Klarinet Archive - Posting 001211.txt from 1998/07

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Mozart and the right clarinet
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 22:42:58 -0400

On Tue, 28 Jul 1998, Note Staff Unlimited wrote:
> Which gets me onto a hobby horse: why don't clarinet builders supply ONE
> clarinet in A with TWO lower joints - one normal
> and one basset version? This would save costs and surely encourage more
> clarinettists to play (or attempt?) the Mozart on the
> basset clarinet. The work really gains from it even though there is still some
> guess work as to the exact right version. Or, at the
> risk of insulting one or another "short" clarinettist, the work really suffers
> from the lower register being cut off. Still, I admit, it's
> better to perform the Mozart on a "short" clarinet than not at all!

David Shifrin's horn is built this way, with the low c extension keys on
top to be played by pinkies rather than with the thumb. However, the new
basset clarinets out seem to have design issues in the top joint as well
that eliminate the possibility of using different lower joints with the
same upper joints. And, in fact, Shifrin's has a few notes that he must
compensate for (it was specially made for him out of clarinet parts!).

Roger Garrett
IWU

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