The basset clarinet lay dormant for nearly two centuries until its revival in the 1960s and 70s by players and musicologists rediscovering the original form of Mozart's Concerto.
Recording & Production
The album was recorded in the Capstone Building of Liverpool Hope University and celebrates the long-standing friendship between Mark Simpson and Professor Stephen Pratt, his first composition teacher.
Historical Context
The basset clarinet fell out of fashion in the early 19th century due to standardization of clarinet choices and publishers preferring versions more accessible to players.
Performer Biography
Mark Simpson, the clarinetist on this album, was the first person to win both the BBC Young Musician of the Year and BBC Proms/Guardian Young Composer of the Year competitions in 2006.
Interpretation
This album is the culmination of five years of work by Mark Simpson, the clarinetist, actively commissioning composers to develop new repertoire for the basset clarinet.
Instruments
The basset clarinet, for which Mozart wrote his concerto and quintet, extended the clarinet's range by a major third to written low C.
