The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: W. Hans Moennig clarinet information needed

Author: Mike Cyzewski
Date: 2020-02-11 06:06

I would like to share some first hand information about W. Hans Moennig having received my first Buffet Clarinet from him via Joseph Gigliotti in 1960. Subsequently I spent many hours having my instruments repaired in his shop on Market Street and also after he left that business I visited him at home where he was still repairing even though he only had one half of that Mammoth repair desk left..
I don’t know how many clarinets he made from scratch but I can tell you with certainty that he pulled a clarinet out of the glass case in back of his chair and told me it was one that he made in Germany. I was very young and too intimidated to request to play it but it seemed that he was very proud of it.

The person with the most knowledge about Mr. Moennig would be Mark Jacobi. He and Hans were planning on going to business together before Mr. Moennig’s unfortunate passing. Mark has on his wall a written introductory letter signed;
W. Hans Moennig.

As many of you know, he was a superb craftsman. He was equally as good repairing clarinets, bassoons oboes and flutes. He serviced all the instruments in the Woodwind section of the Philadelphia Orchestra. I was in his shop with Harold Wright and I know Robert Marcellus used him. Benny Goodman sang his praises on The Mike Douglas show . It was a marvel to see him play all the instruments as well. I never thought his sound on any of the instruments was objectionable.
I don’t know what the monetary value of his clarinet would be but if it were my instrument I might recommend it be displayed in a museum of some kind. Maybe at the Curtis Institute ?
Mike Cyzewski
North Carolina Symphony

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics