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Re: Mazzeo Clarinet

Author: ghuba
Date: 2006-06-25 03:19

The Mazzeo patents were licensed exclusively to Selmer although apparently they were used on at least Rosario Mazzeo's personal model near the end of his life (after the patents expired) that was produced by Buffet, and there are reports on the Internet that Yamaha may have produced some examples in the 1990s, although I have not been able to verify this.

The primary innovation of the Mazzeo system is the "Mazzeo mechanism" which enables alternate fingerings for throat Bb and A. Production Mazzeo system clarinets also contain a plateau thumb key and a more elongaged bell without a metal rim. While it might be difficult for a professional who has overlearned the fingerings and transitions with the standard Boehm system to shift to a Mazzeo system clarinet, as an amateur I find it relatively simple, although the left hand little finger configuration on a full Boehm model sometimes feels a little "odd."

Selmer USA produced at least two models of Bundy Mazzeo clarinets in the 1960s in resonite. Selmer USA produced two slightly different Selmer Signet models in the 1960s, one marked "special" edition.

Selmer France produced both regular Boehm and full Boehm models in different bores and series between the mid 1960 and early 1980s. Models were reportedly produced in the Centered Tone, Series 9, Series 9 star, and Series 10 bores. I have never seen a CT or Series 9 bore Mazzeo from Selmer France, but I do own several Series 9 star and Series 10 Bb Mazzeo clarinets, having regular and full Boehm examples of each. Several generations of key fabrications were used on the Selmer France models. From the half dozen of these I have collected, I would conclude that the key fabrication on the older Series 9* models is a little more robust than that of the Series 10.

While they may not be the only two living professional performers on Mazzeo clarinets, I do know that both Sherman Friedland and Margaret Thornhill use these in performances. Mr. Friedland often discusses the Mazzeo clarinet on his own web site. Both Mr. Friedland and Dr. Thornhill have examples of their playing as sound clips on their web sites. You can easily find these web sites easily using a search engine.

Again, as Don Berger notes, there is much information about Mazzeo clarinets on this web site and other ones.

George

Post Edited (2006-06-25 10:42)

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