"Cornet, nominal pitch: B♭ etc"

Cornet, nominal pitch: B♭ etc | David | Post 1836, probably c 1840

Cornet, nominal pitch: B♭ etc thumbnail 2

Cornet, nominal pitch: B♭ etc thumbnail 3

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The first cornets appeared in Paris around 1828 and were similar to this instrument. In French the instrument was called cornet à pistons (cornet with pistons – meaning valves) to distinguish it from its predecessor the cornet de poste (post horn). Within a few years the instrument had its own solo repertoire and was played by many well-known horn players. Two Stölzel valves. The third valve of a cornet is needed for relatively few notes, and those all in the lowest part of the compass; many of the earliest cornets had only two valves. With shanks/crooks for Bb, A, Ab, G, F and E and a coupler for Eb (not shown). Lent by A. Myers.

Cornet

David

Paris

Europe

France

Western Europe

Instrument Data

Instrument Information

Title

Cornet, nominal pitch: B♭ etc

Alternative Title

Cornet à pistons.

Accession Number

3267

Collection

MIMEd

Date Information

Date Made

Post 1836, probably c 1840

Gallery Information

Gallery

Wolfson Gallery

Case

Brasswind case 3

Maker Information

Maker Name

David

Made In

City

Paris

Country

France

Description

Technical Description

Brass. Shanks for B♭, A; crooks for A♭, G, F, E; coupler for E♭ to be used with crook for F.

Valve type: 2 Stölzel valves; alignment by screwed pin which also locates lower end of spring. Pistons with metal partition, and wax to form bore profile.

Signature: Inscribed on bell "A PARIS DAVID".

Usable pitch: With present set of crooks, plays around 50 cents above A⁴ 440 Hz.

Repair History: The crooks not all original.

Maker: David.
Paris.
Post 1836, probably c 1840.

Overall size: 259 perpendicular to bell; bell 125.
Sounding length: overall air column lengths: shanks (a) 89.2, (b) 155; crooks (c) 264, (d) 340, (e) 498, (f) 656; coupler (g) 270.
Bore: shank (a) at c 40mm from mouthpiece receiver (minimum bore) 9.4; shank (a) at distal end, 10.4; shank (b) at c 25mm from mouthpiece receiver (minimum bore) 8.7; shank (b) at distal end, 10.2; crook (c) at c 40mm from mouthpiece receiver (minimum bore) 8.4; crook (c) at distal end, 10.2; crook (d) at c 60mm from mouthpiece receiver (step, minimum bore) 7.6; crook (d) at distal end, 9.7; crook (e) at c 30mm from mouthpiece receiver (minimum bore) 8.4; crook (e) at distal end, 9.9; crook (f) at c 30mm from mouthpiece receiver (minimum bore) 8.4; crook (d) at distal end, 10.2; coupler (g) at c 40mm from shank/crook receiver (local minimum bore) 10.8; coupler (g) at distal end, 10.2; instrument body at c 80mm from shank/crook receiver (local minimum bore) 10.9; m.t.s. at c 251mm from shank/crook receiver, tuning slide bore 11.5; v.t.s. (2,1) 11.9; 22.5mm from bell end, 72.5.
Bell cutoff = 1100 Hz.
Dia of mouthpiece receiver: m.r.t. of shanks and crooks (a) 10.3 9.8, (b) 9.5 8.7, (c) 9.5 8.8, (d) 9.7 8.9, (e) 9.3 8.7, (f) 9.5 8.7; external taper of shanks, crooks and coupler (a) 11.6 12.1, (b) 11.3 11.9, (c) 11.4 11.9, (d) 11.2 11.8, (e) 11.0 11.7, (f) 11.3 11.7, (g) 11.4 11.7; taper on coupler (g) to receive shank or crook 12.0 11.4; shank/crook receiver taper 12.0 11.3.

Inscribed on bell "A PARIS DAVID". Shank (a) inscribed on mouthpiece receiver ferrule "SI"; shank (b) on side of mouthpipe 28mm from end "LA"; crook (c) "LA.B"; crook (d) "SOL"; crook (e) "FA"; crook (f) "MI"; coupler (g) on proximal ferrule "MI.B".

Crook (d) dented, with split approximately 20mm long.
The crooks not all original.

Usable pitch: With present set of crooks, plays around 50 cents above A4 = 440 Hz.

Purchased by lender with but probably not formerly used with mouthpiece (3268).

Illustration references: World Wide Web picture at http://www.music.ed.ac.uk/euchmi/

Provenance

ex- Bruno Kampmann collection. ; on loan to the Collection.

Classification