Klarinet Archive - Posting 001063.txt from 1998/12

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] Re: Basset horn vs. basset clarinet
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1998 23:47:09 -0500

I think Jack Kissinger is right on the money on this one. Except for
the fact that the basset horn in F plays lower than a basset clarinet
in A, B-flat, or C, it is very difficult to distinguish between the
two instruments other than by subjective judgement.

The fact that a basset horn looks different is due to the fact that
it is a very long instrument. It has to be to be pitched in F. So
you have a long tube with holes punched in it several inches below
where they are punched on a clarinet in A (or a basset clarinet in A
for that matter) and that adds enough length to the horn that the
lowest note is way at the other end of the tube. So you have to
bend it there or else it becomes very difficult to manage physically.
Today, everyone makes the bend in the bell. It is a phenomenon not
dissimilar to that of the French horn; i.e., it is so very long that
it has to be curved and wrapped around itself to be played at all.

Now we have not touched on the issue of the bore dimension. There
are those who suggest that a basset horn is distinguished from an
alto clarinet by virtue of the bore dimensions. And on this I have
nothing intelligent to add.

As far as its use is concerned, Mozart treated the instrument both
as a soprano voice (it doubles the soprano voices througout the
entire Requiem), and alto voice (the 2nd basset horn doubles the
altos) and a bass voice (the third basset horn in the Masonic
Funeral Music) is the lowest instrument of the three and is even
written in bass clef.

Very hard to say exactly what it is but Jack Kissinger makes a lot
of sense.

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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
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