Klarinet Archive - Posting 000498.txt from 2003/12

From: Dan Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Mozart 487
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2003 13:58:09 -0500

Rachael and David Orbach wrote:
> Does anyone know of the K number of the Mozart op487 for two basset
> horns? It is published in the Langegues virtuoso book III. Is there a
> recording of this duet? I have a student who is going to use this for
> her high school diploma in clarinet performance here in Israel.
>
> Rachael Orbach

Rachel, the K. listing for those duets (but don't go away because they
are not for two basset horns) is K. 487 with a later K. listing of K.
496a. There are no Mozart opus numbers. The number that you probably
extracted from the Langenus book is the K. number.

However, those duets are for French horns, not basset horns. I suspect
that the edition you have says basset horns because for years no one
believed that they could be executed on French horns. There is a ton of
musicological material on them, but I'll present the shortened version:
basset horns, NO; French horns, yes. The Langenus book is from the era
when the speculation was made that they were for basset horns. Langenus
must be 75 years old now.

Now that does not mean that your student should not play them. Be my
guest, a bei gezunt. Enjoy them for whatever they are. But call a spade
a spade.

I have never heard a recording of them, but that is useless information
because there is a great deal of Mozart's music that has been recorded
but which I have never heard.

Dan Leeson

--
Dan Leeson
leeson0@-----.net

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