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2004-11-25

 
Subject: [CB] Hyperbass Flute Recording
Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2004 11:10:16 -0000
From: "Francis Firth"


Dear colleagues,
You may remember in the past a discussion of the hyperbass flute of Roberto Fabbriciani, a very long (32 feet or 10 metres - the latter a bit longer? keyless instrument.
Well, he has now included it in a recording:
Flute XX Vol. 2 Arts 477022
Contents:
Roberto Fabbriciani (flute), Alvise Vidolin (live electronics)

Unfortunately due to the substantial electronic manipulation it is not really possible to pick out any distinctive sound for the hyperbass flute but it was probably designed for this type of usage as it has no keys.
The rest of the CD is very interesting and I particularly liked the Donatoni and the Hosokawa, while there is a welcome overdue first for the Maderna piece.

It is available from several places including Amazon and not too expensive.

Francis Firth
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Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2004 06:22:22 -0600
From: "Gregg Bailey"
Subject: [CB] Hyperbass Flute??


I was not aware of this Hyperbass Flute.  For 32' of total length, the bore looks quite narrow in proportion (which I realize it would have to be because of humans' limited lung capacities).  However, I don't see how the fundamental C0 would be possible with such a relatively narrow bore.?  Does it basically just play harmonics of C0 by overblowing?  Is the instrument played by itself with no unnatural electronic modification anywhere on a recording?  Is the C0 ever played on a recording in any way?

It almost sounds like the instrument was designed to play nothing but harmonics rather than emphasizing the bottom C0, and that the length of it allows for the harmonics to be closer together in the higher registers than they would be if the instrument had "only" been 16'. ?

-Gregg


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Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2004 19:30:06 +0100
From: Terje Lerstad
Subject: [Fwd: [CB] 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 .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.

The photos can be found at http://kunst.no/lerstad/Bassett.jpg

Did you know that both Prokofieff and Villa-Lobos wrote all their clarinet parts in C descending to low C?!

Terje Lerstad

PS. I have just finished my second piece for bassett clarinet in C: a duet for the newly developed (by the norwegian percussionist Kjell Tore Innervik) quarter -tone marimba.


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