Stefano Ongaro - Danzi, Diethe, Rummel, Klughardt, Koch, Rasse, Meyerbeer: Sonorités Pillevestre, oubliées (19th-Century Music for Bass Clarinet and Basset Horn) (2023)

The aim of this artistic project is to revive some of the most significant musical compositions that have shaped the history of two unique instruments from the classical-romantic period: the bass clarinet and basset horn. Although these instruments were first constructed in the 18th century, they underwent a long evolution before reaching their current form. Furthermore, it took some time for them to be fully appreciated by composers.
The first tribute is dedicated to Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864), a leading composer of grand opera. In his renowned work, “The Huguenots” (1836), he dedicated a long recitative to the bass clarinet, which is considered to be the first bass clarinet solo in the history of music. However, this primacy is disputed with Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870), who presented an opera called “Emma di Antiochia” on 8 March 1834 at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. According to historical documents signed by the President of the Theater, the orchestra featured Mr. Catterino Catterini, a professor of Glicibarifono (as the first bass clarinet was known), who performed a special solo for this instrument.
After experiencing the softness, agility, and warmth of the bass clarinet through these orchestral solos, the listener will have the opportunity to appreciate the basset horn more closely through the works of three composers who lived in the early 19th century.
Christian Rummel, a German music teacher, pianist, clarinetist, violinist, and composer, was one of the featured composers. His style was representative of his era, and his works were frequently performed. Rummel’s encounter with his great model, Beethoven, during a trip to Vienna arranged by his publisher, Schott, only added to his compositional experience. His piece, “Andante Varié: Theme and Variations-Polonese,” showcases his ability to compose for two instruments he knew well, with the piano taking up much of the variations while the wind instrument remains silent. It’s a refined composition that exalts Rummel’s compositional ability. The project also features “Nocturne, op.87,” another of Rummel’s works composed for basset horn or piston horn, but unfortunately, not much is known about its origins or the date it was written.
Interspersed between Rummel’s compositions is the Sonata op. 62 for basset horn, dated 1824, by Franz Danzi (1763-1826), a colossus of his time. Danzi lived during a critical period in European music, spanning the transition between musical classicism and the early Romantic period. He met Mozart, whom he greatly respected, and was a contemporary of Beethoven, who left various impressions on him. Danzi also supported a young Carl Maria von Weber. At only seventeen, in 1780, Danzi began publishing his chamber compositions for wind instruments, which are probably his most successful works. This success was due to the composer’s ability to make the most of the timbre and unique characteristics of each individual instrument in the ensemble. Unfortunately, despite his fame during his lifetime, Danzi is relatively unknown today and seems not to have stood up to the judgment of the time in comparison to Beethoven. The composition consists of four movements: Larghetto, Allegretto, Larghetto, and Allegretto.
The journey through compositions for the basset horn concludes with the “Bolero in the form of rondo, op. 40” by Charles Koch, composed in 1832 (exact date uncertain) and also written for bassoon. At the time, it was common to write compositions with interchangeable instruments. Almost nothing is known about Koch except that he was born near Koblenz, Germany, in 1793 and was employed as a bassoonist in the chapel of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg in 1822. His compositions for the bassoon were praised for their high level of understanding of the instrument. Koch’s date of death is not known, but it is estimated to be between 1846 and 1875. This piece clearly showcases the timing of romantic, playful virtuosity, always accompanied by an accentuated search for expressiveness of the solo instrument.
As we move towards the modern era from the late Romantic period, we encounter four composers who have produced works for bass clarinet and piano. Friedrich Diethe (1810-1891) was a German oboist in the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra from 1836 to 1866, and also a composer. Little is known about his life, but it appears that his “Romanza” (1860) for bass clarinet is his only surviving composition. Over the years, this composition was adapted for two additional ensembles, in addition to the original version: bass clarinet and orchestra, and bass clarinet accompanied by 2 clarinets, 2 oboes, 2 horns, and 2 bassoons (the latest version dates back to 1899 and was published by Carl Merseburger after the composer’s death).
Moving on, we have August Klughardt (1847-1902) and his Romance for bass clarinet and piano (1890). Klughardt was a German composer, pianist, and conductor who was highly respected in his lifetime, but is now almost completely forgotten. His music was influenced by Liszt, Wagner, and the New German School, but did not exhibit particularly distinctive or innovative characteristics. He wrote six symphonies and a great deal of chamber music. The “Romanze” maintains the same majestic and simple character as the first publications for bass clarinet, and is similar to a hymn.
Continuing our exploration of the late Romantic period and the move towards the modern era, we encounter four composers who wrote works for bass clarinet and piano. The next composer on our list is Jules François Firmin Pillevestre (real name Pillevesse), a French composer and conductor from the 19th century. He wrote instrumental works and military music under the name Pillevestre. His Premier Offertoire, originally composed for bass clarinet and organ, is presented as a “wordless Romanza” with a religious and solemn character.
François Rasse, a Belgian violinist, conductor, teacher, and composer, concludes our search for forgotten sonorities with his Lied (1921) for bass clarinet. Rasse was known for his passion and love for the human voice, which is reflected in his very lyrical expression. His ‘Lied’ for bass clarinet showcases all the lyrical qualities of the instrument and creates a unique atmosphere of peace and reflection for those who listen to it. It is a representative piece of the research projects of the Proscenio Ensemble, which constantly seeks to find a connection between the human voice and the wind instrument’s voice in particular.

Stefano Ongaro