Klarinet Archive - Posting 000496.txt from 2003/06

From: "Joseph Wakeling" <joseph.wakeling@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Period basset horns (was: Purchase of Orchestral parts)
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 13:03:58 -0400

Dan Leeson wrote:
<< When Bob Levin and I published a paper on the clarinet and basset horn
writing of Mozart, we both came to the conclusion (and said so in print),
that Süssmayr did not know that a basset horn was a woodwind instrument. He
may have thought that it was a member of the French horn family and had no
idea of how to write for it. >>

Remarkable. I remember a while back you pointed to Süssmayr's writing an A
major section for the basset horn as evidence of his lack of knowledge.
This seems to me even more surprising if he thought that he was writing for
a type of French horn, whose key restrictions were surely even greater.

(A question for those experienced in period performance---how difficult *is*
that section on period bassets?)

Dan, Is there an online version of your paper available anywhere (or else,
where was it published)?

-- Joe

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