Klarinet Archive - Posting 000862.txt from 1998/12

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] McIntyre Clarinet systeme
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1998 21:26:32 -0500

On Wed, 23 Dec 1998, ROBERT HOWE wrote:

> Can anyone help me to find information on the McIntyre Clarinet?
> This was a systeme invented in the 1950s that suppressed the throat G#
> and A keys, replacing them with a mechanism worked by the fingers of
> the left hand in a very logical fashion (see below). It provided for
> a perfect throat Bb and great throat register facility but alas, never
> caught on.

I once had a student who had a McIntyre system clarinet, and I had a
chance to play on it rather extensively. I thought it was a great idea.
The fingerings were a bit of a problem to get used to, and would probably
be more of a problem to a player who played the clarinet only, as opposed
to a woodwind doubler such as myself. The mechanism had to be checked for
adjustment periodically, as it is a little more complicated than the
regular Boehm clarinet.

The main problem as I see it is that the McIntyre mechanism was put on
clarinets which were not as high quality as professional clarinetists
need. For a player used to Buffet or some other top-line instrument, even
when playing notes which did not involve the new keywork, the instrument
would seem to be deficient. I always wished someone would try to adapt
the system to a Buffet R13 or comparable instrument.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org