Klarinet Archive - Posting 001177.txt from 2000/02

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Albert system clarinet page
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 17:16:41 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ryan Burrage" <ryangb@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] Albert system clarinet page

> Leighton Bingham wrote:
>
> ... It is an older fingering system which to my knowledge was used widely
in the late
> 19th century and early twentieth century first in the Carribean French
territories.
>

See my reply to the original post and check out Rendall's "The Clarinet".
The Albert system is *NOT* older than the Boehm. It was a parallel
development.

> The Creoles were some of the first to use them in the US in
traditional/dixie jazz
> bands. Players such as Sidney Bechet, Johnny Dodds, George Lewis, Lorenzo
Tio, Omer
> Simeon, et al all played Albert System clarinets. In part they used them
because
> they were easy to maintain and repair themselves rather than the more
complex Boehm
> system. The sound quality of an Albert, in my opinion and I'm sure Chris
will
> agree, is far superior with more darkness, color, and sonority to the
tone -- pretty
> much a big fat sound, especially in the chalemeau register, and to the
larger bore,
> they project a lot better and help compete with brass instruments.
>

Actually the difference in sound is due to bore differences not key system
differences. According to Rendall, Mahillon, a contemporary of Albert,
produced the instruments with the same key system but the smaller bore.

Dee Hays
Canton, SD

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