Author: maxopf
Date: 2023-12-16 03:14
Basset clarinet is substantially heavier and requires a neck strap, which would make quick changes between A and Bb that much more awkward in the orchestra. Additionally, it has a pretty different timbre and intonation in certain ranges, especially around E/B and F/C, which are long tube notes on regular A clarinets but not on basset. These notes sound a lot tighter than their counterparts on regular A clarinet, bordering on bright. In my experience the basset tends to be a bit smaller sounding throughout its range, and less projecting, on account of its additional length. If you were using it in an orchestra, unless your colleague also had a basset, I think blending and tuning would be a pain.
For solo repertoire, if you can deal with the different timbre, the lack of projection (less of an issue when doing the Mozart concerto with its smaller orchestra), and the extra weight, I guess there's nothing stopping you. I own a basset, and I personally wouldn't use it for anything that didn't require the extra range.
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