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, Bärmann 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 Bärmann'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. Bärmann 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]

Numerous composers wrote for Bärmann, and he undoubtedly influenced the romantic clarinet repertoire. Along with lesser well known composers such as Franz Danzi and Peter von Lindpaintner, Bärmann received works from Felix Mendelssohn, Carl Maria von Weber and Giacomo Meyerbeer. Mendelssohn most notably wrote the two Concert Pieces Op. 113 and 114(for Bärmann 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]

Not unlike other virtuosi at the time, Heinrich tried his hand fairly successfully at composing for his instrument as can be heard on the recording by Dieter Klöcker on the Orfeo music label. Among other works, he wrote the Adagio for Clarinet and Strings previously attributed to Wagner.

Bärmann also fathered a clarinet-playing son, Carl Bärmann, and with him toured Europe performing Mendelssohn's popular Concert Pieces.

[edit] Recordings of his Compositions

Dieter Klöcker Concertstück in g-minor for Clarinet and Orchestra, Orfeo C 065 011 A, © 2001, (p) 2001
Dieter Klöcker Concertino in c-minor for Clarinet and Orchestra, Orfeo C 065 011 A, © 2001, (p) 2001
Dieter Klöcker Concertino in E-flat major for Clarinet and Orchestra, Orfeo C 065 011 A, © 2001, (p) 2001

[edit] References and Notes

^ 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
^ Taken from the section by Pamela Weston in Colin Lawson's Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet, pp. 94-95, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1995.