Klarinet Archive - Posting 000194.txt from 2009/01

From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Fernando_Jos=E9_Silveira?= <fernandounirio@-----.com>
Subj: RES: [kl] Historic Basset Horns in Kandern, Part 1
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:51:57 -0500

I agree!
Could you bring us with some photos?

Best,

Fernando Silveira
Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

-----Mensagem original-----
De: Keith [mailto:bowenk@-----.com]=20
Enviada em: domingo, 11 de janeiro de 2009 15:55
Para: klarinet@-----.org
Assunto: RE: [kl] Historic Basset Horns in Kandern, Part 1

David

What a wonderful discovery, and well done!

Let us know on the list when the benefit concert will be. Jochen =
Seggelke
will do a terrific job.

Congratulations!

Keith Bowen

-----Original Message-----
From: klarinet-return-95131-bowenk=3Dcompuserve.com@-----.org
[mailto:klarinet-return-95131-bowenk=3Dcompuserve.com@-----.org] On =
Behalf
Of David Glenn
Sent: 11 January 2009 18:39
To: Clarinet List
Subject: [kl] Historic Basset Horns in Kandern, Part 1

=20
Hi basset horn and old instrument buffs!

Here is the story of my discovery of two historic basset horns and other
instruments in my small town at the edge of the Black Forrest in =
Germany. As
background information you should know that I am a basset horn fan =
myself. I
play in a basset horn trio (see www.mitglied.lycos.de/blaeserensemble/ ) =
and
have a small music publishing business (see http://bassetti-paletti.de)
specializing in basset horn music.

My family and I have been living in the town of Kandern (pop. approx. =
4000
or 8000 if you include the surrounding villages) since 1986 but I was
surprised when the "Heimat- und Keramikmuseum" (Home Town and Ceramics
Museum) called me up and asked me to come over and identify some oboe or
clarinet instruments which they had laying around in an old box. That
sounded interesting so I went to have a look.=20

The curator, Frau M. let me in and brought me upstairs where they had =
the
whole collection spread out on a styrofoam board. The museum is largely
devoted to local pottery which is typical for the region. They didn't =
really
know what to do with musical instruments. We walked over to the =
collection
and I couldn't believe my eyes! It was mostly clarinet instruments in
boxwood with brass keys and some brass mouthpieces, one bassoon reed and =
a
few metal tools.A moment later, I went from a state of shock to a state =
of
extreme shock! I had recognized a part of a basset horn with an ivory =
knee!
Within a few moments I had put two nearly complete basset horns together
(only missing mouthpiece and bell) and parts of one (or maybe two)
clarinette d'amour and an ordinary clarinet. Frau M. noticed how excited =
I
was and suggested I take the basset horns home to finish sorting them =
out.
Of course I didn't let her ask twice!

At home and still somewhat in a state of shock, I called up my friend =
and
basset horn colleague Peter Geisler from Schopfheim and I asked him to =
guess
what I had laying around at home. "No idea." "Two historic, 15 keyed =
basset
horns. ... hello? ... hello Peter? ... are you still there? ..." "Sorry, =
I
just had to sit down!" Yes it was hard to imagine! What were these rare,
expensive instruments doing in Kandern in the early 19th century? At =
that
time, there was only an orchestra of brass instruments which belonged to =
the
mining company (Bergwerksmusik). The instruments had been in the =
possession
of the museum or their predecessor museums for about 100 years and there =
was
no record from where they came. Very mysterious! The next day, Peter =
came
over to see the basset horns and then we went to the museum and had a =
look
at the rest of the instruments. In the end, I ended up taking the whole =
box
home so that we could try and sort out the pieces.

It was clear from the beginning for both Peter and me that the two =
basset
horns must be restored! They are 15 key instruments with signs of use =
which
means they may well be of good quality. One of them is marked "Uhlmann" =
from
Vienna. The other one is without mark but looks very similar. Both are
nearly complete and in relatively good shape considering their age and =
that
they've been stored improperly for the last 100 years. It was decided to
take the complete collection to Bamberg and show it to the firm Schwenk =
&
Seggelke for appraisal. My wife and I went with Peter to Bamberg to show =
the
instruments.

When we arrived, Jochen Seggelke showed us a table where we could spread =
out
the treasure. He put on a pair of white gloves (oops, we hadn't thought =
of
that!) and inspected the instruments. Then he said, "Herr Raquet from =
the
museum in Nuremberg must come see this! It could be that he is in =
Bamberg
today. And sure enough, he was able to come and the two of them looked =
at
the instruments together. What an experience! With white gloves and
magnifying glass etc. Seggelke and Raquet agreed with us that the basset
horns were well worth the trouble so we got permission to leave them =
there.
The other instruments were carefully wrapped in acid free paper (we had
brought them wrapped in newspaper!) and we brought them back to the =
museum
in Kandern.

So the two basset horns are being restored and will be later displayed =
in
the museum in Kandern but not before we can play on them again! The =
repair
is not cheap and so Peter Geisler and I have offered to play a benefit
concert with these two basset horns to help raise funds for it. We hope =
to
involve the historic basset horn trio "Clarimonia" as well. We are =
putting
Kandern on the map!

Ciao,
David

--=20
Sensationsangebot verl=E4ngert: GMX FreeDSL - Telefonanschluss + DSL=20
f=FCr nur 16,37 Euro/mtl.!* =
http://dsl.gmx.de/?ac=3DOM.AD.PD003K1308T4569a

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