Instruments of the Modern Symphony Orchestra/BASS-CLARINET

by Arthur Edward Johnstone

BASS CLARINET

Jan A. Williams
Metropolitan Opera
House Orchestra N.Y.

This instrument is pitched an octave lower than the ordinary clarinet. Its peculiar form has been adopted for convenience in playing, and has no influence on its tonal quality, which (as in the case of the English horn when compared with the oboe) is similar to, though not identical with, that of the regular clarinet.

It has neither the liquid quality in the medium, nor the menacing quality in the low register that distinguish the ordinary clarinet, but its full, rich, organ-like tones form excellent basses for the wood-wind section, especially in sustained legato passages. In the execution of rapid staccato notes it cannot compete with the bassoon. It is one of the most eloquent of solo voices, standing pre-eminent in the rendition of motives expressive of dignity and nobility.

Although the bass clarinet is made in A as well as in B flat, it has been found that, owing to its slowness of speech, no passages are likely to be written which require execution too rapid for convenient performance on the B flat instrument. One B flat bass clarinet is therefore all that is required in the symphony orchestra. It is usually provided with a low E flat key. This gives the instrument the same downward range as the bass clarinet in A.

The range of the bass clarinet is:

JAN A. WILLIAMS
METROPOLITAN OPERA
HOUSE ORCHESTRA N. Y.