Bass clarinet, nominal pitch: A

Buffet-Crampon

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Instrument

Bass clarinet/Clarinets/Wind/Musical Instrument ; Bass clarinet

Instrument Family

Wind

Maker

Buffet-Crampon

Place Made

Paris ; Europe ; France ; Western Europe

Date Made

1929

Description

Technical description: Blackwood with german silver crook, keywork, and bell. Five pieces: mouthpiece, crook, upper section, lower section, upturned bell. Black plastic mouthpiece marked for a ligature, "B5 (star)". Two speaker keys. Speaker 1 mounted on crook with chimney. All tone-holes covered. E₃ mounted on bell. 18 keys. 7 covered tone-holes. L0: Plate F₄/C♮₆; speaker 1 + 2. L1: Plate F♯₄; throat A♮; throat A♭. L2: Plate E♭₄/B♭₅ corresponding ring. L3: Plate; cross E♭₄/B♭₅. L4: C♯₄/G♯₅; F₃/C♮₅; E₃/B♮₄; F♯₃/C♯₅. R1: Plate B♭₃/F♮₅ via correspondence; side E♭₄/B♭₅; side F♯₄/C♯₆; trills 1-2. R2: Plate B♮₃/F♯₅ via correspondence. R3: Plate B♮₃/F♯₅ via correspondence; cross B♮₃/F♯₅. R4: G♯₃/E♭₅; E₃/B♮₄; F₃/C♮₅; F♯₃/C♯₅. Keyhead type: modern. Keymount type: screwed in pillars. Signature marks: Inscribed on upper section and bell with lyre / "BUFFET / Crampon & Cie / A PARIS" / BC monogram; on upper section also "Made in France". Playing accessories: Reed, ligature, and reed-cap. With a brown case with blue velvet lining made by Selmer. Also in case: device for a spike. Device for a spike has broken off. The mouthpiece is a replacement. Performance characteristics: Quite a good instrument. Previous ownership: Purchased in New York from a retired professional; he had bought it from the bass clarinettist in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Michele Zukowsky's father Kalman Bloch recollected (MZ pers. com.) that this player had a bass in A when he (KB) joined the orchestra in 1939.

Notes

H. Fricke, Oct-Dec 2006.

Measurements

922, 976 with mouthpiece.

Provenance

Purchased in New York from a retired professional; he had bought it from the bass clarinettist in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Michele Zukowsky's father Kalman Bloch recollected (MZ pers. com.) that this player had a bass in A when he (KB) joined the orchestra in 1939. ; Bequest of Sir Nicholas Shackleton, 2006.