 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill Fogle
Date: 2001-07-12 19:16
I've been checking in for these clarinets on eBay for a couple of years. This is the first one I've ever seen (I am not the seller). The serial number makes it pretty old (mine is in the 500,000 range). What a find! Woah!
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1446336681
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-07-13 01:10
Correct. There was a 1010 Pair out of Los Angeles that a fried of mine brokered 6-9 months ago. Not many rear their heads here, or at least on eBay. Of course, it is not something thatg many American clarinettists would seek out because of the bore size. On the other hand, there were many successful players who played them well (& in-tune) in orchestras throughoput the UK & Europe. Wasn't Jack Brymer one? With all the stories about kell, I never heard what make he played.
Best, mw
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Author: Bill Fogle
Date: 2001-07-13 13:57
Kell played Martel Freres, an English clarinet actually manufactured in France. (Thank God for Graham Elliot!!!) I've also heard a story that he was associated with B & H for awhile, possibly as a representative/artist, whatever. But even O. Lee Gibson notes that Kell played Martels.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-07-13 16:32
Bill -
In the issue of The Clarinet several years ago with Kell on the cover, the writer said Kell's instruments were almost certainly "false Martels" made by a different maker in the Martel style. These instruments eventually wore out, and, according to the story, Kell was forced to switch to B&H 1010s, which were the closest thing to what he had, but he was never happy with them.
I've played B&H 1010s, but unfortunately no Martels. As I recall, Graham has said he has a set, which he uses in preference to anything else.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: graham
Date: 2001-07-13 17:10
Didn't know about the false Martels point. very interesting....... the young Thurston was said to be on Martels before the 1010 was developed.
Incidentally, the clarinets we are talking about are not marked "Martel" but are marked "Hawkes & Sons Excelsior Sonorous Class", with a star above, and a star below the marking. So if you see an advert for a Hawkes, it may well be a Martel.
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-07-13 17:17
Ken/Graham can you expand your discussion a bit. Was the manufacturer of Martel using "1010 Stencils"? I have never heard much of Martel? Was/is it a Fine clarinet? Thanks mark
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Author: Fred
Date: 2001-07-13 22:31
Is the Imperial the same thing as the 1010? I've seen an Imperial, but the model number wasn't on it. I assume that these are big straight bore horns - are they like the Centered Tone / Balanced Tone horns? What are the Imperial's playing characteristics?
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-07-14 00:22
Hmmm, I though the Imperial was the 926. mw
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Author: Fred
Date: 2001-07-14 01:49
The ebay listing has the horn in an Imperial case, and the unusual tenon rings and ringless bell are consistent with an Imperial. But in the photo, you can see the 1010 on the upper joint. The Imperial that I have seen looks like the ebay listing but doesn't say 1010. Can someone with better eyes confirm that the name "Symphony" is on the ebay horn rather than "Imperial"?
So if we're dealing with apples (Symphonys) and oranges (Imperials) that happened to share unusual physical characteristics, what were these horns like and what were the differences between them?
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Author: Fred
Date: 2001-07-14 02:24
Yes, Mark . . . the Imperial is the 926. So: 1) the two horns share a similar physical appearance; 2) the ebay horn is a 1010 and not an Imperial, contrary to the title listing; and 3) the ebay horn is in the wrong case.
Still don't know beans about the horns, but still digging . . .
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Author: Laurie
Date: 2001-07-14 04:04
What makes that horn so special though ?
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Author: graham
Date: 2001-07-15 10:17
This can be confusing. 1950s 1010s (often said to be the best) are stamped Imperial. Why they did that I do not know! Otherwise, the Imperial is indeed a 926, and the 1010s of other periods are stamped "Symphony" Both are wide straight bore instruments. The 1010 is 15.2 mm and the 926 is 15 mm (I think).
I am not aware of any Martel actually stamped with that name, but I guess there may well have been some. They must have made clarinets for companies other than Hawkes, as Boosey & Hawkes started making their own clarinets after they merged in c. 1932/33, so I think Martel would probably not have continued to make clarinets for them after that time, but the factory is said to have kept going until the outbreak of WWII. There is so little good information available on all of this, though, which makes it a problem to be certain about it.
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-07-15 14:45
Are/there Martel Clarinets that had quality equal to that of the B&H 1010 or 926 (sounds like numbers will be easier to use than names) ? Thanks. mw
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