Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2005-02-11 18:26
Same thing for the low A bell for bassoons. I know that they can be obtained, but I've never seen a "commercial" route for obtaining one. It's a custom item for those poor guys and gals who spend a lot of time with Dick Wagner's treacle, and I doubt that few others would bear the freight for the dubious privilege of playing a low concert A.
(Beside that, use of the "pavillion de rechange" (as it is supposedly known) makes the bassoon section look like a set of roof vents for a toilet section.)
Those of us who have spent a good number of years on the bass clarinet know that you seldom see any written music for the notes below E (and even less if you confine your playing to romantic period music, save for the occasional low Eb (sounding the bass clarinet in A low E)). There are a few Russian compositions that go into the range, and I recall using the low C once in a "new" piece of art music (sometime back in the early 1980's). Other than that (and for doubling bassoon and baritone sax lines), nada.
(Once, I was specifically directed to play a note on the extended series by Lukas Foss.)
(This was during a university orchestra's performance of a piece of his under his direction, and the music was (to put it mildly) bizarre. It consisted of a two page series of whole note chords that were "composed" by the conductor from the podium, this being done by cueing the specific sections or instrumentalists with the stick.)
(Then, after five minutes or so of polycacophony, there was a cadenza that was written out at concert pitch for everyone (i.e., every instrument, regardless of pitch, was instructed to play the same notes), ending on a properly scored chord. The idea was that you ripped through the cadenza at your own pace, ending up on the quavering final tone whenever you got there.)
(At The Maestro's express direction, I played a low C# for one note about half way down the first page. I don't know what special contribution my efforts were supposed to make, but, by God, I nailed that sucker but good following the slightly too dramatic gesture by the conductor. I was rewarded with a smile from the podium, for what that's worth...)
Like a bassett clarinet, an extended range bass clarinet is a good thing to have (as long the act of having it fits within your budget). But, essential? Nope. The best bass that I've ever played was an old "standard" bass clarinet from Buffet, range to low E, and "Albert system" to boot. Better tone for the most part, more facile than the extended horns I've known over the years, and a lot lighter on the thumb (in case you have to play "off your hand" for any significant amount of time).
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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