Klarinet Archive - Posting 000741.txt from 1998/02

From: avrahm galper <agalper@-----.com>
Subj: ADOLPHE SAX
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 20:39:48 -0500

Adolphe Sax

The son of an instrument maker, Adolphe was also skilled clarinet player
who had the boldness to carry out his ideas of improving the clarinet.
He extended the range down to written D thus hoping to secure purer Bb
and A (throat).
With an additional speaker key, he was able to provide easier emission
and greater facility as far as high C'''' and even D and E beyond.

Fortunately, in the book about Adolphe Sax that I have (in French which
I don't read) there are some pictures of the clarinets he made. But the
pictures ( not so clear), must have been taken from a catalogue of those
days.
However, one can see the extra speaker key.

And this brings to mind a recent clarinet, patented by Marchi in France,
with an extra speaker key on the barrel, operated by a mechanism BY the
Left hand.
I saw this clarinet when I was in London.
Ted Planas, the late famous English repairman (and genius) brought it to
show it to me.
When one pressed the first speaker key, the clarinet's low E became a B.
Pressing the second speaker key, the note came that came out was a G#,
just above the staff.
Thus you got a whole new scale.
Ted pointed out the technical possibilities. For instance, the
transition over the break to the high register became very easy.
The instrument was heavy. Time will tell if it will become a success.

Roger Shilcock was correct. The Tarogato that we know today, with the
clarinet mouthpiece, came into being around 1856. It existed in some
form before that with a double reed for a mouthpiece.

The book is ADOLPHE SAX ,by Malon Haine.

Avrahm Galper
CLARINET MOUTHPIECE TONE ENHANCERS
http://www.sneezy.org/avrahm_galper/index.html