Klarinet Archive - Posting 000647.txt from 2004/08

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] FW: 1896 Selmer Basset Horn
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 10:51:59 -0400

The first basset-horn *may* have resulted from an attempt to produce a horn-like
sound from a reed instrument, but horns in the mid-eighteenth century were
played with all sorts of crooks - I think D was far more common than F.
Hence, it not likely to have been intended that it should play existing horn
parts -still less so, given the musical content of such parts.
Roger S.

In message <000201c488f0$b46baaa0$334bddd5@-----.org
writes:
> I thought that was pretty much the definition of a basset horn. The first
> basset horns, made by the Mayrhofer brothers around 1750 (in wich respect
> the Selmer in question is of cause an early "retro"-horn) had a low C
> instead of a low E (jumping from C to F which makes me believe that the
> early basset horns were actually meant to play french horn parts) and the
> rest was filled in in the course of time, first diatonical, the last
> chromatic steps (Db) very late, shortly before the instrument died out. For
> what purpose the French late 19th c. instruments were made, whether to play
> Mozart, Mendelssohn or Strauss or whatever is unclear, but the German
> retro-basset horns of that time, made for R. Strauss (who used it a great
> deal) were more like large bore modern alto clarinets with extension. I
> would assume the "H. Wood" Selmer to be like this, namely as no French maker
> even until now seems to have bothered to recreate anything like a proper
> bassett horn, apt to play historic parts (or modern ones that expect the
> subtle and discrete sound of the original instruments).
> Best wishes,
> danyel
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: dnleeson
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2004 9:38 PM
> Subject: RE: [kl] FW: 1896 Selmer Basset Horn
>
>
> Basset horns from 1900 and even earlier have the low C. There is
> nothing special about it.
>
> Dan Leeson
> DNLeeson@-----.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Larisa Duffy and David Dow [mailto:duffyl@-----.ca]
> Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2004 12:28 PM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] FW: 1896 Selmer Basset Horn
>
>
>
> ---It may be better if one simply gets the serial no. or even the
> Brevette.
> design that is used for an insignia... There are a good deal of
> older
> instruments....some are not the age that the seller advertises as
> well.
>
> As to instrument it looks pretty new to be of that age...maybe e
> mail the
> seller and ask specific questions...I notice it has a low C
> mechanism...this
> may not be normal for a F Basset of such early make. I now
> wonder what this
> really is...?
>
>
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