Quintet for Clarinet, Basset Horn & String Trio K515

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

arranged bt Tony Turrill

Clarinet, Basset Horn, Violin, Viola, ‘Cello

If you want to hear computer generated extracts of each of the movements played in turn click on the quaver

Tony Turrill writes:-

“For the Basset Horn player, the sketch of the first movement of a quintet for Clarinet, Basset Horn and String Trio (KV Anh. 90 - 580b) is frustrating. The unfinished first movement, now completed by several scholars,  Duncan Druce, demonstrates the potential of the combination but the prospect of gathering a group of players together just to rehearse one movement is somewhat discouraging.  In order to make a musical evening more of a possibility, I began looking for other pieces by Mozart which could be arranged for the same combination and finally found the three movements now  added to the Allegro in F (KV 90 - 580b) to make the Norvik publication NM02   Whilst searching through the scores, I came across the opening bars of the C major quintet, KV 515, and discovered the ascending notes of the first theme which could have been written specifically for the Basset Horn. They were even pitched most appropriately to take full advantage of the basset notes. This led to the current arrangement. Purist will no doubt be offended, string players will perhaps be annoyed at the tampering - my justification is twofold. Why should string players have all the fun and be the only people to enjoy playing one of Mozart's greatest chamber works?  More importantly, I don't believe Mozart would be at all upset. He was not above adopting a similar process - after all, the serenade for 13 wind instruments made him a bob or two in the disguise of a string quintet.