History of the saxophone
December 4, 2023
Ambassador Interview - David Minetti
February 13, 2024
Hello Daniel! As a bass clarinetist and teacher, could you tell us about your musical background and what drew you to this particular instrument?
I began learning music by playing with a group in Valence. When it came to choosing an instrument, I was immediately directed towards the bass clarinet. So, unusually, I started out on this instrument before learning the Bb soprano clarinet to complete my musical training in Spain. Later, I continued my bass clarinet studies with a master's degree at the Koninklijk Vlaams Conservatorium in Antwerp, under the guidance of maestro Jan Guns. This apprenticeship opened doors to teaching, lecturing, and performing, whether in professional orchestras, symphony orchestras, or chamber music ensembles in various countries.
What fascinates me about the bass clarinet is its deep, velvety sound, its ability to produce lyrical notes, its dynamics, from the softest pianissimo to the most powerful fortissimo, and its rich range, capable of five octaves.
You've been invited to give talks at various conservatories and music schools. How do you see your role as a lecturer, and what subjects do you like to tackle during these engagements?
Yes, I've had the opportunity to give lectures and masterclasses on the bass clarinet and the clarinet family at a number of advanced and professional conservatories. In some of these institutions, I’ve highlighted the potential of the bass and contrabass clarinets, particularly in the context of contemporary music. These fascinating instruments offer an almost infinite palette of sound. In other lectures, I’ve focused on the history and evolution of the bass clarinet family. I’ve presented and demonstrated live the characteristics of its most emblematic members, including the alto clarinet, the basset horn, the bass clarinet in Eb and Bb, as well as the soprano clarinets in C, Bb, A and G, the Requintos in Eb and D, not forgetting the precursor of them all: the chalumeau.
You've worked with a number of professional wind ensembles and orchestras. What were your most memorable experiences as a soloist with these orchestras?
Among the highlights of my musical career, my first performances as a soloist hold a special place in my heart. I owe these experiences to renowned composers such as José Alamá and Ferrer Ferran, who supported me from the start and believed in the bass clarinet as a solo instrument. I'd also like to mention our tour of Beijing and Hong Kong with Duo Antwerp. We gave four performances there, including one where I performed as a soloist, accompanied by the Hong Kong Festival Wind Orchestra. On this occasion, I played the bass clarinet concerto "The Castle of Doctor Bassclar" by Ferrer Ferran, as well as premieres of the double concertos for bass clarinet and marimba accompanied by a symphony orchestra,: "Farnese Bridge" by Ramón García and "Spanish Dreams" by Pere Sanz.
A number of compositions have been dedicated to you. Could you explain your collaboration with the composers of these works dedicated to the bass clarinet?
I've had the opportunity to collaborate with some eminent composers. After hearing me play the bass clarinet, they were amazed by its sound and capabilities. Many of them wanted to compose a piece for this instrument they had just rediscovered. In general, they had only heard the instrument in an orchestral context, or occasionally played by a soloist.
When composers listen to a musician who specializes in the bass clarinet, they realize the instrument's potential: its wide five-octave range, its ability to produce effects ideally suited to contemporary music, its distinctive timbre, and its predisposition for lyrical passages. For these artists, it's as if they’re discovering a new instrument, opening up a world of almost limitless possibilities. They feel inspired to contribute to this repertoire by composing for this "new" instrument.
To achieve a successful composition, continuous and transparent communication between composer and performer is essential. They need to discuss ideas, tonal possibilities, articulations, and the various effects they might use.
You've sat on juries for clarinet and instrumental competitions. What qualities do you look for in participants, and what advice would you give young musicians entering these competitions?
Today's young musicians are tomorrow's top professionals. It's essential to encourage them, because their determination to take part in a competition requires countless hours of practice. That deserves our admiration and support.
In competitions, we are looking for excellence. So we have to take account of all the elements that characterize a complete musician. Whereas in a private recital, an artist can take certain interpretative liberties, a competition demands absolute fidelity to the score. Rhythm, tone, technique, flexibility, ease and musicality are all decisive criteria in assessing a performer's competence.
Can you tell us the essential bass clarinet compositions that every bass clarinetist should know?
Selecting a group of works is certainly a difficult exercise. There's always the risk of getting it wrong. You also have to bear in mind that the bass clarinet is still one of the instruments for which many contemporary composers write the most. so the instrument's repertoire is constantly expanding. Musicians find it hard to keep up with all the new compositions, especially as many of them remain unpublished and might turn out to be masterpieces.
I'm going to recommend a work for solo bass clarinet, a work with piano, a work with percussion, a work with string quartet, a concerto with orchestra or symphony orchestra, and a work of contemporary music in chamber music format.
My first recommendation is Othmar Schoeck's "Sonata", written in 1927-28, which was the first sonata originally written for bass clarinet and piano.
For solo bass clarinet, I recommend composer Harald Genzmer's "Sonata", written in 1986.
For bass clarinet and percussion, I want to recommend two works, "Spanish Dreams", by composer Pere Sanz, written in 2014, and “Duende”, by Eduardo Nogueroles, composed in 2015, both for bass clarinet and marimba.
From Englishman York Bowen, I'd recommend his "Phantasy Quintet" for bass clarinet and string quartet, written in 1935.
As far as contemporary music is concerned, I'd recommend Voro García's trio for bass clarinet, flute and piano, "Nada queda al despertar", written in 2008.
And as a concerto for bass clarinet and wind or symphony orchestra, I'd recommend "The Castle of Dr. Bassclar", written in 2013, the first bass clarinet concerto by composer Ferrer Ferran, inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's novel "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". The clarinetist has to move around the stage to bring to life to the two characters representing good and evil. The same composer, Ferrer Ferran, has begun composing the second bass clarinet concerto.
Can you give us the names of composers (past or present) who originally wrote pieces for bass clarinet?
As far as Spanish composers for bass clarinet are concerned, I'd mention Ferrer Ferran, José Alamá, Juan Meseguer, Salvador Brotons, Pere Sanz, Eduardo Nogueroles, Josep Roda, Xavi Zamorano, and Manuel Morcillo, among others, who are beginning to write very good music for bass clarinet.
As far as international composers are concerned, I'd like to mention Othmar Schoeck, Wilfried Westerlinck, Michele Mangani, Dirk Brossé, Jan Van der Roost, Jan Hadermann, Isang Yun, Carl Wittrock, and above all the great clarinetists and composers Sebastián Tozzola and Jonathan Russell, who have written great works for bass clarinet, not forgetting French composers such as Patrice Sciortino, François Rasse, Jules Semler-Collery, Jean-Pierre Pommier, and many others.
There are an infinite number of compositions and very good composers for the bass clarinet. Since the end of the last century, we bass clarinetists have been lucky enough to have a multitude of top-quality works written for us. I’d like to thank them all and encourage them to continue writing for our wonderful instrument, the bass clarinet.
Do you have any tips for reducing squeaks on the bass clarinet?
A squeak occurs when a technique is poorly executed, or when the equipment used is not suited to the individual musician's characteristics.
In general, the students I train on bass clarinet are already seasoned clarinetists or have a decent level on Bb clarinet. It's common for them to try to apply the same pressure they use with the Bb clarinet to the bass clarinet. This frequently results in squeaking, which is quite frustrating. My advice is that, to play the bass clarinet correctly without squeaking, you need to loosen the lipping a little more than you would with the Bb clarinet, while maintaining a good air column.
What current or future musical projects would you like to share with the Steuer community?
Among my projects in the short term is the premiere of the double concerto for clarinet, bass clarinet and symphony orchestra, "Tarango", by the composer David Rivas. This work will be performed on December 8 at the European Clarinet Congress in Tilburg. Other compositions will be performed at the same event, including some by pianist and composer Mónica Cárdenas, for bass clarinet and piano.
Before that, in November, I'll be premiering several pieces for bass clarinet and marimba in Valencia, commissioned by the Valencian composers' association COSICOVA. There will also be the premiere of the concerto for basset-horn and symphony orchestra, "Evolution", by the composer Juan Meseguer.
The craze for creating works for bass clarinet, basset horn or contrabass clarinet continues to grow. At present, several pieces are dedicated to me, for different ensembles. Among them, two concertos for bass clarinet and symphony orchestra are of particular interest to me: one by Xavi Zamorano and the second concerto for bass clarinet and symphony orchestra by Ferrer Ferran. We hope that the latter, like its predecessor which has already been played all over the world, will be a great success.
Can you tell us about your decision to use Steuer reeds for bass clarinet, and how they help shape its sound and musical interpretation?
My friend, the talented clarinet and bass-clarinet player, Thierry Maison, introduced me to Steuer reeds. The very first time I tried them, I was struck by their flexibility, sonority, and ability to adapt to my playing style. The reeds are carefully dried and hand-selected. In this way, each reed is already prepared and suitable for playing without producing strange vibrations due to immaturity. Right from the start, Steuer reeds let you fully exploit the instrument's capabilities. I was so won over that I gave up my previous reeds and switched exclusively to Steuer reeds.
What I'm looking for in a reed above all is great flexibility, and a rich, deep sound, allowing me to explore different tonal colors on the instrument. It must enable me to go from pianissimo to forte without altering the timbre. I want to master the high and super-high registers, reach the bass clarinet's fifth octave, and perform all the techniques required in contemporary music: slaps, frulatos, multiphonics, etc. I've found all these qualities in Steuer reeds.
What did you think of your visit to the Steuer workshop after seeing the reed-making process?
I had a very rewarding visit to Steuer’s premises. It began with a tour of their cane plantations in the Var region of France. I was impressed by the attention paid in the plantations throughout the cane’s natural growth process. I also witnessed their open-air drying technique, where the canes are meticulously turned over to ensure even drying.
We then headed for the Steuer factory in Carqueiranne, ten miles from the plantations. There, I was able to discover and appreciate the art and mastery behind each reed produced. Their process is extremely rigorous. Meticulous selections are made at every stage of the reed's manufacture, immediately discarding anything that fail to meet the required quality criteria. This visit really showed me how the professionals at Steuer make sure that clarinetists and saxophonists have access to the very best reeds.
Thank you Daniel!
Français 
English 
