 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: salzo
Date: 2011-01-30 22:22
I was going through a box of clarinet crap and I came across two mouthpieces that I am not certain of. One is an alto clarinet mouthpiece. It is a Leblanc. The other is an older vito, has a chain lik type logo similar to that fond on otto link and some chedevilles. The Vito is similar to the Leblanc, but it is definitely a little bit smaller in size-not much but smaller.
I have very little experience with alto clarinets and basset horns, but I think I heard that many basset horn players use alto clarinet mouthpieces. So I am wondering if there they are identical in size, or is one smaller than the other.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-01-30 22:33
Modern Buffet and Leblanc basset horns both use an alto clarinet mouthpiece. German basset horns have an in-between sized mouthpiece (between that of a Bb and alto) and Selmer (and old Buffet) basset horns use a Bb mouthpiece.
When you say the Vito mouthpiece is smaller, do you mean narrower in diameter, shorter in overall length or both?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2011-01-30 22:33)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: cigleris
Date: 2011-01-30 22:35
Salzo,
It really depends on the bore size of the basset horn. Is it a small bore (i.e. clarinet bore) or a large bore similar to the alto clarinet? I'm sure others with correct me but I always thought that the large bore basset horns are not the same as alto clarinets. Traditionally basset horns were really clarinets in F and I believe that is how one should play the instrument but I don't want to open the can of worms that is which bore should the basset horn be, large or small?
Peter Cigleris
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-01-30 22:45
The specific criteria for a basset horn is that it's pitched in F and descends to low C.
That will save any arguements!
BTW, did Mozart's Requiem again last night (the more familliar version, not the Maunder one like last time) and really enjoyed sight-reading the 1st basset horn part - tons easier than the 2nd part!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2011-01-30 22:53)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: salzo
Date: 2011-01-30 23:55
THe Vito mouthpiece is marked N2, and France.
THe length is 3.782 inches, from bottom of tenon to tip.
THe diaMETER at the bottom of the lay is 1.135 inches
Just below the window it measures 1 inch
The inside diameter at the tenon is .705 inches.
THe Leblan is marked "G. Leblanc paris"
THe length is 3.836 inches
THe diameter at bottom is 1.205 inches
Below the window is 1 inch
THe bore is .705 inches.
It appears they have the same bore, and same diameter at the window- but one is longer and fatter at the bottom.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: salzo
Date: 2011-01-30 23:58
now that I am looking at the two again, they sure look pretty close to me. Guess they are both alto clarinet mouthpieces.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2011-01-31 04:35
"The specific criteria for a basset horn is that it's pitched in F"
Didn't Mozart originally conceive his concerto for a basset horn in G?
Best regards,
jnk
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Simon Aldrich
Date: 2011-01-31 07:09
"Didn't Mozart originally conceive his concerto for a basset horn in G?"
Yes he did. Images of the manuscript of Mozart's sketches of his G major concert for basset horn in G (known as the Winterthur fragment and assigned KV 584b by the NMA) used to be here:
http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Music/Manuscripts/Winterthur/
but are offline.
Simon
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: 78s2CD
Date: 2011-02-01 00:28
"Modern" basset horns are pitched in F, but I recall an old Buffet price list that offered a basset horn to low Eb. Aren't the distinctions between an alto clarinet and a basset horn rather arbitrary? Is a C clarinet pitched a full tone above a Bb not still a clarinet? The bottom note on my Eb basset horn to low Eb (aka alto clarinet) is only a semitone higher than the low C on a basset horn in F. To cover the full range of the basset horn in F the world needs an Eb alto clarinet to low D, which, it seems to me, would be considerably easier to play in the bottom range.
Regards,
Jim Lockwood
Rio Rico AZ
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-02-01 00:41
If you want an alto clarinet to low D, then Buffet already offer such a beast in their Prestige alto clarinet. However, it's only keyed to low Eb and low Eb issues from the vent hole on the bell, so closing this off will give you an alto clarinet to low D. No need to spend any money having any keywork made and fitted as you can use the inside of your knee or calf (whichever is nearest/most practical) to close off the bell vent for the low D.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: 78s2CD
Date: 2011-02-01 01:06
Would I then need to be wearing shorts to get the optimum (bare skin) closure of the tone hole?
Seriously, I've been thinking of building a low-D extension that could be actuated by a thumb key - perhaps even by an electro-mechanical device. However, the projet is on the back burner due to other priorities.
Jim
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Simon Aldrich
Date: 2011-02-01 17:52
Ken - Thanks for the link to the Winterthur fragment. If my brain synapses had been firing a bit more quickly I would have suspected that the Winterthur fragment would be part of the online 2006 NMA. Ironically, two nights ago I was consulting the Winterthur fragment at the back of my 1977 NMA edition of the Mozart clarinet concerto. I was thinking it was too bad the fragment was not online. Of course the 2006 NMA is online, but I did not make the connection that since the Winterthur fragment is included at the end of the 1977 NMA version of the concerto, that perhaps it would be included at the end of the 2006 NMA version.
As it turns out, as you can see by the dates on the scans, the 2006 NMA version of the clarinet concerto is a direct reproduction of the 1977 version, including the Winterthur fragment at the end (why mess with a good thing?).
What a magnificent resource the online NMA is!!
Simon
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
