Even those who are familiar with obscure classical repetoire have probably never heard a basset horn recording. Clarinetists dedicated to authenticity will often go so far as to play an extended clarinet, or basset clarinet in A, which is frequently mislabeled a basset horn. Albums recorded with a true curved basset horn in F are extremely rare.
This being said, there is a small portion of clarinet literature written for three basset horns and, as a result, basset horn trios do occasionally form.
Le Trio di Bassetto’s recording of Haydn’s basset horn trios is fascinating because of its uniqueness, but the overall album quality is mixed.
In some of the trios, the ensemble blends well showing off the basset horn’s unique timbre and chromatic range. In others, though, the horn’s clicking keys are distracting and the interweaving parts hit rough dissonances as they move up and down.
It is hard to know what to think about such an obscure instrument. Should these traits, which are undesirable in other clarinets, be valued in basset horns?
Le Trio di Bassetto certainly endeavors to provide listeners with an accurate and unapologetic basset horn experience and this is commendable. Without such exposure, basset horns’ admittedly small audience will never grow or gain a better understanding of the instrument’s role in history.
As a relatively low-range member of the clarinet family, the basset horn is an important link between the modern clarinets still in common use today, namely the Bb, A, Eb, alto and bass clarinets. Without it, modern repetoire would not have evolved as it did.
Overall, this treatment of Haydn’s trios for basset horn is thought provoking and provides unique insight into a misunderstood instrument. The classical music community needs more of this type of experimentation in order to remain appealing and relevant. Ironically, through revisiting an obsolete instrument, Le Trio di Bassetto is contributing to the future appeal of classical music.
