Author: RWodkowski
Date: 2021-11-10 18:15
Perhaps slightly off topic, but I thought to post as these clarinets are so seldom discussed. I am probably one of the few remaining players that used the pre-war 1010 clarinets professionally in London. During my time playing in London I had several pairs, both the BH made and London & Paris - used them in the BBC Symphony and many other groups.
The pre war BH 1010 and London & Paris were both professional models made by Boosey & Hawkes, mid 1930s-1940s. Both were the wide bore, 15.24mm, and played and tuned in a similar manner. However, their construction was different.
The London & Paris instruments were made in France, the bodies, and most of the keywork, and shipped to BH for finishing. I was told that BH had difficulties machining tone holes, and imported the London & Paris as an option for their catalogue. Many London & Paris were fitted with ebonite barrels. The BH models made in England had ebonite tone hole chimneys, and different keywork, which was cheaper in quality - I had several keys break. Some say that the London & Paris had a nuttier, or woodier sound - I found them to be perhaps a bit more dense and focused. Frederick Thurston and Jack Brymer both used the London & Paris during their careers.
As for “ebonite’s” comment on tuning and barrel length, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, the standard mouthpiece used in the 1930s in London was very close, around 1mm, and quite short. Players used soft reeds, and didnt play with nearly as much volume as today. Pitch therefore was easier to control on these clarinets. One thing to keep in mind, is these were not French clarinets, and do not behave in that way. These were a wide bore instrument that are extremely flexible with pitch and sound. This allowed players to find their pitch quite easily, and I believe is one of the tools that aided the development of the “English” way of playing that emerged later with Brymer, DePeyer. Kell was the first, using slightly smaller bore Hawkes/Martel instruments with a very vocal approach.
Regarding barrel length, yes, 64-65mm was around standard, however, many players, including myself, needed longer barrels to tune. The reason for the long barrels, is these clarinets have quite thin walls, which contribute to their sweet resonance, however it encourages them to sharpen up quite a bit. It also is tricky using modern, more open facing mouthpieces on these clarinets, as if one is not careful, the tuning and sharpness issues can be amplified. I often had to use a few barrels on the job and interchange as I warmed up. One other tale that was passed my way, was that the designers of these instruments, Brian Manton Myatt included, used very soft reeds, close tip mpcs and tested in a small room…who knows if this is completely true, but its a familiar story with designers.
As for tenon lengths, yes the later barrels may not fit that well, and are a bit thicker. Many of the pre war barrels cracked or didnt make it, so people generally used a modern barrel or had something special made. I had Jon Steward at Howarth make me a few barrels that worked well.
I ended up putting my pre war 1010s away, in favour of the thicker walled Eaton Elites. They didnt have that extra special something, but they were far better in tune, played in a very similar way to the 1010, and also are capable of much more volume as London orchestras can play with much volume indeed and I needed that. I have kept the pre war sound in my ear, much like a violinist would a fine instrument that they borrow for a period, or playing a very fine Henri Chedeville mouthpiece - it stays with you.
Ramón Wodkowski
www.ramonwodkowkski.com
www.ramonwodkowski.blog
Post Edited (2021-11-10 18:20)
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The Clarinet BBoard
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