Though it has a relatively short history, the clarinet is one of the most glamorous and tonally alluring of all instruments. Its origins lie in the effective but primitive chalumeau, which slowly developed through technical advances into the instrument of range, purity and flexibility that we know today. Leading performers inspired the greatest composers of their times to write imperishable masterpieces for the new instrument, exploiting its fullest range, whether incarnating the swagger and opulence of an operatic diva, the autumnal lyricism of a poet, or the utmost in virtuoso bravura.