Klarinet Archive - Posting 000206.txt from 2004/03

From: "H. de Nijs" <h.denijs@------.nl>
Subj: RE: [kl] reasons for basset clarinets
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 02:46:09 -0500

You are right with respect to the elongated joint. Fritz Wurlitzer and other
german makers are making their bassethorns (and bass clarinets) already for
more then 60 years with such an extra length of wood on the lower joint with
an added keyless resonance hole! It gives indeed a significant improvement
of the sound character. I'm playing such a bassethorn from Fritz Wurlitzer.

greeting,

Hans

-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: Dan Leeson [mailto:leeson0@------.net]
Verzonden: donderdag 4 maart 2004 3:06
Aan: klarinet@------.org
Onderwerp: Re: [kl] reasons for basset clarinets

And besides all of thes good reasons given below, there is yet another.
The character of sound produced by any clarinet is affected by
extensions, and I suggest that the effect is invariably positive. I have
both a B-flat and an A that descend to low E-flat, and though I rarely
use the notes, the character of the instruments appears to me to be
improved by the presence of the extra length wood. By this I mean to
say that I also have a pair of clarinets that do not extend to low
E-flat, and I don't use them nearly as much as the ones that do. It's
because the extra wood creates a positive effect on the sound character.

I once asked a player why he enjoyed playing everything on an A
clarinet. He did not even own a B-flat clarinet, but transposed
everything. His answer was that the extra length of the instrument (as
compared to a B-flat clarinet) allowed him to produce a character that
was unavailable to him on shorter instruments.

By the same rationale, the basset clarinet will provide a different
character of sound even though the low basset notes may not ever be
required.

David Glenn wrote:
> Besides Mozart and some modern works written for Alan Hacker, there
> are plenty of reasons to have a basset clarinet. Some, I have
> mentioned earlier on the list (Beethoven 3rd Duo, Hindemith Sonata).
>
>
> The low Eb's which sometimes occur for instance with eastern European
> or South American composers have been mentioned. But also Richard
> Strauss wrote a couple of low D's in his early Romance for clar. and
> orch.
>
> Sometimes, I will accompany a pupil playing the piano part on the
> clarinet. The extra range of the basset clarinet comes in handy.
>
> Last and least, in my sinful youth, I have arranged (amongst other
> things) some Joplin rags for three clarinets in which the third part
> has basset notes. Very handy!
>
> And if you have the thing, you'll use it and enrich the clarinet
> world like Dan says!
>
> David (bassetized on A and Bb for donkey's years!)
>
>
> what you are looking for with the Lycos Yellow Pages
>
http://r.lycos.com/r/yp_emailfooter/http://yellowpages.lycos.com/default.asp
?SRC=lycos10
>
>
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--
Dan Leeson
leeson0@------.net

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