Klarinet Archive - Posting 000642.txt from 2003/07

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] basset horn vs. basset clarinet vs. extended clarinet
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 14:13:11 -0400

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 10:43:15 -0500, jhobby@-----.net said:

> Tony,
>
> You may not have access to this. A couple of weeks ago, I finally got
> around to watching the tape of the 2001 opening concert from the Mostly
> Mozart Festival in New York. One half of the program was the Mozart
> Requiem. I'm curious (1) what version they play from (I was going to ask
> Dan Lesson, but he's on the road)

A Google search reveals:

http://www.pbs.org/lflc/notes/082201.htm

..which states that the version played on this occasion was the
traditional Sussmayr version.

> and (2) what kind of bassett horn are they playing.

The fact that Manny Ax is playing K482 in the same programme leads me to
suppose that it's a modern orchestra. So, who knows what the basset
horns were?

> The reason for the second question is that I noticed the bassetts
> lacked (or seemed to lack) the projection of "regular" clarinets.

M'm, they sometimes do.

Steve Trier, a wonderful British basset horn player, used to say that
the only difference between p and f on the basset horn is that you have
a red face in f.

That's an exaggeration, but there's some truth in it. It takes quite a
bit of experience to overcome.

> Assuming that there is a difference in projection instead of micing or
> accoustic problems, what is the cause of this?

It's the same reason that an A clarinet is less powerful and penetrating
in general than a Bb, and is why the larger bore basset horn was
invented, in order to 'get over' the modern orchestra -- in Strauss's
music for example.

On this occasion, perhaps the basset horn players could have played
louder, or more parlando (less sustained); or perhaps the orchestra
could have played quieter, or more parlando (less sustained). But, I
don't really know.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

... I tried snorting coke...and almost DROWNED

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