Klarinet Archive - Posting 000191.txt from 2006/09

From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Requim for the Bassett Horn
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2006 19:31:18 -0400

Well, it's a theory, of course. But the traditional view is that
the character of the basset horn lends a sense of melancholy. And
since the subject of the Requiem is tragic, then the character of
the four winds lends that tragic sense to the music. In the case
of the Masonic Funeral music, which uses three basset horns, the
first two also stay in traditional registers. Only the third
basset horn goes into the bottom of the instrument, as memory
serves me. So what you have for that piece is one clarinet, 3
basset horns, 2 bassoons, and a contrabassoon. The sound of that
piece (which is also funeral music, literally) is the character
that was most likely what Mozart was searching for. Remember
that he always associated clarinet music with sopranos and love.
If that was his idea, then clarinets in the Requiem would be
beyond his inner ear. Too happy. Too much love.

It is not entirely a joke to say that the basset horn sounds as
the basset hound looks.

Every time I played that work with a conductor who never had
basset horns before always remarked that the character of the
music was affected more tragically with basset horns than with
clarinets, though he used the word "dark sound" and I had to kill
him. Too bad, but he was a conductor so I was given only one
week at community service and a $5 fine.

Dan Leeson
DNLeeson@-----.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Sean Osborn [mailto:feanor33@-----.net]
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 3:54 PM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] Requim for the Bassett Horn

.....ah, if only.

(not really a fan of the BH).

Yes, I played principal Bassett Horn on that show.
Perhaps you being a Mozart scholar can address a theory I have
about that
piece.....

I think they were originally clarinet parts. They don't go
anywhere near
the bottom of the clarinet range, to say nothing of the bottom of
the
bassett horn range. My theory is that Stadler, upon his buddy
Mozart's
death decided that he wanted to play the parts on BH, and had
them
transposed. They were then published that way, and here we are.
My theory
is probably not correct, and you can point out why I'm sure!

Thanks for the info.

Sean

>Sean, did you play in the orchestra when the Seattle Symphony
>chorus arranged the whole Rolling Requiem that resulted in 150
or
>so performances of the Mozart Requiem on one day, Sept. 11, 2002
>in commemoration of the event of one year earler? And if the
>answer is yes, did you play clarinet or basset horn?

www.osbornmusic.com

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