Klarinet Archive - Posting 000011.txt from 1994/07

From: Timothy Tikker <tjt@-----.ORG>
Subj: Re: My father-in-law gave me a terra gatto (I am sure that that
Date: Fri, 1 Jul 1994 13:25:53 -0400

On Fri, 1 Jul 1994, Burton Beerman wrote:

> the correct spoelling). It is in repairable shape. Does anyone
> know anything about this instrument and who might repair it. Rp
> Price? It is at least a 100 years old and is hungarian.
>
That's "tarogato". Probably any competent woodwind repairman could
handle it: it's basically an Albert-system wooden soprano saxophone
(how's that for an oxymoron?). Is it a Schunda? They were a leading maker.

The oboe-sax teacher here at University of Oregon, Eugene, has been doing
extensive tarogato research, including at least one visit to Hungary. He
let me borrow his for some weeks, and I loved it! I'd loved the sound on
recordings I'd heard for years.

I once did a side-by-side comparison with it and a brand-new Yamaha soprano
sax. I was quite puzzled to find how similar they were in sound, even in
volume. The difference was mostly in feel: wood vs. metal (thus
weight), simple vs. complex key system, clarinet vs. sax-type
mouthpiece. The other main difference was eveness. The tarogato had
strong and weak notes and tuning discrepancies, while the sax was
thoroughly homogenized.