Klarinet Archive - Posting 000182.txt from 2000/04

From: Janet McNaught <mcnaught@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] New work for Basset Clarinet
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 19:03:51 -0400

Following is a promotional notice about a concert taking place in
Hamilton (Ontario) this weekend. The clarinet part will be performed
by Stephen Pierre on a Buffet R13 A clarinet, with a basset extension
built by Steve Fox of Toronto.

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chamberWOKRS! Music Ensemble

Sunday April 9th, Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton will be the venue for a
musical world premiere.

Ontario composer Chris Donison was commissioned to write a new
work for the ensemble, featuring the
basset clarinet with string quartet.

Titled "Music by the Sea", the piece uses the unique sound and
range of this instrument, played by Stephen
Pierre. The modern basset clarinet is a fairly new innovation.
In some of the early music for clarinet written
by Mozart, there are notes which are below the range of modern
clarinets - the kind we see played in school
bands (as well as the standard for professional orchestras). In
the mid 1900's scholars began to devlop ideas
about a different instrument - one with a few lower notes - that
could play the original music as written. The
result is a modern "Basset Clarinet" - which is an elongated
clarinet.

Aside from early compositions, there is not a large repertoire
written for this unusual instrument; and the
concert by chamberWORKS! whill introduce an new contemporary
piece into the modern repertoire.

Stephen Pierre had his basset clarinet custom built two years
ago for a performance of the Mozart Clarinet
Concerto with the (then) New Hamlton Orchestra. This is our
second opportunity to see and hear this unusual
instrument played.

The program will also include

Paganini: "Moses" variations
for double bass & string quartet

Mozart: "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" in G major, K.525
for string quintet

Weber: Quintet in Bb major op 34
for clarinet and string quartet

The concert begins at 7:30 pm.

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