Klarinet Archive - Posting 000744.txt from 1998/05

From: "Steven J Goldman, MD" <gpsc@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Instrument Development--Clarinet v. Oboe v. Flute
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 22:31:03 -0400

The flute led the way with keys that placed the holes in a manner consistent
with acoustics i.e. Boehm), but the original Boehm system was toyed with and
improved for years. Wooden versions remained popular along side metal (they
are still being made in very small numbers). Acoustically of more importance
the conical flute was made right through the 1920's or early thirties in
Germany. The sound quality of a conical flute is warmer and "woodier", due
to the increased volume of overtones. Many teachers in Germany thought that
the French cylindrical flute was too consistent throughout its range and
thus boring. They preferred variation in timber (something akin to the
variation in the timber of our beloved clarinet) at different registers.
Fingering was more difficult I am told, and this school of playing was
essentially extinct by mid century. Composers now had more intonation secure
notes available and were using them in very difficult works taxing conical
players to their limit. You can still find used conical wooden and metal
flutes (Boehm and other systems) from the first half of the century, and it
would not surprise me if some iconoclastic maker is still manufacturing a
few. As an aside, I do not play the modern flute, only copies of historical
instruments. I play modern clarinet, never having touched even an Albert
system instrument.

As far as pitch, A440 was always at the relatively HIGH end. Baroque and
classical flutes had corp de change taking them from as low as A392ish to
A430something. Latter flutes tended to stay somewhere around 438 to 445.
(interestingly the few early 16th century flutes are fairly close to A440!)

I am MUCH less knowledgeable about the oboe, but have read through several
19th C tutors, each extolling the superiority of that writers particular
system. Variations were far less and seemed more concerned with the ease of
performing various trills.

One last bit of helpful information:
Don't try to practice your clarinet 4 days after back surgery, unless your
one of those into body piercing and other very painful activities. Then you
might enjoy it.

Steve Goldman
sjgoldman@-----.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 1998 7:31 PM
Subject: Re: [kl] Instrument Development--Clarinet v. Oboe v. Flute

>For some reason, the "military" key system for oboe never fully caught on.
>
>Just last night I saw a turn-of-the-century (we think) wooden flute in
>Boehm system. Other than having a trill key for B instead of the usual Bb
>and rollers on both the the low C and C# it was not greatly different from
>modern instruments. The headjoint was cracked, but metal-lined.
>
>As regards flute scales, I believe "low pitch" is A@-----. It had been
>higher before. But the rest of your story checks out. They just modified
>the length without reworking the scale.

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