 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2004-05-23 07:41
I see that Guy Chadash and Steven Fox both make basset extensions. Has anybody ever tried these? Any thoughts/comments would be appreciated.
Any other makers of basset clarinets/extensions that you would recommend?
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2004-05-23 12:12
A) This is an expensive proposition.
B) The extensions are permanent grafts - glued in place.
C) You must send the instrument to either builder and wait.
D) Stephen's work is gorgeous, as is Guy's - worth the money.
E) If you want straight answers, you will get them from both suppliers.
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Author: RAMman
Date: 2004-05-23 21:02
I'd recommend having an entire new joint built, rather than extending an existing one. I had extensive communication with Stephen Fox before ordering mine (although, I didn't actually get him to build mine, him being in Canada makes that impractical for me in the UK).
He was extremely helpful, so end him an e-mail. Oh, and it's cheaper to have a new joint made than to buy a whole new basset clarinet.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2004-05-23 21:24
RAMman- so who built your basset lower joint? I live in Switzerland, so it would be more practical to get one biult in the UK. Are you happy with the one you have?
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Author: RAMman
Date: 2004-05-23 22:45
Liquorice,
Sorry, should have said!
I have one on order from Howarths, and no, I don't play on a Howarth clarinet. They're pairing a new lower joint with my R13.
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Author: mw
Date: 2004-05-23 22:45
To my way of thinking, a Basset Extension or Clarinet does not fall under "practical". The opportunities to play the Basset Clarinet are limited while the cost is great, very expensive indeed.
Stephen Fox & Guy Chadash, collectively, do not take back seats to many clarinet technicians in the modern world. IMO, the additional shipping costs of Canada (Fox) or NYC (Chadash) to the buyer's location is, thus, NOT a practical consideration. The timing could be worked out - clarinet would be gone for a "planned period of time". Certainly, no guarantees, but Fox & Chadash will do follow-on work at no additional charge.
FWIW, I CAN see the reason for individual need - why someone feels they should have access to a Basset Clarinet or a "modified" version whereby an extension is made to suit. It's the cost issue which is impractical.
Dan Lesson detailed his purchase of a Fox instrument on the Clarinet List -that is, he spoke to the long distance issues. Check the Archives.
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Author: RAMman
Date: 2004-05-23 23:00
MW,
Personally I find it a useful investment. I've performed the Mozart concerto on both regular and basset clarinet (borrowing a basset...) and have found the ones on basset more rewarding.
For anyone in the UK, if you can afford to be without an A for a while, then use Stephen Fox, as the exchange rate from £ to Canadian $ is absurd at present.
While we're on the subject, does anyone own an edition of the Mozart 5tet for basset? I have constructed my own, but would be interested on other opinions on it.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2004-05-24 05:59
mw wrote: "To my way of thinking, a Basset Extension or Clarinet does not fall under "practical". "
Er... did I mention that I wanted to get a B-flat basset clarinet? Our opera house is playing 'La Clemenzo di Tito' next year, so I'm going to need it for just one aria! Oh well, at least I'll be able to play the quintet fragment on it too...
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2004-05-24 08:07
RAMman- are Howarth building the lower joint for you? Is it expensive? Do you think they will do a good job? (i.e. are they reputed to be good at building basset extensions. Have you tried one that they've made before?)
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Author: donald
Date: 2004-05-24 11:11
i seem to remember TWO arias using the Basset Clarinet in that opera..... maybe i'm wrong. Last time i saw "La Clemenza di Tito" there was also a Lion on stage so i might have been just a tad distracted. But i'd swear the Basset Clarinet gets used twice?
donald
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2004-05-24 11:23
Nope. One aria is with basset clarinet obligato, and the other with basset horn.
Gee, with lions on stage, is it really worthwhile spending the money to be able to play a few extra low notes??!
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-05-24 13:49
The first modern basset clarinets had extensions for the existing lower joint. These were problematic, for two reasons. First, they had poor intonation, particularly in the lower part of the clarion register, and second, they had an abrupt change of color between low E and low Eb, with the bottom notes having a blatty, honking sound, like a poorly played bass clarinet. You can hear this, for example, on Hans Rudolf Stalder's LP of the Mozart Concerto, which would be one of my favorite performances, but for these problems.
The reason, I think, is that, at least on Boehm clarinets, the lower joint bore starts to expand about 2/3 of the way down, continuing through the bell. An extension changes the shape of the bore and makes it irregular.
However, German instruments are cylindrical in the lower joint, and early recordings of them show the same problems.
Thus, any basset clarinet has to have at least the lower joint designed as a whole, and perhaps the entire instrument must be redesigned. The newer recordings show that makers have fixed the intonation and come close (but not all the way) to evening out the tone color. Listen, for example, to the latest version of the Mozart by Sabine Meyer and David Shifrin.
When I hit the lottery, I'll get a basset C, Bb and A from Steve Fox, plus his Prague drawing reconstruction of Stadler's instruments in C, Bb and A. (Then I'll get his basset horn, and commission a bass clarinet in C.) Until then, I'll just think the low notes.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: donald
Date: 2004-05-25 07:54
i was obviously distracted by the lions....
ok
there is at least ONE another piece (NOT by Mozart) that uses Basset Clarinet (in A) and that is....
.... Linoi by Harrison Birtwhistle
and this is a very very cool piece- well worth learning (and although it looks very formidable, it's not that hard really)
i played this quite a few times on "normal" A clarinet- taking the basset notes up an octave. Once i performed it in a crazy Duo version with Alan Hacker- i played it up until the midway point (there are no Basset notes until near the end) on my clarinet, then he took over and finished the piece on his Basset Clarinet. The performance was very well recieved, and it was a great honour to play with Mr Hacker!
donald
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-05-25 15:43
donald -
I've been told that a number of composers wrote pieces for Alan Hacker taking advantage of his basset clarinet. Does anyone know about what there is, in additino to the Birtwhistle Linoi.
Alan Hacker is a remarkable player. He has a highly energetic tone that can sound far too bright on recordings, but is wonderful when heard live. He's also a very nice fellow and, at least based on some lessons I've heard, an excellent teacher.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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