Dedicated music lovers will certainly be familiar with the basset horn, a rare instrument belonging to the clarinet family. It was famously used in Mozart’s Requiem KV 626, which owes its melancholy sound, which is almost impossible to describe, to this mellow and sombre-toned instrument.

The clarinet player, however, will be aware that this instrument is extremely difficult to master technically, particularly with respect to intonation. A trio of basset horns would probably have been unthinkable had it not been for Mozart and his five divertimenti written specifically for this instrumental grouping.