The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #8707 Message #2859586
Posted By: Jack Campin
08-Mar-10 - 06:09 PM
Thread Name: recorder music
Subject: RE: recorder music
The Sub-Contrabass
You have to wonder if he got that extra-height part of the ceiling built specially.
I've tried an F subbass once - nice tone but not something you can really play tunes on, when every note needs an entire lungful of air. My C greatbass is not too hard to play normal melodies on.
The plastic Susato G altos are not that expensive - currently $69. I tried to get Kelischek to make them out of tartan plastic and market them as "The Scottish Recorder" but he didn't get it.
The really exotic size in my armoury is a "sopralto" in A with German fingering. No maker's name on it but I think it's from the 1930s. Hindemith's "Plöner Musiktag" trio was written for it (along with soprano and tenor recorders in D, which are still made, at a price). I last used it for playing a Carolan tune in G - I was fingering it as if I was playing it in B flat on a descant, which gave a softer effect because more notes in the scale were crossfingered.