 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-01-14 04:28
I've just spent a week in Prague, and one of the highlights of my trip was the Museum of Music. They have all sorts of instruments on display, some enduring, some conceptual. I was especially delighted by their collection of clarinets, most of which I'd only heard rumors of. They had two quarter-tone clarinets (French & German), each with an insane number of keys. The couple dozen or so other clarinets included ancestors of modern horns, as well as Ab and Gb sopraninos, and a nifty bass in A (half as long, folded like a bassoon). The crown jewel of the clarinet display to me, though, were Bassett horns (some dating to Mozart's time), in many different shapes, some with bends at right angles midway through, some with large spheres at the end near a metal bell. My only disappointment throughout is that, of course, I couldn't hear any of the instruments played during my visit.
Cool stuff, and a must see for a visit to Prague, which, imho, is also a must.
Oh, and most of them had string ligatures
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Frodo
Date: 2005-01-14 06:45
Do you have any pics?
What i remember most about Prague is the girls. Next time I'll make it a point to visit the museum.
Thanks.
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-01-14 07:26
From the museum, no... they didn't allow backpacks and I absent-mindedly left my camera in it at the coatcheck (don't know if pictures were allowed anyways). I have pics from the rest of Prague (incl. our box at the opera house) though.
This link has a basset about 2/3 down that looks like some of the models at the museum (the museum ones had likely seen a few concerts in their day). Others bent at a right angle and had a cherub-esque face engraved at the bend.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-01-14 11:43
"What i remember most about Prague is the girls."
During our trip to the area my one son remarked that " it's a country of beautiful girls and homely men." I asked him if he thought that's why his great grandfather had left.
Bob Draznik
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-01-14 12:49
My friend said that there were no zebras to be found in Prague.
It's probably because stripes and Czechs do not mix ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif) ...GBK
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Author: William
Date: 2005-01-14 14:51
GBK--time to (self) regulate and CLOSE THIS THREAD before the jokes get any more pungent. In the meantime, LOL>>>>>>>>>
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-01-14 14:54
Good one, GBK, glad to see that cl-based humor is not prohibited. The most unusual Basset Horn pic, Ive seen, is the "double-square" one in my [outdated] "2500 Historical Woodwind Insts" located in Bay. NatlMus., Munich, which may be in what photos I took there a few years ago. I should think that it, perhaps, might be pic'd in several of our "good books", is it in yours, Al Rice ? Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2005-01-14 15:09
I know that Holton (division of Leblanc, now a division of Steinway Conn-Selmer or whatever) used to make quarter-tone trumpets, as used to excellent effect by the sadly-defunct Don Ellis Orchestra (progressive jazz big band of the 70's), but I didn't know anyone had tried to make a quarter-tone clarinet! Sounds like a truly frightening number of tone holes and mechanisms......
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Author: Anders
Date: 2005-01-14 18:54
There was a 20th century Czech composer named Vitzeslav(?) Hanus (I believe), contemporary of Bartok, who wrote much quarter tone music, including a nonette and an opera called "The Mother". There used to be some Supraphon recordings. Wonder of the 1/4 tone instruments were the result of his efforts...
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Author: Bart Hendrix
Date: 2005-01-14 21:46
Sounds interesting. How do you indicate a quarter tone in a chart??
Sounds like "The Mother" might have been a real mother to play.
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-01-14 23:36
The museum has one of said quarter-tone trumpets as well (perhaps a different brand), and a three-keyboard quarter-tone piano. All dated to the 1920s, IIRC.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: ChrisC
Date: 2005-01-15 00:38
The quarter-tone Czech composer in question is most likely Alois Haba, and you can follow this link for some biographical info: http://www.musica.cz/asc/comp/haba.htm
Several years ago, I had it in mind to seek out some of his work, but couldn't for the life of me find any available recordings; I suppose his techniques never caught on, perhaps because of the difficulty involved in implementing them with non-string instruments.
Getting farther off topic (nothing Czech here), the Boston-based composer and instrumentalist Joe Maneri has in fact developed a method of achieving microtones on saxophone and clarinet using standard key systems. His recent recordings are readily available to the bold and adventurous.
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-01-15 01:32
There are a few Hába (at whose request the quarter-tone clarinets in the museum were made; they also had a facsimilie of a manuscript) recordings available online from the usual sources (Amazon, ArkivMusic, etc.)
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Karel
Date: 2005-01-15 07:54
The Czech on-line CD shop Musica Bona <www.musicabona.com> have six CD issues available. They provide fast service and dispatch orders by Air Mail at no cost. Just type "Alois Haba" into the search window at the top.
Karel.
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-01-16 14:34
Upon further inspection, it seems that the museum just opened in November at a new location after a 14-year hiatus. In any case, consider this a very favorable first review.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-01-16 15:25
I suppose the old location got flooded
Bob Draznik
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Author: Bart Hendrix
Date: 2005-01-18 15:42
Can someone enlighten me as to how a quarter tone would be shown in the music?
Would they all be accidentals or does it create a whole new set of key signatures?
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Author: Anders
Date: 2005-01-18 17:40
As soon as I sent the email I knew I'd typed the wrong name, but couldn't for the life of me remember Haba; at least it was the right connection. Thanks to those who got the right guy. (Hanus may be an oboist, but don't hold me to it.)
Re: notation. As far as I am aware 1/4 tones are usually notated either with an up or down arrow (and sometimes with a fraction indication degree) or with modified sharp and flat signs, i.e., the sharp has 2 vertical strokes but 3 horizontals, the flat is 2 flats crowded together. I've seen these from contemporary composers (and possibly there are others), but don't know how Haba notated or whether the actual key signature was affected. I'm close to Philly and will check the Fleischer collection at next opportunity.
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Author: Frodo
Date: 2005-01-19 02:56
>Others bent at a right angle and had a cherub-esque face engraved at >the bend.
Pardon my ignorance but how do you play a horn bent like that? How does it sound? Thanks!
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-01-19 13:30
Frodo - I've [infrequently] played modern Basset horn, and English horn for that matter, both require quite a right hand reach for my small size, so the reasons for angled/curved insts comes very clear. But their construction is another BIG problem. As to sound, the bore size and configuration, mp size and reed/player characteristics determine them. Find/ play some Mozart serenades/divertimentos etc, The #10 I believe, for 13 winds,[need K # help, please] is my great favorite, where you can pick out the many insts by their timbre [tonal character and range] , its very pleasurable education. We have some fine experts here, hope they will "chime in" . Good listening, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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