Klarinet Archive - Posting 000215.txt from 1995/10

From: Mark Dunlop <dunlop@-----.NZ>
Subj: My basset horn has left me ...
Date: Mon, 9 Oct 1995 20:48:52 -0400

For those of you who remember me desperately trying to learn the
art of basset horn playing ... in a week, its all over. The horn has
gone back to its rightful home with the NZSO in Wellington, and I
have to admit that I miss it :-( Apart from being a bit weak around
the middle of the stave - quite a pain when playing 2nd in the Mozart
Requiem - its ability to facilitate projection was quite staggering.
I've also found that my clarinet playing has improved. I'd been
working on relaxing my embouchure and opening my throat a bit - for
this the horn turned out to be the perfect set of "training wheels".

Anyway, the concert went quite well. We started of with Szymenowski's
Stabat Mater which, I must admit, I enjoyed more than the Mozart.
There are two probable reasons for this:

(1) Its appeal to your emotions is much more raw, which is something
I seem to need, to get through my thick skin.
(2) We (the choir and orchestra) relaxed a bit for the Mozart - quite
fatal. Because it is such perfect music, it needs to be played as
such. We weren't even close, despite being conducted by Brian Law
(ex Ottawa).

Thanks for all your advice on how to approach the horn. I'll certainly
know where to turn to next time ...

Cheers,

Mark
Email: dunlop@-----.nz