Mozart : divertimenti K439b - Trio Von Vittorelli

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Matching Cocobolo Basset and Bass Clarinet Bells.

Sabine Meyer Mozart Clarinet Quintet - Carmina Quartet

Straight Forms

To shorten the distance between the player and the instrument even straight basset horns have slightly curved wooden barrels or metal crooks. At first, this extension of the compass allowed for two additional diatonic steps - D₃ and C₃ - whereas the chromatic pitches in between where missing. It was probably Anton Stadler (1753-1812) who added two further keys for E^b₃ and C^#₃ in cooperation with the instrument maker Theodor Lotz, thus obtaining a complete chromatic scale.

(88) Alto clarinet or tenor clarinet in F made by Cuvillier in St. Omer (France) at the beginning of the 19th century

(92) Basset horn in F made by Thomas Key in London, c 1820.

Lower section of a basset horn by G. Ottensteiner (4112) with four levers for R0 giving a chromatic extension to written C₃. The instrument was made between 1860 and 1879.

From the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments

The basset horn was probably invented as a further development of the clarinet d’amore, a special form of the clarinet with a peculiarly narrow bore and pear- or ball-shaped bell. Initially, basset horns were built in the style of the cor anglais with a sickle-shaped corpus or in an angled form.

Photo: (1708) Clarinet d’’amore in F, Cramer & Son, London, c 1810

From the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments

The Basset Clarinet & Basset Horn

Here we take a look at the complete clarinet family,
from the lowest to the highest voice.

Basset horns have larger dimensions than clarinets and stand mostly in G or F. Their most important characteristic is the extension of the lower section. By this, the compass of the instrument is extended downwards to its keynote. The hole in the ball-shaped bell could to be closed by the player’s knee to produce B natural.

Photo: (969) Basset horn in F, Strobach, Carlsbad, Germany, c 1800

Photo: (90) Basset horn in F by Ignazio 
Miraz, Udine, Italy, c 1830

Details of basset keys: two diatonic keys for D₃ and C₃.