Bass clarinet
"eloquent monologue"
“M. Meyerbeer has caused the bass clarinet to utter an eloquent monologue in the trio of the fifth act of The Huguenots.” Berlioz, 1882, p. 114 (from Meyerbeer’s The Huguenots, trio of 5th act)
"incapable of joyful expression"
“The bass clarinet, though strongly resembling the ordinary clarinet, is of darker colour in the low register and lacks the silvery quality in the upper notes; it is incapable of joyful expression.” Rimsky-Korsakov, 1912, p. 20
“intrinsically striking”
“It is often given solo passages to play, and its tone is so intrinsically striking that entirely unaccompanied phrases are not infrequently allotted to it.” Jacob, 1982, p. 25
“lacks character”
“Its upper register lacks character and individuality when heard alone, but is often useful in doubling other instruments in an important middle part.” Jacob, 1982, p. 25 (instrumental register: high)
“quite unlike anything else”
“Its bottom octave and a half is extremely rich, woody, and quite unlike anything else.” Jacob, 1982, p. 25 (instrumental register: low)
calm
“This instrument may borrow the wild quality of tone which distinguishes the bass notes of the ordinary clarinet, or the calm, solemn, and sacerdotal accent belonging to certain registers of the organ.” Berlioz, 1882, p. 115
dark
“The bass clarinet has a rich, dark, and mellow chalumeau register that is very useful in many musical situations.” Blatter, 1997, p. 109
dark
“In Lohengrin (Act II) Wagner uses the same dark and immovable tone-colour for the expression of doubt and uneasiness.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 277
dark
"In its bottom octave the bass clarinet is extremely dark, almost sinister, in quality." Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 95 (instrumental register: low)
dark
“The bass clarinet, though strongly resembling the ordinary clarinet, is of darker colour in the low register and lacks the silvery quality in the upper notes; it is incapable of joyful expression.” Rimsky-Korsakov, 1912, p. 20 (instrumental register: low)
diffused
“The throat tones are transparent and the clarino register is diffused and windy.” Blatter, 1997, p. 109 (instrumental register: high)
distinctive
“Because this is a bass instrument and the bass member of the clarinet family, the chalumeau register, which spans the first octave and a third, has the most distinctive and warmest tone.” Adler, 2002, p. 213 (instrumental register: low)
doubt
“In Lohengrin (Act II) Wagner uses the same dark and immovable tone-colour for the expression of doubt and uneasiness.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 277
evocative
“Its slightly muffled but evocative timbre, first employed sparingly for relatively short lyrical passages, has been turned, in more recent decades, to startlingly original figurations which emphasize its technical agility and versatility.” Wagner, 1959, p. 142
extremely
“rich Its bottom octave and a half is extremely rich, woody, and quite unlike anything else.” Jacob, 1982, p. 25 (instrumental register: low)
flabbiness
“As a matter of fact, there is a certain windiness and flabbiness in its tone-quality throughout its entire compass.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 275
flexible
Its richness and flexibility make it extremely useful in doubling and giving clearness to important melodic bass parts played by cellos, double basses, etc.” Jacob, 1982, p. 25
fluidity
“In Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring there is this bass clarinet duet that displays some of the bass clarinet‰Ûªs fluidity.åÊ Blatter, 1997, p. 114
forced
While all variations of dynamics are possible, fortissimo parts sound forced ad rather unmusical. Wagner, 1959, p. 143 (dynamic: ff)
full
“The lower register, which contains the richest and fullest notes, is, of course, the most valuable.” Widor, 1906, p. 37 (instrumental register: low)
gloom
"Wagner was particularly fond of using it as a solo instrument to givea sense of gloom and impending tragedy." Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 95
goblinesque
“In fact, the fancy-title Bass-goblin that has been applied to it pretty well describes its musical make-up.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 275
goblinesque
"Other composers have exploited what Forsyth calls its ‘goblinesque’ quality, a certain attractive grotesqueness." Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 95
immovable
“In Lohengrin (Act II) Wagner uses the same dark and immovable tone-colour for the expression of doubt and uneasiness. Forsyth, 1914, p. 277
less somber
"The color becomes progressively less somber above that until, in the top octave, it is a bit strained and white." Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 95 (instrumental register: middle)
mellow
“The bass clarinet has a rich, dark, and mellow chalumeau register that is very useful in many musical situations.” Blatter, 1997, p.109
mournful
“Twentieth-century composers have replaced the former mournful melodies and occasional chordal bass passages by bringing these new effects into prominence. Wagner, 1959, p. 142
muffled
“Its slightly muffled but evocative timbre, first employed sparingly for relatively short lyrical passages, has been turned, in more recent decades, to startlingly original figurations which emphasize its technical agility and versatility.” Wagner, 1959, p. 142
mysterious
"It can sound mysterious, shadowy, or sinister, but as it goes up it loses some of this quality." Adler, 2002, p. 213 (instrumental register: low)
pale
"In this register the bass clarinet is paler and somewhat less incisive than its smaller prototype." Piston, 1969, p. 180 (instrumental register: high)
reedy
“This chord for instance, could only be laid out in the manner indicated, but the blend would hardly be impaired at all owing to the thick reediness of the low clarinets.” Jacob, 1982, p. 32
rich
“If four or five be employed in unison, it gives a rich and excellent sonority to the wind instruments of the orchestral bass.” Berlioz, 1882, p.115
rich
“The bass clarinet has a rich, dark, and mellow chalumeau register that is very useful in many musical situations.” Blatter, 1997, p. 109
rich
“Its richness and flexibility make it extremely useful in doubling and giving clearness to important melodic bass parts played by cellos, double basses, etc.” Jacob, 1982, p. 25
rich
"The low tones are rich in their odd-numbered partials, and resultant major triads are often plainly audible when the instrument is playing alone." Piston, 1969, p. 179 (instrumental register: lo)
rich
“The lower register, which contains the richest and fullest notes, is, of course, the most valuable.” Widor, 1906, p. 37 (instrumental register: low)
sacerdotal
“This instrument may borrow the wild quality of tone which distinguishes the bass notes of the ordinary clarinet, or the calm, solemn, and sacerdotal accent belonging to certain registers of the organ.” Berlioz, 1882, p. 115
shadowy
"It can sound mysterious, shadowy, or sinister, but as it goes up it loses some of this quality." Adler, 2002, p. 213 (instrumental register: low)
shadowy
"The low register is also effective for a kind of shadowy fleetness characteristic of the clarinet family." Piston, 1969_138 180 low sinister "It can sound mysterious, shadowy, or sinister, but as it goes up it loses some of this quality." Adler, 2002, p. 213 (instrumental register: low)
sinister
"In its bottom octave the bass clarinet is extremely dark, almost sinister, in quality." Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 95 (instrumental register: low)
solemn
“This instrument may borrow the wild quality of tone which distinguishes the bass notes of the ordinary clarinet, or the calm, solemn, and sacerdotal accent belonging to certain registers of the organ.” Berlioz, 1882, p. 115
strained
"The color becomes progressively less somber above that until, in the top octave, it is a bit strained and white." Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 95 (instrumental register: high)
thick
“This chord for instance, could only be laid out in the manner indicated, but the blend would hardly be impaired at all owing to the thick reediness of the low clarinets.” Jacob, 1982, p. 32
thin
"Although the upper notes, from G5 to C6 or even E6, are thin and very difficult to produce, they are often called for, particularly in modem scores." Adler, 2002, p. 213 (instrumental register: high)
tragedy
"Wagner was particularly fond of using it as a solo instrument to give a sense of gloom and impending tragedy." Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 95
transparent
“The throat tones are transparent and the clarino register is diffused and windy.” Blatter, 1997, p. 109 (timbral modifier: throat tones)
uneasiness
“In Lohengrin (Act II) Wagner uses the same dark and immovable tone-colour for the expression of doubt and uneasiness. Forsyth, 1914_230 277 Wagner Lohengrin
unmusical
“While all variations of dynamics are possible, fortissimo parts sound forced ad rather unmusical.” Wagner, 1959, p. 143 (dynamic: ff)
warm
"Because this is a bass instrument and the bass member of the clarinet family, the chalumeau register, which spans the first octave and a third, has the most distinctive and warmest tone." Adler, 2002, p. 213 (instrumental register: low)
white
"The color becomes progressively less somber above that until, in the top octave, it is a bit strained and white." Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 95 (instrumental register: high)
wild
“This instrument may borrow the wild quality of tone which distinguishes the bass notes of the ordinary clarinet, or the calm, solemn, and sacerdotal accent belonging to certain registers of the organ.” Berlioz, 1882, p. 115 (instrumental register: low)
windiness
“As a matter of fact, there is a certain windiness and flabbiness in its tone-quality throughout its entire compass.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 275
windy
“The throat tones are transparent and the clarino register is diffused and windy.åÊ Blatter, 1997, p. 109 (instrumental register: high)
woody
“Its bottom octave and a half is extremely rich, woody, and quite unlike anything else.” Jacob, 1982, p. 25 (instrumental register: low)
