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RE: What's a Basset Horn?

Author: Arnold the basset hornist
Date: 1999-07-29 06:07

I remember a book of Mr. Saam (or Saams?)

He discribed a basset horn as an alto clarinet but (!) with narrow bore, thin wall, reaching to low C and usually pitched in F.

1. The minimum bore diameter of today's basset horns I know is approx. 15.5 mm (Seggelke, Bamberg, Germany), the maximum is 18.0 mm (Leblanc - same as their alto clarinet). My basset horn (F. A. Uebel) is approx 17.0 mm.
If instrument makers are makeing both alto clarinets and basset horns they do not need to make different mouthpieces if they make them with the same bore diameter.

2. The woodden joints of my basset horn have the same outside diameter as may A clarinet (R. Keilwerth, Germany), which has an bore diameter of approx. 15.0 mm (resp. one or two tenth of a millimeter less)

3. There are also offered alto clarinets (pitched in Eb) reaching to low D or even low C. (Hammerschmidt, Germany)

4. Historic basset horns were also available pitched in G (there exists an uncompelted autograph for the 1st movement of Mozart's concerto for basset horn in G and orchestra - but this concerto seem's to be completed for basset clarinet in A and orchestra). The publishers of some pieces like this had to decide, weather to transpose the basset horn part one major second up or the orchestra one major second down.

I hope this information could help a little (I know, there is no absoluteley clear answer possible)

Arnold, the basset hornist

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