I am very pleased to present a new edition of this book first published in 2005. I have taken the opportunity to include various suggestions and developments in the last ten years. Many new clarinet choirs have been established around the world during this time both in the cultural sector and as training ensembles. This last fact should not however detract from the fact that the clarinet choir as a medium is generally becoming more popular and is emerging as a permanent feature of the concert life in many countries. In the course of giving concerts at home and abroad with my own ensemble, the Austrian Clarinet Choir, I have had the opportunity of getting to know many new arrangements and original works, gaining new inspiration and learning to appreciate the rich possibilities the Clarinet Choir offers. These days, its tonal palette is not only evident to us connoisseurs. In recent times, the public has started to appreciate the scoring of this unique ensemble ranging from the now well-known E flat clarinet down to the Contrabass Clarinet. While I have seen increased interest in the genre in the course of delivering lectures on the subject in Europe, the USA, Latin- and South America, South Africa... it has become apparent that there is hardly any literature on the subject, so it was obviously important to me to have the book translated into English and Spanish and to include as much new information and additional research as I could.

The knowledge about this relatively new genre is very important for all clarinettists. But the Clarinet Choir's many tonal and scoring possibilities allow us to hope that in the future Clarinet Choirs will function not just as a training ensembles in the education sector, but will make a name for themselves as fully fledged ensembles in their own right.

Autorentext
Friedrich K. Pfatschbacher wurde in Steyr (OÖ) geboren. Er studierte an der Musikhochschule (Kunstuniversität) Graz bei dem ehemaligen Soloklarinettisten der Wiener Symphoniker, Prof. Alfred Rosé, Klarinette. Seit 1995 leitet er die Musikschule Mautern im Liesingtal. 2004 absolvierte er in Musikwissenschaft an der Karl-Franzens Universität Graz sein Doktoratsstudium. Er ist Solo-Klarinettist bei der Werkskapelle Donawitz sowie Juror und Prüfer im Steirischen Blasmusikverband. Er gründete u.a. das renommierte Klarinetten-Quintett "Ensemble-Woodwind", mit dem er von 2003 bis 2014 im In- und Ausland konzertierte (Konzerte in Ägypten, Polen, Irland, China Tournee 2008). Er ist Gründer der österreichischen Klarinettengesellschaft und seit 2007 Chefdirigent des Österreichischen Klarinettenchors. Seit 2012 vertritt Pfatschbacher auch als Repräsentant (National Chairperson) der International Clarinet Association (ICA) die Interessen der Klarinettisten in Österreich. 2013 wurde ihm der Berufstitel "Professor" vom österreichischen Bundespräsidenten verliehen. Seit einigen Jahren hält er Vorträge, Klarinettenchorworkshops und Meisterkurse im In- und Ausland.