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Gustave Langenus
The distinguished Belgian-American clarinetist Gustave Langenus was born in Milines, Belgium, where he received his first instruction in music. At the age of twelve he was admitted to the Royal Brussels Conservatory in the clarinet class of Gustave Poncelet, where he remained for five years, graduating in 1900 with first prize in clarinet. Soon after graduating the eighteen year old Langenus toured in Europe with the Sousa Band and in 1902, emigrated to England, becoming well known as both a soloist and orchestra player, was engaged in Henry Wood’s Queens Hall Orchestra in London and as solo clarinetist with the Duke of Devonshire’s Orchestra. With the latter ensemble he performed as soloist on several occasions, receiving high praise from the English critics.
Walter Damrosch, always on the look out for players to improve his New York Symphony, recruited Langenus to come to America in 1910 as the orchestras solo clarinetist. Langenus remained in this position until the fall of 1920 when he moved to the New York Philharmonic, also as solo clarinetist. Langenus tenure with this orchestra was short lived, as he resigned in 1923 to devote himself to solo playing and his true passion-chamber music.
In 1915 he co-founded, along with pianist Carolyn Bebe, the New York Chamber Music Society.
Gustave Langenus was a highly regarded teacher, a publisher and editor of numerous works for clarinet, the author of one of the standard clarinet method books, and , in his day, the foremost authority on woodwind instruments. He also began the first ever correspondence school for young clarinetists who had no access to a clarinet teacher. The school consisted of a series of 10 inch 78 recording of Langenus and another clarinetist playing from the Langenus study books. There would also be sent with the recordings questionnaires the students could fill out documenting their progress and difficulties, to which Langenus would respond. Examples of his recordings for the school are included below. Langenus was also a teacher and friend of Benny Goodman who played second clarinet to Langenus in New York early in Goodmans' career. Goodman referred to Langenus as "Gus". Langenus used the double lip embouchure.
Gustave Langenus died in his home on Long Island on January 30, 1957.
(Source: David Ross)
Langenus Correspondance School @1915
"Waltz" New York Symphony @1919
Wagner Overture
New York Symphony @1919
Mozart Quintet Mvt 2
Budapest Quartet Library of Congress 1940
Gustave Langenus
