 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Rezzie
Date: 2013-11-19 02:27
So, I'm sitting at rehearsal tonight and a young lady in our wind ensemble pulls out a clarinet wrapped in a towel in a bag and says "I can't find anything out about this...". Things like this happen when word gets out that you're interested in old horns. Apparently someone in her husband's family found it in some effects of a deceased relative.
It was a simple Albert system A clarinet - the marque was O.Bauer Chicago 1906, no visible cracks, and according to her "it plays some - it has a really 'dark' sound, too." I noted an 'L.' mark on the top and bottom joint (low pitch?), and a mark of 'A' as well to indicate this was an A rather than a Bb. The middle joint was bound by wrapped string, rather than cork (really, really, really loosely) which would be consistent with practice for Albert clarinets of that era.
No, I don't have any pictures - not yet, anyway.
We huddled over it, and I offered to see if I could find out more. I see a couple of references to O. Bauer in some collections of historic instruments, but not much else. Anybody else have any scoop on her find? I'll see if I can pull together some pix, but that'll be at least next week.
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Author: discerningclarinetist
Date: 2013-11-20 21:37
Are you sure it is an Albert system clarinet and not a German system? The NC Clarinet Collection has one. You might be able to email somebody there to obtain more information about it.
Tyler Zey
www.discerningclarinetist.com
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Author: MichaelW
Date: 2013-11-21 15:45
Attachment: Bauer UEDIN.jpg (100k)
New Langwill Index has only one Bauer in the USA:
Bauer Julius & Co., Chicago 1857-c.1930, New York 1868-(?)1890.
Piano makers, MI dealers... So “O. Bauer” might be a stencil.
NC collection lists a „ O. Bauer, Chicago, 1898 - A Clarinet” under “German system”, not “Albert system”.
NMM Vermillion don’t have O. Bauer on their “checklist”, but state that the checklists represent only a relatively small portion of their collections of over 14000. For more informations they offer to be contacted at nmm@usd.edu .
The University of Edinbourgh collection has, according to MIMO, one “O.Bauer”- clarinet:
“Clarinet. Nominal pitch: Bb.
Inscribed on upper section "NEW MODEL" (in shield) / "O. BAUER / CHICAGO / 1898"; on mouthpiece "Coast" (see picture)
Technical description: Blackwood with german silver ferrules and keywork. Five pieces: mouthpiece, barrel, upper section, lower section, and bell. Plastic mouthpiece marked for a ligature. Zig-zag speaker with chimney on the left side of the instrument. Brille for R1 and R2 with vent between those tone-holes. Unusual design of L4 lever for E₃/B♮₄. Alternative touchpiece for C♯₄/G♯₅. C sharp mechanism. Two adjustment screws on lower section. 14 keys, 4 rings, 8 ebonite rollers. L0: T; speaker. L1: T + ring + vent; throat A♮; throat A♭. L2: T + ring + vent. L3: T; E♭₄/B♭₅. L4: C♯₄/G♯₅; E₃/B♮₄; F♯₃/C♯₅. R1: T; side F₄/C₆; side E♭₄/B♭₅; side trill key for throat G-A or C₆-D₆; side trill for throat A-B♮ and B♭-C; alternative touchpiece for C♯₄/G♯₅. R2: T + ring + vent. R3: T + ring (forked B♭₃/F♮₅); cross B♭₃/F♮₅. R4: G♯₃/E♭₅; F₃/C₅. Keymount type: screwed in pillars. Keyhead type: modern. Repair History: The mouthpiece is a replacement.”
The keys would be typical for a not too advanced German system of the time except the abundance of 8(!) rollers. I am still not sure whether there are bore differences between "German", "Simple" and "Albert" systems.
Post Edited (2013-11-21 15:48)
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Author: ned
Date: 2013-11-22 03:14
It certainly looks like a German system. I owned an Oehler system at one time there some years ago and - as I recall - it had about 16 keys. Sorry my memory evades me and I don't have a photograph of it to prompt me.
MichaelW's reference to ''a not too advanced German system'' seems close to the mark.
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Author: Tutdave
Date: 2013-11-22 12:28
Oscar Bauer owned a music store in Chicago from AROUND 1900 to 1915. He was a woodwind repairman and clarinet/saxophone mouthpiece maker. Around 1915 He began to work for the Holton Band Instrument Company, and moved with Holton to Wisconsin in 1917. It is assumed he stayed with Holton until he retired.
Oscar Bauer was the FIRST teacher (in instrument repair AND mouthpiece making/refacing) of Frank L. Kaspar AND Frank Kaspar.
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