Klarinet Archive - Posting 000380.txt from 2005/06
From: "Dan Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] RE: klarinet Digest 21 Jun 2005 09:01:02 -0000 Issue 6064
Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2005 08:34:29 -0400
According to Groves dictionary of music, in the article on clarinet, it is
stated that all three of Stadler's instruments were basset clarinets, they
were in C, B-flat, and A. Given the absence of cases such as we have today,
he packed his instruments wrapped in cloth in a briefcase of some sort. So
going to a job, it is probable that he brought the precise clarinets he
needed. But his financial state does not allow one to assume that he had a
pair of clarinets for each of the three instruments. I suspect but do not
know that he had one set of clarinets, all basset instruments.
Now when he went to Prague to play Titus (which calls for a basset clarinet
in B flat explicitly) he needed four instruments, three clarinets and a
basset horn. Those are the instruments needed then or now if one is going
to play the opera. So either he showed up with two standard clarinets, one
basset clarinet, and one basset horn, or else three basset clarinets and one
basset horn.
But there is no proof of which choice he made for the performances of that
opera. And there is one other factor that is needed to be known. The
clarinet of Mozart's day did not have all the keys we have today, so
contrasting the three basset instrumnets of today with those of Mozart's
time in terms of weight is a little like apples and oranges.
DNL
-----Original Message-----
From: Keith [mailto:100012.1302@-----.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2005 4:16 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] RE: klarinet Digest 21 Jun 2005 09:01:02 -0000 Issue 6064
Joe, this is correct.
OK I weighed mine to stop speculation. The standard lower joint (Leblanc
Concerto A) is 12 oz/340g and the basset joint is 22.5 oz/640 g. (10.5
oz/300 g extra). The weight addition IS significant, and is mainly the
metalwork rather than the wood. (To be wholly accurate, there is a LH Eb/Ab
on the basset joint that I don't have on the regular one, and with
alternates there are six more keys.) The distribution is very different,
since all the additional weight is at the far end, and the bell is further
out, so the moment of the weight is different. The clarinet mouth piece
pushes UP on the upper teeth.
I love to play mine, in fact it is coming out for another K581 at the end of
the week. But I have to play it differently: at a much lower, near-vertical
angle (this may be less of a problem for some US players, who tend to hold
the clarinet this way), with a neckstrap, and with Steve Fox's chest brace
(which adds more to the weight). It is quite a bit harder work, and harder
on the thumb. All of which one could get used to. It's a bit far off the
ground to use a peg conveniently, but I am looking into the supports that go
on chairs. I do not use it in normal orchestral work, nor am I yet persuaded
by Dan's arguments - and he knows how much I love my basset instruments. Of
course I would if the parts were there.
Dan is there any evidence that Stadler used his basset instrument all the
time? (Of course his was lighter!).
Keith
> Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2005 01:08:15 +0100
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> From: Joseph Wakeling <joseph.wakeling@-----.net>
> Subject: Re: [kl] Basset clarinets are regular orchestral instruments
> Message-ID: <42B75A6F.1040904@-----.net>
>
> Dan Leeson wrote:
>
> > We are talking about 4 more inches of wood and another four
> keys (or
> > perhaps five if there are alternate fingerings supplied) along with
> > the rods and pad cups need for proper execution. Now how
> much heavier
> > is that in real terms?
>
> It's not so much that it's heavier as it is that the weight
> is distributed very differently (and inconveniently); having
> the extra weight on the *bottom* of the clarinet changes the
> balance of the instrument in a way that simply increasing its
> mass evenly all round wouldn't. Basically you have to use
> either a neck-brace or a floor-spike to use a basset clarinet
> effectively. It thus among other things makes difficult the
> "bells up" direction that is sometimes called for by
> composers and/or conductors.
>
> By comparison on full-Boehm instrument this effect is pretty
> negligible since the extra length is so much less.
>
> The bottom line is I think it is much more convenient to use
> the conventional instrument if you aren't going to be using
> the extra low notes.
>
> Bass clarinet is not a fair comparison since the instrument
> is so weighty and cumbersome anyway that you're using a floor
> spike whatever the lower range, so you might as well have the
> extra notes. The difference in the convenience of the two
> instruments is pretty negligible whereas in the case of the
> soprano clarinet/basset clarinet it is not.
>
> It's for this reason I think we're better off trying to
> encourage players to purchase extra "basset joints" for their
> instrument to be swapped to when needed (` la Howarths, Fox,
> Chadash, etc.), than to use the instrument as the "standard"
> when it's not called for specifically.
>
> Actually my feeling is that the people we really need to get
> on-side are film and TV composers. Once it becomes
> commercially handy for session musicians to have a basset
> joint to hand, you're going to get a lot more people going
> for them, since it's always nice to get more session work. :-)
>
> Talking of session musicians, once I saw Nicholas Bucknall
> (one of the UK's top session players) give a great
> performance of Reich's New York Counterpoint, to my surprise,
> on basset clarinet. I quizzed him about it later and he said
> it was the only instrument that allowed him to match the
> timbre of the prerecorded tape (which was the hired tape
> provided by Boosey & Hawkes).
>
> -- Joe
>
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