Klarinet Archive - Posting 000550.txt from 2000/06

From: "Alf Hörberg" <alf.horberg@-----.se>
Subj: SV: [kl] eBay Bassethorn
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 07:01:49 -0400

When I get a chance, I take the opportunity to emphasize that, by
definition, there is no similarity between the Basset horn and an E-flat
alto clarinet. Their history and functions are entirely different.

The Basset-horn is supposed to be the invention of Mayrhofer of
Passau, Germany c.1770. The pitch was in G or F with a range down to written
low C. The original type was "sickle-shaped", like a half-moon similar to
the Corno da Caccia that became the English Horn. The shape gave it it's
name "horn". Basset comes from Italian "Basetto", a small bass. A slightly
later model had a knee-joint in the middle that made it angular. It is not
clear who first made this model. Rendall suggests that it could have been
Theodor Lotz, Anton Stadlers instrument-maker.The original horns had a
narrow bore, similar to the clarinet. The wrong relation between the length
and the size of the bore gave it it's special character.
The Basset-horn was a favorite instrument of Mozart's. You can tell from the
way he used it. His music for the instrument is in my own and many others
opinion some of the most beautiful music that he wrote. Take the 25 pieces
for Bassethorn-trio, also called Five Divertimenti. The Requiem, The Magic
Flute, "Maureriche Trauer Musik", the aria "Non più di fiore" from Titus,
the "Gran Partita" among others. Keep in mind that all we have left of the
original score of the Mozart-concerto is the first 199 bars scored for a
basset-horn in G. For some unclear reason he changed it to basset-clarinet
in A. After Mozart the basset-horn was almost forgotten. Only a few
composers wrote for it. To name a few: Rolla wrote a concerto, Beethoven
used it in "Prometeus", Mendelsohn wrote two concert-pieces for clarinet and
BH. R Strauss used it in the operas "Rosenkavalier" and "Die frau ohne
schatten" and in the Serenades. K-H Stockhausen is the most recent
(wellknown)modern composer to have used it.

In my humble opinion the actual concept of the BH is lost on modern
instruments. At least the French instruments since the bore is usually way
too wide to be called a BH. Only the makes that you can play with a normal
clarinet-mouthpiece, like the Selmer, come close. The rest are just in my
opinion alto-clarinets in F with extension to low C.

The Alto-clarinet in Eb doesn't have a history of it's own like the
Basset-horn. It's just another instrument of the clarinet-family to fill up
the gap between the soprano-clarinets and the Bass. Just like the
Contra-alto just fills up the gap between the Bass and the BBb-contra. The
Eb alto clarinet is mainly used in windbands and clarinet-choirs.

Alf
----- Original Message -----
From: Dee D. Hays <deehays@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] eBay Bassethorn

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Luby D. Jackson III" <mus_ldj@-----.edu>
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2000 11:09 PM
> Subject: Re: [kl] eBay Bassethorn
>
>
> > What are the orchestral uses of the basset horn? Is this member of the
> clarinet family a little lower than the bass clarinet?
> >
>
> This is a member of the clarinet family that is one whole step higher than
> the Eb alto clarinet.
>
> Dee Hays
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
> Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
> Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
> Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org
>
>

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org