Take a Breath: An Interview with Clarinettist Alexandra Gruber

What role does taking deep breaths play in the life of a clarinettist?

I have to do it sometimes to keep going! And to maintain the broad arc that spans a musician’s life. As a wind player, I have to make sure I have enough air in my lungs. It’s good to do physical exercise to strengthen the respiratory muscles. And it’s also good for your adrenaline levels. For example, if your heart rate goes up before a solo, you can bring it back down again quite quickly if you’re in reasonably good shape. That sharpens your focus and allows you to concentrate more on your breathing.

So how do you train your lungs?

By holding long notes on the instrument, and also through endurance sports. I work out regularly, usually with music playing in my ears. And then, of course, I take long walks, and the occasional jog outdoors. I live in the countryside, where it’s easier to do that.

What role does breath play when you play the clarinet?

A stable sitting posture is really important for playing, so that you are firmly rooted on your chair. Then I try to take deep breaths. There’s actually something meditative about that: You’re fully present and aware, just breathing and using every last bit of your lung capacity, whilst also engaging your diaphragm. Breath is everything. Your playing depends on it: we speak, we sing – it’s all done with breath. The sound starts at the top, at the mouthpiece, and then spreads out as it passes the reed.

Unlike wind players, string players don’t need to take a breath before playing …

Yes, but the best music comes about when we all breathe in unison, including the strings. Good conductors allow us the time to do this, or encourage us to briefly pause together.

So how does breathing in unison work, with so many people?

That’s a mystery. It’s partly to do with the fact that we all know each other well and can rely on one another. The conductors then breathe in unison with us, creating a collective sense of rhythm and breathing. It really does work: a harmony, almost like a common heartbeat.

Where else in your job do you sometimes have to take a deep breath?

I am currently in the orchestra’s board. There are three of us, all elected by the orchestra as its representatives. We are in regular contact with our management and the conductors, and we address any concerns, difficulties or problems that our colleagues approach us with. These mainly relate to artistic issues; for staff-related issues, we have a staff council with whom we also work closely. Although I enjoy this task, it is also quite exhausting. So far I’ve managed to keep the two roles separate, when I sit on stage playing the clarinet. I’ve set myself a rule: about an hour before a concert, I’m no longer available as the orchestra’s chairperson; then I’m simply Alexandra the musician.

Mozart concertos are considered a major challenge for wind players. You will be performing Mozart’s only clarinet concerto as a soloist in June. What will that be like?

The Mozart concerto, or at least parts of it, is usually obligatory at auditions. Being able to play it in its entirety is always a real treat. And I get to play with Zubin Mehta – one of the highlights of my career as a clarinettist. I’m really looking forward to it. This music is incredible. Mozart wrote it for his friend, the clarinettist Anton Stadler. That’s why it really is something quite special. It’s simple, but that doesn’t make it easy to play, and there’s also plenty of that crazy Mozart-esque stuff in there, like fast runs. The music has everything it takes to showcase the full potential of the clarinet.