A fine instrument once used by the great clarinettist Henry Lazarus: a rare example of a basset-horn by a British maker.

• Pictures
• Talk by the player
• The sound of the basset horn
• History
• Technical details
• References

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Pictures

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Talk by the player

• about the diatonic basset horn and Lazarus

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The sound of the basset horn

• Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47), excerpt last movement `Allegro gazioso' from Konzertstuck No. 2, Op. 114 (1833)

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History

• Maker: Thomas Key.
• Place: London.
• Date of making: c 1825.

Previous ownership: Henry Lazarus.

(Rendall Collection).

EUCHMI Acquisition number: (92)

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Technical details

• English name: Basset horn.
• Nominal pitch: F.
• Type: Müller type with added spectacle.
• Overall size: Height c 1000.
• Bore: Crook, 14.5; other sections all 15.2.

Technical description: Stained boxwood with ivory ferrules, no rim to bell; body in three sections and wooden bell and angled crook (brass) and mouthpiece, ligature and metal cap. 13 keys plus spectacle and 2 basset keys, brass with flat, round heads, mounted in blocks, bell-shaped key-swelling, saddles, or brass pillars (spectacle); rollers on four little-finger keys. Socket mouthpiece of ebonite with long table. Crook of brass, curved, with tenon at top and heavy socket at bottom. Upper section: blocks of speaker and trill key pinned for strength. Middle section has a sling-ring, also a cork pad for the thumb. Lower section: blocks of all bascule keys pinned. Bell of usual clarinet shape but much larger.

The primary notes given by the keys arranged for the player's fingers are:

• L0: T; Speaker, spatulate touch, liner projects to centre of bore.
• L1: T; A, spatulate touch.
• L2: T; Ab, in saddle, slender with curved touch.
• L3: T; Bb.
• L4: G#; B bascule; C#.
• R0: Low D bascule; low C bascule.
• R1: T; A/B trill, touch slightly curved; C, in saddle, slender with curved touch.
• R2: T; F#; added spectacle closes F# key originally under R4.
• R3: T; F; spectacle ring as above.
• R4: Eb; C bascule.

• Keyhead type: flat, round.
• Keymount type: blocks, key-swelling, saddles and pillars.

Inscriptions: Stamped on the three sections "KEY / LONDON" / unicorn head; stamped on the bell "KEY / LONDON" / unicorn head / "CHARING CROSS".

Repair history: The mouthpiece is a replacement.

Usable pitch: A₄ = c 444 hz.

Performance characteristics: A superb instrument.

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References to this instrument in publications

WESTON, P., 1971. Clarinet Virtuosi of the Past. London: Robert Hale, pp.255-259; plate 29.

GALPIN SOCIETY, 1951. British Musical Instruments. Exhibition; London, August 1951, catalogue, No. 133;

GALPIN SOCIETY, 1968. European Musical Instruments. Exhibition; Edinburgh, August-September 1968, catalogue, No. 196.

Catalogue of the Collection, Volume 1: The Printed Illustrations, p.102

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© Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, 1999-2003, 2008.

This page updated: 29.10.08