Heinrich Bärmann

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Heinrich Joseph Bärmann (also spelled Baermann) (1784-1847) was a clarinet virtuoso of the Romantic era who is generally considered as being not only an outstanding performer of his time, but highly influential in the creation of several composers' compositions.

In his youth, Baermann took lessons from Joseph Beer (1744 -1811) at the military school in Potsdam. After his skill came to the attention of the Berlin court in 1804, Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia had the 20 year old musician pursue his training in Berlin under the guidance of Franz Tausch (1762 - 1817). He was employed in the court orchestra of Munich from 1807 until his death.

Parallel to Baermann's rise, the clarinet was undergoing a series of developments in key construction and embouchure that allowed greater agility and flexibility in playing. It was becoming custom to now play with the reed on the bottom lip, as is done today, as opposed to the top lip as had been the previous prevailing style. Baermann was an exponent of this new style of playing, and possessed a modern instrument made by Griesling and Schlott which allowed him to play chromatic passages with far greater ease than traditional 5 keyed instruments. He is said to have had a great dynamic range.^[1]

Composers who wrote for Baermann are numerous, it is undoubted that Baermann influenced the romantic repertoire of the clarinet significantly. Along with lesser well known composers such as Franz Danzi and Peter von Lindpaintner, Baermann received works from Mendelssohn, Weber and Giacomo Meyerbeer. Mendelssohn most notably wrote the two Concert Pieces Op. 113 and 114(for Baermann and his son Carl to play together), Meyerbeer wrote a Quintet(1812) and Concertos, and Weber produced numerous works including two Concertos(Op. 73 and 74), a Quintet(Op. 34), the Grand Duo Concertant(Op.48), the Concertino(Op. 26) and the Sylvana Variations(Op. 33).^[2]

[edit] References and Notes

1. ^ His playing is described in primary sources by the Trio de Clarone in the Preface to Mendelssohn's Concert Piece for Clarinet, Basset Horn and Piano No. 1, published by Breitkopf and Härtel, Germany, 1993
2. ^ Taken from the section by Pamela Weston in Colin Lawson's Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet, pp. 94-95, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1995.