Klarinet Archive - Posting 000101.txt from 1998/06

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] Contrabass Price Question
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 04:04:47 -0400

There was a similar German instrument called a "Contrabassophon", invented
by one Haseneier. I don't know which hit the scene first, or whether one
was copied by the other - it seems not unlikely.
I think the problem was that contrabassoons were unreliable and contrabass
sarrusophones weren't loud enough.
Roger Shilcock

On Tue, 2 Jun 1998, Grant Green wrote:

> Date: Tue, 02 Jun 1998 15:10:25 -0700
> From: Grant Green <gdgreen@-----.com>
> Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] Contrabass Price Question
>
> At 03:46 PM 6/2/98 -0500, you wrote:
> >OK, I'll admit my ignorance. I've heard of a heckelphone but I've never
> heard
> >of an ad anche before, let alone a contrabasse ad anche! What the
> >heck(elphone) is it????
> >
> >Nancy Marzec
>
> <GROUCHO>...And at those prices, you won't see many more,
> either...</GROUCHO> ;-)
>
> Heckelphone: essentially a bass oboe, but with a wider bore. The
> heckelphone is pitched an octave below the oboe, and reaches the 1st space
> A (bass clef). Made only by W.H. Heckel (the noted German bassoon makers).
> Pictures and sound clips (and more history) at
> http://www.contrabass.com/pages/heckel.html.
>
> Contrabasse ad anche (aka reed contrabass): sort of a double reed tuba or
> ophicleide. The reed contrabass has a very wide bore, and the tone holes
> are so large that opening just one key is sufficient venting for that note.
> Thus, the RC is made with all of the keys normally closed (except for the
> lowest one), and to play a note, you simply press the single key that
> corresponds to the note. So, instead of fingering B something like
> ***|*oo, on the RC you would finger it ooo|o*o. Unfortunately, its a
> little tricky to learn, because the keys aren't arranged like a normal
> woodwind: they go in strict chromatic order, so that ooo|oo* is a half step
> from ooo|o*o, which is a half step from ooo|*oo, followed by *oo|ooo, and
> o*o|ooo, etc. At one point, some were made with piano-style keyboards.
> They're still used in Italian military bands. I actually have one of these
> (a very old one, that didn't cost *nearly* that much), but haven't quite
> gotten proficient at it yet. More info, pictures, etc. at
> http://www.contrabass.com/pages/anche.html.
>
> Enjoy!
>
> Grant
>
>
>
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Grant D. Green gdgreen@-----.com
> www.contrabass.com Just filling in on sarrusophone
> Contrabass email list: list@-----.com
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
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> For other problems, e-mail: klarinet-owner@-----.org
>
>

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