 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jen L.
Date: 2004-03-06 14:06
Attachment: BassClarinet.jpg (138k)
For your amusement:
In the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston the other day, I noticed this beauty in the musical instrument room: an early bass clarinet. It's my new "my bass may be finicky, but at least it's not *this*!" photo.
Thank goodness this design did not catch on. The holes down the side were apparently to be covered by your hand right below the finger, according to the write-up on the side.
The curator said that the woodwinds in the case weren't playable, alas.
Jen L.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-03-06 15:27
Thanx - A Serpent-shaped, reed-playing, bass cl !, have seen in books and a museum. I believe such are shown and described by Brymer, Lawson Baines, Rendall etc. Serpents [per the books] were played with a "brass" mp, were awkward but chromatic, and "supported bassoons". I bet that Groves also discusses the relationship of the two "versions". Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-03-07 12:22
It was made by Papallini. There are about a dozen examples, including one at the Metropolitan Museum Musical Instrument Collection in New York.
There was a great thread about them on the Early Clarinet Board about a year ago, with lots of information from Al Rice, who knows more about early clarinets than the rest of us put together.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Erik Tkal
Date: 2004-03-07 16:25
Here is a page with some pictures of serpents:
http://www.yeodoug.com/articles/serpent_night/serpentnight.html
BTW, Doug Yeo's CD "Le Monde du Serpent" is very good!
Erik Tkal
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Author: Wayne Thompson
Date: 2004-03-07 21:06
Speaking of Serpents (...and I do understand that this thread is really about this incredible old bass clarinet.) :
There is a version of Dickens Christmas Carol done a few years ago, starring Patrick Stewart. In the Fezziwig Party scene there are some pretty good shots of a Serpent being played. And there is a clarinet of some sort. This whole scene seems historically accurate for mid nineteenth century.
WT
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-03-08 14:36
Heaven help the poor guy who gets to ream the bore on the 'melted noodle' bass clarinet.......
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-03-08 15:25
David -
I'm sure the serpentine bass was made the same way as a serpent (or cornetto) -- the curved shape was carved and then sawed in half lengthwise, the bore was gouged out and the two halves were glued back together (and perhaps covered with leather).
Either that or trained beavers and termites ;-).
Ken Shaw
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-03-08 16:16
Just try to create a polycylindrical bore by gouging and carving --- yikes! And training beavers --- even harder than training Jack Russell Terriers!
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-03-08 16:30
AGREED ! I believe this is the way the early Basset Horns were made also, the curved or angular or square/box designs sure would present body construction problems, also the leather wrapping to prevent seam leaks !! I'm sure Al Rice discusses this in "Cl in the Classical Period", for me its slow [but thorough] reading, will look ahead. Believe many of our "good books" make mention also. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-03-09 16:16
A serpentine bass cl by Papalini, 1810, Brussels is shown in Rendall, Plate VII. It clearly shows the shortening that results from the serpent-like form. It would be fun to try to figure out fingerings and prob. to make it play in tune with itself and others. R also discusses early bass cls in Chap XI, for those that interested. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-03-11 20:02
Alphie -
I asked Al Rice about the rectangular basset horn on the Early Clarinet board about a year ago, and he responded with a wonderful essay, giving a full history.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2004-03-11 20:27
That looks like a great example of an early bass clarinet. I'd estimate that it would be dated at round the turn of the 18th, 19th Century. As professional early clarinet player i'd love to get my hands on it and give it a blow, in fact i belive there may be one that is similar in the Royal College of Music's instrument museum. I assume that it's of Italian origin, serpents were used extensively England and France I know of no record of any serpents being used in Italy at this time so i don't think the maker was basing the design on those instruments, i think it was all about asthetics and how comfortable the instrument would be to play, bassett horns were never made in this way they have always had an angled knee joint. Great find though.
Peter Cigleris
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