About Clarinet U
Johann Christoph Denner, a renowned Nürnberg woodwind maker, is credited with creating the Clarinet U at the beginning of the 18th century. Before this, only folk instruments and organs employed single reeds. The little imitation trumpet, or chalumeau, an adaption of a traditional reed pipe that Denner is credited with refining, was the Clarinet U direct precursor. His own was lengthier and designed primarily for playing in the upper register, with the basics to which the chalumeau was restricted serving as an accessory. Thus, it offered a full trumpet compass with steadier, more lucid notes. From 1800 through 1850, the modern clarinet underwent development. Some notes were enhanced by the addition of additional keys. Following broader tendencies toward higher tonal power, bores and mouthpieces were expanded.