Hey, Classical Music Buffs! What are these?

[LarryC]

Click the following link and move the timing slider at the lower right to 4:00 minutes (it may take a try or two): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNNWU61rH3w. It's a beautifully played (IMO) selection from the Mozart Requiem. This is a highly-regarded and renowned work from the symphonic choral literature. And Mozart wouldn't do anything wild and crazy, you know.

Can you identify the two light-colored wood wind instruments that play from 4:03 to 4:13?

Listen carefully and then kindly volunteer your thoughts about the following:

• What are the instruments?
• Listen carefully to the tone quality -- why did Mozart pick these instead of clarinets?

Also: which of these instruments that are almost invariably in Mozart orchestral works do you NOT see? --

• flutes
• oboes
• bassoons
• French horns

The work is sort of a miracle, like Mozart himself. He suddenly underwent a rapid decline in health while writing it, and had only enough time and ability (it was a painful death) to write the opening bars of some of the sections and go over instructions to his pupil Sussmayer to complete the Requiem after he died. It clearly was an inspired work and a talented pair.

Happy sleuthing!

Larry

[LarryC]

C'mon, guys! Michael? Max? Marvel? Artto? pmsummer? Thebes? Gary?

Good grief, Parrot would have known or dug it up right away.

Here are a couple of helpful hints: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_(Mozart)

[oldtimer]

It's a dangerous thing to ask people to think. That being said I will go to the link now.

[oldtimer]

Those must be the basset horns, so called because their bent bodies resemble the noble french hound's ears, or is it vice versa? I did not see or hear any flutes in the 25 seconds sampled. Why did he use basset horns? Not sure, but i would guess it was something personal. They do sound perfect for the part.

[LarryC]

Congrats, it's almost the grand prize for you! If you watch the entire clip, you're right, you won't see any flutes, OR oboes OR French horns (bassoons, yes). Can you imagine orchestral Mozart without any of those mainstays of his??

Exactly, they do sound perfect for the part. Mozart also wrote a bunch of short works called collectively "Masonic Funeral Music" in which he used basset horns extensively, probably for the same reason.

I haven't read this specifically, but think it was because basset horns have a somber, funereal quality that goes perfectly with the rest of this very unusual orchestration. The obvious question: why not just use clarinets? Well, as the clarinet goes up the scale, its tone quality quickly shifts from a dark, ominous lower range to a weak, characterless middle, to a very sweet but strongly projecting "clarino" quality within only about an octave or so. The basset horn keeps its consistent somber tone through the range he used here.

I'm not sure, but think this Youtube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqPz5B-TA1w&feature=PlayList&p=F46245AD09793421&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=4 uses clarinets instead of bassets. They don't seem to convey a unified musical message IMHO. Until only a day or two ago, Youtube had an old Bruno Walter recording that I was sure used clarinets, but Youtube has suddenly revised its setup and now I can't find his Lacrimosa.

Oldtimer, I appreciate your interest in tackling this. Your comments were spot on IMO.

Larry