The influence of jazz on the classical clarinet repertoire

Abstract

The musical events of the 20th Century created opportunities for composers and players alike to realize the clarinet's true versatility. Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw became superstars during the Swing Era in the 1930s and 1940s, and brought the clarinet to the forefront of popular music. Though they were jazz musicians, Goodman and Shaw demonstrated classical techniques in their playing, and both even recorded classical music later in their careers. Goodman commissioned composers to write new pieces for him, the most notable being Aaron Copland's Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra with Harp and Piano. This project report examines the influence Goodman and Shaw had on the classical clarinet repertoire. It also discusses how composers Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and William 0. Smith drew from these influences and jazz in general to write pieces which are now part of the standard classical clarinet literature