Klarinet Archive - Posting 000048.txt from 1995/03

From: Robin Fairbairns <Robin.Fairbairns@-----.UK>
Subj: Re: Spelling
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 12:50:00 -0500

> "Clarinettist" has two ts over here in unWebster land. "Clarionet" was common
> here too around the turn of the century; Shaw always used this spelling in his
> music crit. articles - which, as you may know, he signed as "Corno di
Bassetto"
> (Ugh!!!!!!!!).

Corni di Bassetto, wasn't it?

Anyway, I once heard a BBC archive recording of him talking about the
pseudonym. He said he'd never heard a Basset Horn before he took up
the name, and having finally done so he wasn't sure he was right.

Basset Horns, he said, have a dolorous sound and mournful
appurtenances, not at all what a self-respecting critic would want to
associate himself with. At the time, I don't think I'd ever knowingly
heard one either, and when I joined my present clarinet choir (which
counts two among the instruments it can call on) I was rather
surprised by them.

Shaw had definitely heard them in the Mozart Requiem, and was I think
implying that they always sound as if they're in the Mozart Requiem.

Robin (Campaign for Real Radio 3) Fairbairns rf@-----.uk
U of Cambridge Computer Lab, Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UK
Private page: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/rf/robin.html