Klarinet Archive - Posting 000194.txt from 2006/02

From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] More about Indiana University
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:31:36 -0500

While I was in Bloomington for the events of the Mozart seminar,
two important choral works were scheduled. One of them, the
Requiem requires basset horns. However, this production was to
be done with 18th century orchestra and they had no original
instrument basset horns OR players in Bloomington. I think there
are only three such people in the US, but I am prepared to learn
that there are more.

So in absence of the Bill McColl of Washington, and a woman
player in Boston, and Hoprich who lives in the Netherlands, the
University of Indiana had to import two players from Spain. Both
men had true 18th century basset horns, the kind with the bend in
the middle. The left hand is on the part of the instrument that
comes straight out from the mouth as does a regular clarinet.
But the right hand is on the bend part of the instrument. I
suppose that with a little practice one could get used to that
easily.

But that must have been an expensive gig since both players
needed transportation, housing, and probably a fairly fat fee.

Dan Leeson
DNLeeson@-----.net

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