The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sandlret
Date: 2009-09-15 02:54
I recently purchased a Normandy at a garage sale.
When I picked it up it immediatly felt different. Then
I saw that in place of finger rings and bores it had
solid keys with pads to cover the bore holes.
After jumping around on ebay I have reason to
believe it is called a Plateau??? What is the history
of this instrument? Is it collectable? Stan
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Author: Bobby McClellan
Date: 2009-09-15 03:00
I have one of the Normandy Plateau keyed clarinets in wood and a friend has one in plastice and we love them
Bobby M. McClellan
Flowood, MS
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Author: John25
Date: 2009-09-15 10:18
"Plateau" isn't the name of a model. All woodwind instruments have keys that are either ring or plateau. Flutes and oboes mostly have plateau style keys. So do alto and bass clarinets.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2009-09-15 11:17
The plateau keyed Bb soprano clarinets are typically more expensive than their equivalent ring key "cousins". Here in the States the LeBlanc "Plateau" horns are often referred to as Models even tho, as you point out, that's possibly incorrect.
Typically they will be used by younger students who can't cover the holes or by seniors with arthritis problems......and a repair job will probly cost more thana non-plateau horn. Saxes, of course, also use plateau keys.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2009-09-15 13:08
>>What is the history
of this instrument? Is it collectable?
>>
Leblanc produced Normandy models for many decades. Because they're common, they don't sell for high prices. Their value is in playing quality, if they're in good condition. Leblanc introduced the Normandy as a "step-up" model for students, then gradually moved it down the price/quality range and relaced it with more expensive models at the top of the Leblanc student product line. Normandies have never been considered professional-grade clarinets, but they're among the more reliable student models.
They're not all alike, though. The company kept the name while changing the model quite a lot over the years and Leblanc also sold variations on the model during the same year. Some Normandies have the plateau keys but the majority don't have them, for instance. If you search the archives here on this site, you'll find quite a lot, mostly favorable, on Normandies.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
Post Edited (2009-09-15 13:10)
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