The Works of Wa Mozart for the Basset Horn
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THE WORKS OF W. A. MOZART FOR THE BASSET HORN: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY INCLUDING A CATALOGUE DISCUSSION AND REVIEW OF MOZART'S WORKS UTILIZING BASSET HORN AND BASSET CLARINET. Keith Northover Professor Mitchell Estrin Honors Research Project University of Florida, November 30, 2009 2 As an aspiring clarinetist with a fascination for all types of clarinets or auxiliary clarinets, it would be imperative to study and research about the clarinet's history including its close relative, the basset horn. As a relatively young instrument to the orchestra, the clarinet began its development around the later part of the 18 th century. Early in its development, instrument makers would create and experiment with different shapes and sizes. As developers wanted bigger instruments, the technological inadequacies of the time influenced the designs of the larger clarinets, then called basset horns. Mozart, an influential and important composer, first heard clarinets most likely during his stay in London in 1764, in Milan in 1771 , and Mannheim in 1777, but not in Salzburg because there were none in his home city. I After hearing and discovering several virtuosi performing on the clarinet, the basset hom, and basset clarinet, Mozart became highly motivated and inspired to write numerous works involving these • instruments. This project attempts to discuss and review all of the works that Mozart composed utilizing the basset hom and the basset clarinet. First, one must have a discussion on what makes a basset horn. The basset horn is a clarinet pitched in F, which is a fourth below that of the normal B-flat soprano clarinet. It is not to be confused with the alto clarinet, which is in E-flat. The basset horn differs by having a traditionally thinner wall and a narrower bore, which creates a more wistful, dreamy, and sad sounding instrument. 2 It' s compass is from sounding F on the first space below the bass clef, written C, to sounding high C, two lines above the treble clef, written high G. Like the earliest clarinets, it did not have the necessary keys to play all of the notes in its compass, however it was able to play low C because it was developed to act as a bass clarinet. I Martha Kingdom Ward, "Mozart and the Clarinet," Music and Letters 28, no. 2 (April 1947): 126, http://www.jstor.org/stable/855526 (accessed April 20, 2009). 2 John P. Newhill, Th e Basset Horn and its Music (Farthings: Rosewood Publications, • 2003), 2. 3 In the technologically limited 18 th century, the extra tube required was accommodated by different methods of construction. Sometimes there was a large wooden bow that turned up on itself which then reduced the length of the instrument to a manageable size. Other times it was just a continuous extended tube with some sort of curvature to bring the holes and keys within reach.3 In addition to being in F, the very first horns were mostly in G and as a sickle or half moon form. 4 The name is thought to have derived from its sickle shaped appeared that resembled a hunting horn with a large brass bell and for the diminutive of "bass". It therefore resulted in basset horn, or Bassethorn (Gr), cor de basset (Fr), and corn a di basseto (It). It is interesting to note that the Italian form is linguistically incorrect and may be the result of translation errors when moving from language to language. 5 The first inventors of the basset horn is thought to be Anton and Michael Mayrhofer since they are inscribed on along with "Invented and perfected at Passau" on the earliest documented basset horns around the mid 18th century. The Mayrhofer's instrument was sickle shaped with a • normal clarinet mouthpiece at one end and a large brass bell at the other. In order to bring the holes into a comfortable playing position the tube was curved downwards thus being sickle shaped. The wood was cut in half, gouged out by hand, then glued and covered in leather.6 The bottom brass bell contained a box of wood, in which the tube made two "u" bends thus elongating the wood called the "box", or "Buch", "Kasten", and "Kdtschen".7 The box is the distinctive characteristic of the basset horn that existed well into the 19th century. In the 1780's a famous instrument maker, Theodor Lotz, is credited for improving the basset horn of Mozart' s 3 Jack Brymer. Clarinet (London: Kahn and Averill, 1990), 35-36. 4 Geoffrey F. Rendall, The Clarinet: Some Notes on its History and Construction (New York: W. Norton, 1971), 126 5 Newhill, Basset Horn , 7. • 6 Ibid., 7. 7 Rendall, Clarinet, 127. 4 time. He added more keys to the horn thus allowing for the encompassing for low D, later E-flat, • and D-flat. Lotz also improved the construction method of the instrument by using a lathe, modifying the tube, straightening it, and then putting an obtuse angle in the middle. This not only improved the sound, it produced a better and more homogenous sound.8 Lotz is also credited with collaboration with Anton Stadler for developing the basset clarinet. This "Bass Klarinette,,9 as described initiall y, was a normal soprano clarinet pitched in B-flat or A wi th a lower compass to low C, D, later E-flat, and D-flat. As time would progress the basset horn and basset clarinet constructional techniques would also progress into new straight model and better sounding modern horns though both horns would decline in use rapidly in the 19th century. Basset horns in F wi th larger bores would reappear with the alto clarinets in military bands, and in th e last century a revival of historically authentic performances of solo and chamber music has • allowed the basset horn to be used, albeit sporadically, today.IO The basset horn enjoyed a very busy and fulfilling life during the first century of its inception, though has declined very much as a solo instrument. In the 18 th century the basset horn spread rapidl y throughout Europe probably because of the numerous viliuosi of the likes of David, Springer, and the Stadler brothers. I I The basset horn was included not only as a solo instrument, but it was included in chamber, orchestral, operatic, and Masonic music as well. Brymer poses an interesting thought where, "One can only wonder at the skills and dexterity of the players whose mastery of their crude instruments was such that a host of fine composers were 8 Newhill, Basset Horn, 12. 9 Pamela L. Poulin, "Stadler Family" in The Cambridge Mozart Encyclopedia, ed. Cliff Eisen and Simon P. Keefe (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007),490. 10 Newhill, Basset Horn 15 II Ibid. 12 . 5 inspired to write for the instrumer.t". 12 This thought would be very interesting to research because despite all the squeaks and squawks, Mozart loved the basset horn. He was able to • prove in his writing that the basset horns' capacity for speed and agility was just like the clarinet, 13 and had a distinctively somber reedy tone COlor. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (] 756-] 79]) was one of those composers who was greatly influenced and inspired by the basset horn, as it is described as his "favorite instrument". 14 It is also believed that Mozart was influenced by the Freemasons, when he became one when he moved to Vienna. There he met fellow freemason and basset horn virtuoso, Anton Stadler, began to write for him. Mozart joined the Vienna Freemasons in the] 780's and was initiated in the Zur Wohltatigkeit (Charity) and moved when it was combined with other Lodges into the Zur Neugekrdlen Hoffnung (New Hope Crowned) Lodge. Mozart was deeply influenced by the Masonic order and teachings. It not only allowed him to write with the universal beliefs in mind, • but also allowed him the freedom, recognition, and dignity that Salzburg had neglected and denied him.15 At the Lodges it is most likely that Mozart met Anton Stadler. Stadler was born in th Bruck-on-Leitha on June 28 , 1753 and died Jun 15 , 1812. He is considered one of the best and most influential clarinetists of his time. After receiving musical instruction from their father, the Anton and his brother grew up to become musicians for numerous courts and composers and their first employment opportunity was as musical servants in the 1770' s to the Viennese Russian 12 Brymer Clarinet 36 I3Ward, "Mozart and the Clarinet", 130. 14 Ibid., 36. • 15Jacques Henry, Mozart the Freemason: The Masonic Influence on his Musical Genius, Trans. Jack Cain, (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2006), 5-6. 6 Ambassador. 16 It is most likely that Mozart met Anton Stadler through their mutual patrons Joseph Starzer, Count Galitzin, or more likely their patroness the Countess Wilhemina Thun after Mozart' s ani val in Vienna in 1781 where both were frequent luncheon guests. 17 Mozart would write numerous pieces for Stadler most famously including the clarinet Quintet and Concerto. Mozart and Stadler's relationship was more than composer and perfOlmer, and they developed into a very meaningful personal relationship over the years.1 8 This friendship and shared sense of humor is shown in Mozart' s letters by refening to Stadler as "Notschibinitschibi" a combination of the words "poor booby" and "young man offollies".19 Mozart truly recognized Stadler as a great aJtist, who could give him the desired sounds and timbres that were truly divine. Stadler's playing would foreshadow what future performers could do on more . 20 managea bl e lI1struments .