From: "Nathaniel Hefferman"
Subject: [CB] Sarrusophone for sale
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 14:55:11 -0400
Conn EEb contrabass for sale on Ebay
---Nat Hefferman
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Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2004 00:09:17 +0200
From: Terje Lerstad
Subject: [CB] [Fwd: Bassett clarinets]
Not exactly contrabass, but it may be of interest : My 2
most recent clarinets are a Bb bassett clarinet and a C bassett
clarinet, made by the Canadian Stephen Fox. The Bb is an extension of a
Leblanc L300 Bb clarinet, and the C consists of the upper joint of my
Leblanc LL C clarinet and a specially made lower joint which is a copy
of my C clarinet, but extended to low C.
So what's the point having these instruments? As usual,
everything with bassett has Mozart as an important composer. For
the Bb, there are several fragments of quintet movements, and of course
the "Parto, parto" aria from Titus. I have already played Robert D.
Levin's complete version of an allegro in Bb for bassett clarinet in Bb
and string quartet, and there are enough meterial to make a complete
4-movement quintet in Bb major. That is an important project working
on. By the way, since Stadler was a low register specialist, you
can find some low D's and C's in Mozart's operas scores (2nd clarinet
parts).
I have always thought of the bassett clarinet in C as the
ultimate modern orchestral clarinet: It descends to the equal of an Eb
on the A clarinet, and you can play all clarinet parts on the same
instrument. And now I have the instrument!
Look at the picture attached .jpg picture: The first is with the
2 bassett clarinets and an ordinary Bb clarinett. the second is a
comparison between the C bassett and an ordinary A clarinet: the C
bassett going 1/2 tone lower is actually shorter than the A clarinet.
(This mail was to big. I'll send the pictures in another
mail)
Terje Lerstad
***End of Contrabass Digest***