Klarinet Archive - Posting 000158.txt from 2011/03

From: "Dan Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Mozart wind serenades & double bass
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2011 06:57:34 -0400

The standard Harmonie of 8 players does not have a true bass, and it is this
deficiency that caused other composers of wind octet music (such as Krommar)
to use a contrabassoon or contrabass. How common it was at the time of
Mozart is by no means clear, but using a 16 foot bass to double the second
bassoon is very much the right thing to do. There is a silhouette of a wind
octet with double bass that is often used as artwork on the cover of some
Harmoniemusik, which shows that the practice was known.

In the era of the Beethoven works arranged for wind octet by locals, they
almost always have a contra part. I'm thinking of the arrangement for octet
of the Pathetique sonata, or the Fidelio arrangement by Sedlak..

The only constraint you might consider is that the line for 16 foot bass
should stay out of the way in quiet passages, otherwise it can sound like a
bull in a china shop.

P.S. I am assuming that you are referring to K. 375 for 8 winds and not the
earlier version for 6.

Dan Leeson

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian and Ann" <wordpecker@-----.au>
To: <Klarinet@-----.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2011 2:32 AM
Subject: [kl] Mozart wind serenades & double bass

> Hi everyone,
> I've just listened to a recording of Mozart Serenade KV 375. It appears to
> have a double bass added to the tutti sections, playing the 2nd bassoon
> line
> I believe. I have also heard this performed without the double bass.
> My query is how common is this practice and was it considered normal
> performance during Mozart's lifetime?
> I ask, because I am playing this work next week and I quite like the sound
> of the wind octet with the added bass.
> Regards
> Brian Catchlove
>
> _______________________________________________
> Klarinet mailing list
> Klarinet@-----.com
> To do darn near anything to your subscription, go to:
> http://klarinet-list.serve-music.com

_______________________________________________
Klarinet mailing list
Klarinet@-----.com
To do darn near anything to your subscription, go to:
http://klarinet-list.serve-music.com