 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: K,Heidel
Date: 2016-01-03 09:42
Ok here is the story. I bought my daughter a clarinet I found in a Antique shop. I knew it would need some work like repadding but did not know one brand from the other. there were two there next to each other. one in a case the other in a leather quiver case. The one in the case was the Robert which he wanted $28 for but said I could have the one in the leather case for $25 so i got it. After research I found that it was a Albert system which was out dated but I also found out it was a Buffet Crampon LP 4 roller keys, (pics later) also with no sign of a serial number. I went back and got the Robert thinking that It may have come from the same estate and may be high quality also.
After a lot of research I found nothing on Robert windwoods but found other brands with robert in there names, and it closely resembles a Robert Malerne. The only stamps in the wood are the serial number 1732, made in france, upper body under the keys is 55 and a backwords N, And on the lower body under the keys is V over 55 with a backwords N. The top section barrel and bell all had a nickel silver or pewter Fleur de lis badges glued on them that has Robert Paris written on them. one is missing.
Here are a few pics of the Robert sorry keys are off had to clean the years of tarnish off
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Author: K,Heidel
Date: 2016-01-03 09:55
Sorry my pics didnt show up here they are on photobucket
http://s752.photobucket.com/user/Heidel-73/media/DSC06794.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
http://s752.photobucket.com/user/Heidel-73/media/DSC06792.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2
http://s752.photobucket.com/user/Heidel-73/media/DSC06793.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
http://s752.photobucket.com/user/Heidel-73/media/DSC06790.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4
http://s752.photobucket.com/user/Heidel-73/media/DSC06791.jpg.html?sort=3&o=3
http://s752.photobucket.com/user/Heidel-73/media/DSC06786.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5
http://s752.photobucket.com/user/Heidel-73/media/DSC06785.jpg.html?sort=3&o=6
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2016-01-03 11:49
Attachment: A. Robert Clarinets.jpg (323k)
Further to the above post, As bought it was in a very poor condition, but after repadding it played very well, with a very sweet tone. It tuned surprisingly well, and I found that the way the springs were arranged was quite different to the usual arrangement. As can be seen, at some point it had been sleeved, presumably to remedy a crack. Here is a reference to the catalogue of the day.
The instrument had an interesting history. It was bought from the estate of an Australian surgeon in Western Australia. He was a keen amateur musician all his life and as a young man and recently qualified doctor he went to France with the Australian forces in 1916. He brought the clarinet with him when he returned after the war. In 1940 he once again went to Europe as a surgeon with the Australian forces, and once again he returned with an A. Roberts clarinet.
This one was the earlier one, the whereabouts of the later one is unknown. It's thought that he may have loaned or given it to someone, as he was known to be a very generous man.
Tony F.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2016-01-03 11:53
The Robert clarinets were considered to be comparable to Buffet clarinets in the early 20th century. Robert also made fine oboes. I went to look at a Robert oboe and EH pair once and ended up buying a Knabe grand piano.
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Author: K,Heidel
Date: 2016-01-03 12:50
To Tony F I wish I had taken pics before i took it apart, but mine is a lot different. After messing with the Buffet than the Robert the Robert's keys are much more responsive than the Buffet. The Robert's length from top of the barrel to the end of the bell is 23 1/2 inches and the bore is 14.6mm the keys are solid unplated nickel silver. ( had a nightmare of a time getting the gray and red tarnish off of them) cleaned the body and oiled the bore by watching pros on youtube. Got to love the net for learning
to Wes do you know where I can find the history of Robert windwoods like years of manufacture serial number list so on, I can not find anything on them.
I can not even find a pic of another one. Not wanting to sell, but would like to know if it's worth enough to need to insure?
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2016-01-03 19:38
The real pearl in the oyster of a Robert clarinet would be the A. Robert mouthpiece. Alexandre Robert mouthpieces are deemed rare collectors' items that sell at prices comparable to mouthpieces made by Frank Kaspar (Cicero), Henri Chedeville, Henri LeRoy, and James Kanter (or Todt, F. Koktan, and Oskar Oehler originals on the German side). Does your Robert clarinet include a Robert mouthpiece?
Post Edited (2016-01-03 19:45)
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Author: K,Heidel
Date: 2016-01-03 20:32
I assume it is the original it is unmarked like the rest of the instrument. Other questions could this be an early A Robert?, and on the card is that Henri Leroy's signature?
Here are some pics of the mouthpiece.
http://s752.photobucket.com/user/Heidel-73/media/DSC06796.jpg.html
http://s752.photobucket.com/user/Heidel-73/media/DSC06797.jpg.html
http://s752.photobucket.com/user/Heidel-73/media/DSC06798.jpg.html
http://s752.photobucket.com/user/Heidel-73/media/DSC06799.jpg.html
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2016-01-03 20:53
All the A. Robert mouthpieces I've seen have had Robert's name inscribed on
them. The last one to go, a few weeks ago, on the famous Web auction site, sold for over $500.00. Brad Behn can probably tell you if your unmarked mouthpiece is really a Robert and what it might be worth.
The signature in your photo is not Henri LeRoy's. You can see Henri L. Leroy's signature on the first mouthpiece to the left in this photo:
http://www.ramonwodkowski.com/2nd-hand-mouthpieces.html.
Post Edited (2016-01-04 05:17)
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Author: K,Heidel
Date: 2016-01-04 05:32
Thanks seabreeze for the info. Do you think this an early A Robert?
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2016-01-04 05:54
All I see in your photo is an unmarked mouthpiece. For identification, you will need
to let someone who has played A. Roberts, noted their dimensions and characteristic handwork, and has an eye for distinguishing them from other old mouthpieces have a close look at it. For that, I refer you to Brad Behn who refaces and restores mouthpieces as well as producing mouthpieces of his own design.
http://www.clarinetmouthpiece.com,
http://www.facebook.com/behnmouthpieces.
Post Edited (2016-01-04 06:09)
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Author: Wes
Date: 2016-01-04 08:20
I have no other information other than oral references from some older players on Robert clarinets. Glen Johnston seemed to like them, for example. Try Googling "Robert Clarinet" and you will find a couple of references. The Shackleton book on old clarinets may have some information but I do not have that. Some of the Robert clarinets had articulated C#/G# keys which are only generally found on good clarinets. There may also be some information found by Googling "Robert Oboes".
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