is incredible. You say slap tongue on high F sharp and I remember a piece. I was
writing quarter tones and I thought that piece is a beautiful example or there is that piece where
they are not working. So it was always about what I wrote and then the piece came. I did not
choose because it was a friend... no no no. Or sometimes I had a piece that was so badly written
down- but I love the composer. One piece for bass clarinet and harp was handwritten - so I cleaned
it myself. It is very important that the music is very good in a book so the paper is beautiful, the
book is beautiful and also the examples have to be beautiful.
SW: I also thought it would be full of contemporary extracts, but you have chosen all types of
music from orchestral, to lyrical...
HS: But when you listen in my car I have Jazz music. I love Jazz music. I play contemporary
music because I like it very much to play, but believe me in my house we nearly never listen to
contemporary music.
SW: Looking to the future. One aspect I really like about the book is that it is full of information
about other players so it is not at all a book just about you. I like the way that contact details are
included for many players around the world.
HS: That is important and really I mean it. When I started and became more known the only
thing I always had in mind was that I was afraid that when I stopped there would not be another
idiot who is going on with the instrument. I do not worry anymore. I said in my book that we
really have so many who are playing bass clarinet. But that was not when I started.
SW: I always say to my audiences that to be a bass clarinetist you have to be crazy!
HS: Yes you have to be crazy, but you will see I did not mention everybody that would be
impossible. But you can see how many players we have now. People who are really playing bass
clarinet and not just because they have to play in orchestra. They really go on and influence
composers. The only really selfish thing in the book is the repertoire list. It is my repertoire. That is
the only thing that is me alone. Already that is 14/15 pages. But the rest ... I was so happy
when your recording came and I included it immediately in the book because I thought this is
interesting because I don’t have a recording of that piece as it is not my repertoire. Do I ignore
them? No, that would be stupid. I have an ideal of what is good - but that may not be others
ideals. I don’t play Schoeck (sonata), but that doesn’t mean it is a bad piece of course - my
students play Schoeck. I don’t play in orchestra, but my students are using Michael Drapkin’s
orchestral excerpts books.
SW: Do you have any nice memories of concerts in the UK
HS: What I loved was the series with the composer Barry Anderson. He was the director of the
West Square Electronic Music Group. And also Stephen Montague was there. I played a
beautiful piece by Barry Anderson for bass clarinet, string quartet and electronics. I loved it very
much and we played about 20 concerts all over the UK with the Arts Council. I also played the
SOLO by Stockhausen and Monodies by Jonty Harrison. I love to be in England to play and we
did a lot of things like when Jonathan Harvey wrote his Trio (Riot for bass clarinet, flute and
piano). But I must be honest - the last ten years I did not visit England
Harry Sparnaay. A Personal History is really a must for everyone who wants to know
more about the bass clarinet. It is a huge wealth of information from the history of the instrument
to information on general techniques, contemporary techniques, repertoire, players from around the
world and products associated with the instrument. It is written from the heart with much affection
and humor.
The book is published by Periferia Music www.periferiamusic.com
It can also be purchased in the UK at Howarths Music Shop in London.
Herbert Noord – music critic / the Netherlands
In pop music, especially in English a biography or autobiography of a famous pop star or group, is
an accepted phenomenon. In recent decades dozens of those books have appeared. Keith Richards,
Patti Smith and Sammy Hagar were recently responsible for this kind of book. Also in jazz it is
not unusual to write a book about the live and times of an interesting musician. I have books in
my library from Mingus and Miles to Chet Baker and Ben Webster
Biographies or autobiographies of Dutch (jazz) musicians are very rare, the only one I own are
those of Cees Schrama and Rein de Graaff! In front of me is now a special edition. Special in
multiple meanings. It is an autobiography of a Dutch musician who wrote at the same time a
biography about an unusual instrument: the bass clarinet. The book is originally written in
Dutch, translated into English and then published by a Spanish publisher.
Books written by musicians are not that usual, they are rare birds. Harry Sparnaay is such a rare
bird. In this fascinating book, he describes his development to become an internationally acclaimed
musician, his discovery of the bass clarinet and his contribution to the recognition of this
instrument, often regarded with suspicion by the established musical elite.
What makes this book a special book? Not just the fact that in the Netherlands almost no books
are and were written by musicians and published, but also the fact that reading is fun even for
those readers who don’t belong to the order of bass clarinet players.
Why a review of this book is in a magazine that is mainly involved in jazz, is due to the link
which exists between the writer and jazz. Harry made music for years with celebrities in the
Amsterdam Bohemia Jazz Quintet and brought it later to performances with Theo Taldick’s
famous big band. Although Harry’s musical life started with an accordion on his belly, his first
love was the tenor saxophone. To become a jazz saxophonist was his dream. Young Harry heard
the music of all the saxophonists that he could get his hands on, from Stan Getz to Coltrane and
Hawkins to Young, to make that dream a reality. When he took his first steps in the Dutch jazz
scene, it was with a tenor saxophone tied round his neck. But not after his father had decreed that
he also should gain a solid musical background by studying at the Amsterdam conservatory. At
that time, late fifties, early sixties, the tenor saxophone was a highly suspect instrument at the
conservatories. The overall thought was that those kind of instruments were essentially played in
dark cellars. It was “not done”.
Harry was allowed to do an entrance exam and played on his sax "Well You Need It" composed
by Monk. His choice raised the eyebrows of the examination committee. Fortunately a member of
the committee recognized a true musician and on the condition that Harry switched to clarinet they
admitted him to become a conservatory student.
He studied clarinet diligently when at one point the teacher came in with a bass clarinet and
invited his students to try this instrument. Harry tried also and discovered at the same time that
this should become 'his' instrument. He became hooked on this wonderful instrument. The bass
clarinet originated sometime between 1730 and 1750. It was the great Adolphe Sax in 1835,
who made some important modifications and who set the standard that led to the current instrument.
Repertoire
Harry describes in his book, his relentless struggle for adequate modern repertoire for the bass
clarinet. There were almost no written pieces for bass clarinet, and if they were aware of the
instrument they had to be forced to compose for this instrument. Because of this lack of written
material Harry created a self-imposed task, namely to encourage composers to write for his
instrument. He succeeded wonderfully well. Keep in mind that the first concert for bass clarinet
dates from 1955! There are now hundreds of compositions written for this instrument and more
appear on a weekly basis. Harry may be blamed for this success.
There is an ample amount of this material by Harry recorded on sound carriers. So he is also
featured on the newly released recordings of the Theo Loevendie consort. In this last group he had
made his move to the bass clarinet and played with the tenor Hans Dulfer.
On another CD Harry had recorded a tribute to Eric Dolphy a bass clarinettist highly admired
by Harry. The beautifully illustrated book includes many examples of notations, fingering
diagrams for directions and advice concerning ‘How to build a repertoire’ and a clear explanation
of the techniques of "circular breathing" and "multiphonics".
What makes the book attractive not only for bass-clarinet musicians but also for a general reader
is the clear but curiosity provoking way this matter is made accessible.
And for those who thought it was all very serious there are a lot of pages with wonderful stories
and anecdotes.
“At the first rehearsal the conductor greeted me with the smell of a Scotch whisky distillery around
him that almost floored me. It seemed to me that he already swallowed half the annual production
of this Scottish distillery. I hoped that he would skip his drinking before the concert, but that was
a bit naive, to put it mildly.
Indeed my hope proved to be thoroughly idle the next day. The conductor had consumed the other
half of the annual production. There was a strong Scottish influence on changes and tempo. A
strict supervision from the conductors-stand was out of the question.
As a soloist you can still get away at such a disaster but how about an entire orchestra? It ended
up in one big cluster”.
Laurent Mettraux - Revue Musicale Suisse / Switzerland
Harry Sparnaay : « The Bass Clarinet: a Personal History ». Periferia Sheet Music, Barcelona,
2011
The bass clarinet by Harry Sparnaay
More than 650 works were composed for him by composers such as Berio, Feldman, Grisey,
Kagel, Xenakis or Yun… Say that if there is a specialist in contemporary music for the bass
clarinet, it is Harry Sparnaay. Thus, this publication can be seen as indispensable for clarinettists
and composers for a better knowledge of the instrument.
All the bass clarinet modern techniques are described with any precision desired,
supplemented by a large number of judiciously chosen musical examples. Note, in connection with
the theme of this month, that the micro-intervals are not possible on the whole range.
But this is only a part of the book. Instead of a dry enumeration, Sparnaay indeed wrote a
personal book, where the anecdotes and comments make it lively to read; no step theory therefore,
but of the living music. Among other things (there are 16 chapters and 260 pages), “The bass
clarinet” also contains a concise history of the instrument, a broad overview of the repertory and a
part dedicated to the notation (the "German" and the "French" notation ,if written only a second
higher or a ninth - not to mention other confusing notations).
For me it was a pleasure reading Harry’s book, and I’ve learned much from it !
Complemented by a CD, this book, published in English and Spanish, can be obtained from
www.periferiamusic.com
Albert R. Rice – The Clarinet, Book review-December 2011 / USA.
Harry Sparnaay. “The bass clarinet”, a personal history. trans., Annelie de Man, Paul Roe.
Barcelona; Periferia Sheet Music, 2011. 256 pp., photos, many musical illustrations, with CD. ISBN.978 84-938845-0-5.
The Dutch musician, Harry Sparnaay (b.1944), is the most well-known performer of new music
for the bass clarinet. He began performing exclusively on the bass clarinet beginning the late 1960s
and since then has had more than 650 works written for him. The list of Sparnaay’s composers
is impressive and include: Franco Donatoni, Morton Feldman, Brian Ferneyhough, Jonathan
Harvey, Mauricio Kagel, Ton de Leeuw, Theo Loevendie, Enrique Raxach, Isang Yun and
Iannis Xenakis. In addition, he has received sever4al significant awards for his playing, including:
Gaudeamus contest first prize (1972), Swedish record prize (1987), Inaugural sounds Australia
award (12988), Edison award (1995) and the Jan van Gilse prize (1996).
Sparnaay’s book includes large pages the same size as sheet music with double-spaced text in a
large font. There are wide margins, and many music illustrations are provided for bass clarinet
alone, bass clarinet and piano, bass clarinet with audio files, and some full scores. Clearly, this
book was meant for bass clarinetist to play the exercises and music examples and to try the many
fingerings supplied with the music. Sparnaay also plays about 100 audio files on the accompanying
CD corresponding to some of the music and techniques illustrated.
The contents are organized in 16 chapters: table of contents and acknowledgements; a personal
introduction; from the very beginning until now; concise history of the bass clarinet; notation; range;
playing position, tone quality and stage manners; special techniques/effects; programming;
repertoire; study repertoire; publishers, music examples and music information centers; bass
clarinetists, composers and their pieces; websites and study literature; anecdotes; biography
and epilogue.
There are dozens of photographs primarily of Sparnaay with various performers, clear photos of
bass clarinets, special fingering charts for high notes, multiphonics, quarter tones and a
alphabetical graded list of repertoire on 21 pages listed by composer with title, instrumentation,
difficulty, year and duration in minutes. The list of publishers and music information centers is
comprehensive and includes web sites. There is also an extensive list, including websites, of
prominent bass clarinetists, composers and their compositions, other sites of musicians and a
bibliography.
The concise history of the bass clarinet includes very clear black and white photos of 11 historic
bass clarinets. Most photos were taken by Sparnaay, and in his text he clearly appreciates the
craftsmanship of various 18th and 19th century examples. These were made with a plank, in
bassoon form, in serpent form and in straight form. Sparnaay is accurate in acknowledging and
reproducing the beginning of the bass clarinet solo from Saverio Mercadente’s opera “Emma
d’Antiochia” written in 1834, the earliest surviving bass clarinet music. Although it is now
thought that Gilles Lot’s “basse-tube” was a basset horn rather than a bass clarinet, this is in
generally accurate short history of the bass clarinet (See Albert R. Rice “From the Clarinet
d’Amour to the Contra Bass: A history of large Size Clarinets. 1740-1860,
New York.2009.105-106.)
The majority of the book discusses and reproduces dozens of difficult, sometimes fiendishly
difficult, bass clarinet solos written for Sparnaay. Throughout the book, he provides an expert
commentary from an intimate knowledge of each work. His comments are candid and may be
controversial but they are grounded in real world experience. For example, in the notation chapter,
he describes French notation, German notation, “confusing notation” and “really bad” notation,
all with musical examples. The tone of the book is instructive, and in the longest chapter on special
techniques, he provides clear explanations and illustrations of slap tongue, trills, tremolos and
“bisbigliando”, flutter tongue, double staccato, wind sounds, vibrato and “smorzato”, teeth on
reed, circular breathing, glissandi, using the voice, key sounds, playing with tape and other media,
quarter tones, multiphonics, mouthpiece alone, slap tone without mouthpiece, without neck, and
with a flat hand. Shorter sections discuses grace notes and reeds. There is also an instructive
chapter on programming.
Sparnaay has interesting information from the many tours and experiences including unusual
and emergency situations before concerts, and several entertaining anecdotes. The many helpful
and enriching ideas on playing the bass clarinet make this book a “must have” for all clarinetists,
but especially for those whose main interest is the bass clarinet.
Harry Sparnaay -The bass clarinet / a personal history
Published by Periferiamusic – www.periferiamusic.com
ISBN 978-84-93884-50-5