 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Rev. Avery
Date: 2003-11-18 23:00
Me again :-) I checked the search section and it just mentioned the man and/or his works. Does anyone know anything about the actual Lefebvre clarinet?
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-11-19 16:25
Rev - By now perhaps you have concluded that I try to answer ?'s from my experience and, better-yet, by look-up in my [and library] books. In Lawson, "Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet" 3 Lefevre's are referenced, all cl'ists prob. , with Simon [pg 27], the "first?" inventor of the "Patent C#" mechanism likely being the one you are asking about. Jean Xavier Lefevre also had some cl manufacture-promotion [in his "tutor"], per Lawson, for "Albert-system" cls. I suggest you look in Grove's Dict., in a good library, for more info. In the thread on Full Boehm, I believe this mech. has been carried over to a Boehm. Pure speculation. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-11-19 19:50
As I mentioned in the Full Boehm thread, Groves lists many Lefevre 's, seemingly organ builders/composers [no Simon as in Lawson] but Jean Xavier as the only cl'ist, and credits him with keying improvements to the "standard 5 key cl" of that time period, when Boehm and Sax also were active. Al Rice, if you read all of this, we [I] need your help. Competition generates research, doesn't it!! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Rev. Avery
Date: 2003-11-19 20:27
The Lefebvre that is connected with the clarinet is "Henri" Does that help in the discussion? :-)
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-11-19 20:37
In the Clarinet world of Lefebvre (and similar spellings), there are at least three available citations.
H. Lefebvre's career spanned the turn of the twentieth century. He was a well-known composer and performer who toured several countries including Britain and the US. He was a student of Cyrille Rose, versatile Clarinetist of the Paris Opera (the Selmers, Jeanjean, and Cahuzac were also among Rose's students)..
The nineteenth-century Clarinet manufacturer F. X. Lefèvre is often cited in connection with the invention of the "Patent C#" mechanism, although Mahillon claimed priority on this innovation. I have never seen firm evidence that the so-called "Patent C#" was ever patented, and if it was, it seems that hardly anyone paid any attention to the patent. The mechanism was widely used on Müller-system instruments, and it later appeared on E. Albert's Clarinet of the late 1860s which gave us the name "Albert system." Rendall writes of Lefèvre's clarinet of 1853, which borrowed from many earlier designs including the "Boehm" Clarinet (the Boehm was patented in 1844). F. Lefèvre retained his company until 1855.
The third, A. Lefevres, was a stencil on some undistinguished Clarinets imported into the US from France in the early twentieth century.
This is all correct to my understanding, but I'm as always willing to examine arguments or expansions. There is a lot about Clarinet development in the nineteenth century with conflicting and uncertain references, and I certainly haven't seen them all. More is known about performers of those years, likely because accounts of their playing were of greater interest to more people at the time. A hundred years hence, the work of Britney Spears may be better documented than that of Tim Berners-Lee. Or right now, for that matter.
Regards,
John
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-11-19 20:39
Not really, Lawson's only mention of a {the?} Henri is about early ,1904, recordings by classical cl'ists. First name confusion?? We discussed the "bold" print on F B. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-11-19 21:06
Rev.: Sorry I was so slow putting together my post. Henri was the performer/composer, but I have found nothing to indicate he built any instruments. But then, we all have gaps in our knowledge.
Also, Don, Rendal does not identify "Jean-Xavier" at all, but only "F.-X." in that time period. Perhaps these are, in fact, one and the same? Perhaps J-X was father of F-X? Perhaps Rendal goofed? Wow, I need a trip to the Library.
Anyway, F-X Lefèvre (it seems) was a contemporary of Adolphe Sax, and although Lefèvre has been credited by some as the first to add rings to a Clarinet, A. Sax seems to have documentary priority. However, the first also might have been Heckel, working with Müller in 1825. Or even someone else entirely, a bit earlier. A lot was happening back then. But it does appear that F-X Lefèvre's biggest contribution to Clarinet design wasn't until the "Boehm" Clarinet had been designed for over ten years.
Regards,
John
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-11-19 22:10
A fine review of the Fr cl history, John, it certainly adds to what I thot I knew and the recent findings in Groves, etc. I {also?} conclude that Rev's cl is a stencil, and might be identifiable as to maker by one or several of us experienced?, older?? experts ???, ha! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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