Horn, Not Hound
On the FSO Spotlight Concert on September 29, members of the orchestra’s clarinet section will perform ne of Mozart’s several trios for basset horn. So, what the heck is a basset horn anyway? Simply put, it is a type of clarinet, but there are several differences between the clarinet and this lesser known instrument.
The Clarinet is a relative late comer to the woodwind group. Famous German instrument maker Johann Denner began developing the clarinet by adding a register key to a popular folk instrument of the day called the Chalumeau around 1700. Denner and other makers continued tinkering until sometime around 1750, when the 5 keyed clarinet became standard. As is often the case in the development of instrument families, various sizes, versions, and off-shoots came about. One of these was the basset horn, which emerged around 1770. As compared with the Bb or A clarinet, the basset horn is usually pitched in F, is longer, and has a narrower bore in comparison to its length. Additionally, the sounding range of the basset horn extends down to the F below the bass staff, whereas the bottom of the Bb clarinet range is the D a 6thth above that making it very close in range to the modern alto clarinet. The tone of the basset horn is similar to the modern A clarinet, though as Alfred Blatter states in his book “Instrumentation and Orchestration”, it is somewhat more “whiney”.
Mozart seems to have been fond of the instrument, as he wrote several works that used it including three trios, the Serenade K370a (“Grand Partita” for 13 winds), his Requiem, and The Magic flute among others. In addition, his famous Clarinet Concerto is believed to have been written for basset clarinet, another closely related member of the clarinet family. The instrument was also used by Mendelssohn, and much later by Ricard Strauss in several of his operas.
A few notable clarinet manufacturers produce modern versions of the basset horn, but they are rare, expensive, and reputed to be somewhat difficult to play in tune. The performance on 9/29 will be performed on 2 Bb clarinets and a bass clarinet as a result.