 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Damian
Date: 2023-03-09 23:59
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Hi. Could you please help me to identify clarinet on attached pictures. Unfortunately there is no engraving on the body. I found on the internet similar one made by Oscar Oehler, it was called romantic period clarinet, is it right? It's a pre Oehler or pre Albert system fingering? It has also additional right thumb key. Thanks for help.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2023-03-10 02:31
Looks like a full Austrian Oehler system to me, but the thumb trigger obviously does not open bell vent for low E and F so it must be an alternate for F#/C#? Others please help with that.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: Damian
Date: 2023-03-10 06:51
Attachment: _20230310_034839.JPG (72k)
Picture of Oscar Oehler with I think similar key design (source https://www.marieross.info/2019/10/27/brahms-clarinet-sonatas-and-trio-on-historical-instruments/)
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Author: donald
Date: 2023-03-10 12:16
Heh, that's my wife's clarinet! (there's a very similar one in unplayable condition, and without the thumb key, sitting on a stand next to me now). The one in the OP won't be by Oskar Oehler though as he was very meticulous about stamping his work.
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2023-03-10 14:52
The double sliver keys on the top joint would indicate a German system clarinet, since the Austrian system features only the lower one. Also the uncoupled throat g#/a-keys are indicating the same. However, it's lacking the Oehler system finger plate for the middle finger on the lower joint, so it isn't at least a "literal" Oehler. First time I see this kind of thumb key on the lower joint. As Palus says, apparently an alternate for F#/C#.
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Author: donald
Date: 2023-03-11 03:55
It's worth noting that Oskar Oehler had a LONG career making clarinets, and that while he developed the "Full Oehler system", by no means did he only produce those instruments. As clarinets were usually made for a specific player, there are many examples from Oehlers workshop of instruments with older key setup, but aslo extra keys and new inovations etc.
There is a book (in German) about Oehler and his apprentices (which includes FA Uebel among others) that shows many of their instruments, and it's clear from this that there was no "assembly line" producing multiples of some identical key system.
On the clarinet in the OP, the F/C key identifies it as an instrument PROBABLY contemporary with the Baermann/Ottensteiner instrument. If it was from Oehler's workshop it would be stamped in more than one place to identify it.
It's worth noting that the B/O clarinet Muehlfeld played was already considered old fashioned by 1880/90s, and lacked "high tech" innovations such as screwed in key rods despite a few extra keys that were not "standard" at the time.
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2023-03-11 05:28
I'm curious whether the screw adjustment for the long F#/C# linkage (or whatever it might be on this instrument) hints at a specific date range. Pretty neat idea either way.
My older "Albert"/simple system Conns from the 1890s lack such a feature and use a simple pin/hole instead of the foot/screw adjustment.
Fuzzy
;^)>>>
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Author: ghoulcaster
Date: 2023-03-11 22:05
What is the connection for RH 1 to the Eb/Ab key for?
Also what is the second from the top right hand index trill key for on Oehlers and other German clarinets for? Is it for thumb throat F# to G so you don't have to trill the thumb or what? F to F#?
Whatever it does its hard for me to imagine it being more useful than the higher positioning as on the boehm.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2023-03-12 02:34
The Ab/Eb key lowers the RH1 ring key down to reduce the venting to tune the altissimo E - it closes the small vent hole at 2 o'clock to the RH1 chimney (there's a small pad cup soldered directly to the RH1 ring key).
The two small keys between the LH fingers are for Eb/Bb (for LH3 - same as on Boehm systems) and F/C (for LH2) and are alternatives to the side or cross fingered notes and used to make some trills and tremolos easier.
The RH thumb key allows a low E-F# or upper register B-C# trill - it opens the F#/C# key.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2023-03-12 12:54
Chris, thanks for explaining the linkage between the RH1 ring and the Ab/Eb pinkie key. I had no idea about this mechanism before.
ghoulcaster, according to the trill fingering chart for German system clarinets here on woodwind.org the second from top trill key is for a F#/G#-trill ( https://www.wfg.woodwind.org/clarinet/ocl_tr2_1.html ). This seems to be the standard configuration on German system clarinets - though some makers, as Schwenk & Seggelke, offers to make it as an A/Bb-trill instead, as on Boehm clarinets. On the other hand, on Austrian system clarinets the latter seems to be the standard configuration.
Confusingly, on the S&S configurator site, the lower option for this trill key is called a F/G-trill ( https://www.schwenk-und-seggelke.de/konfigurator/_en/modell2000_ab.php ). Don't know if this is perhaps a third alternative depending on where the tonehole in question is drilled, or what.
Post Edited (2023-03-12 14:09)
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