Klarinet Archive - Posting 000682.txt from 1998/04

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: And apropos of old instruments....
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 09:45:04 -0400

On Mon, 13 Apr 1998, ROBERT HOWE wrote:
> As a player, collector, and student (someday, perhaps, I shall merit the
> moniker "scholar") of historical woodwinds, I think a fine oboe, or
> clarinet, or Saxophone, is a work of art, rather than just a tool.
> Thus, I must completely and utterly disagree with Roger on this one,
> although in a jovial way. Some of the finest specimens of oboes from
> past centuries have been made useless to players and scholars--today and
> in the future--by half and full hearted atttempts to "modernize" them.
> One shudders to think of the 1770 Englehardt two keyed oboe with a vent
> hole drilled in the back to act like an octave key, or of Triebert
> curved cors anglais that have been rebored to alter the pitch so that a
> modern player could use them in ensemble, or the Buffet jeune (1830)
> oboe that I own that has been shortened in the top joint for that same
> reason.

I can certainly agree with the notion that changing an instrument's design
in such a way as to make it useless to players and scholars would be a
terrible thing!

> Now, adding a single adjusting screw is not a big deal, but it does
> change the instrument. This instrument was probably built to A435.
> Should the owner also alter all the toneholes, to get it to play at
> A440?

Actually, this one appears to play right on A440.

We don't have an unlimited stock of fine clarinets from 1920 in
> original condition, and I think that the value of this clarinet to the
> future and the obligation that we have to treat works of art with
> respect outweigh any minor advantage to be gained by placing the screw
> in question. You can always adjust the cork...

Wanna buy it?

Roger Garrett