xp plaquette Selmer •NEW• GB 8/10/02 13:02 Page 1

the essentials

éditions selmer xp plaquette Selmer •NEW• GB 8/10/02 13:02 Page 2

The family

Although the Bœhm system clarinet in Bb is the most widely known member of the , it also has a number of cousins that share the limelight with contemporary musicians today. Here we take a look at the clarinet family, from the highest to the lowest voice. two

Sopranino Sopranino Clarinet Clarinet in Bb clarinet clarinet in D in C Clarinet in A The most in Eb Also not for Increasingly commonly A favourite Best the faint cast aside by used. amongst Bb Basset remembered hearted, the experienced Combining devotees Sopranino clarinet in A for its sopranino players in brilliance and who revel in clarinet contribution clarinet in D favour of the eloquence with its warm Similar in in Ab to Berlioz’s nevertheless Bb, this a full and intimacy design to the Now a Symphonie found favour instrument, radiant sound, combined clarinet in A curiosity in Fantastique, with Molter in which it blends with an but with the itself, this this his concertos seduced perfectly with exquisite added instrument is instrument and with both Franz both woodwind softness and possibility of very rare and demands a Richard Liszt in Faust and string beautifully a low C, this one of the strong Strauss in his (choral instruments. deep tone. It instrument most highly technique as symphonic symphony) Virtuoso and is little excels in prized pieces its high notes poem Till and Richard faithful wonder that Mozart’s among require Eulenspiegel. It Strauss in companion of this for collectors. Its special has the The Knight of soloists from made its clarinet and use, however, fingering. Its advantage of the Rose, is the worlds of mark in the strings, was largely star quality? being easier to sometimes classical, jazz chamber K 581. limited to The perfect play than its used as a and music of both However, it military resonance of Eb beginner’s contemporary Mozart and remains very

bands. Sopranino clarinet in Ab its high tones. Sopranino clarinet in Eb counterpart. Sopranino clarinet in D instrument. Clarinet in C music alike. Clarinet in Bb Brahms. Clarinet in A rare. in A xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:03Page3 and his in formandhas considering this Previously bent instrument that think ofMozart horn isstraight horn today’s basset Who wouldn’t a metalneck. in themiddle, Strauss and favourite of Massenet? was alsoa Requiem when nF in

Basset horn in F instrument andis in Ebdiffers from other clarinetsin the bassethorn. chamber music. The altoclarinet ea neckand metal bell, muchlike appreciated in sought after It isamuch particularly its curved nEb in

Alto clarinet in Eb authoritative bass string sectionsof marvellously with and alargerbell, one goingdown This clarinethas notes combine a curvedneck to lowEband the woodand contemporary There are two bass models: music alike. the otherto jazz and while its low C. C. low nBb in

Bass clarinet in Bb superbly smooth, too rarely usedin draws onallthe however, itisall clarinet inEb Unfortunately, deep register, which givesit charms ofits a symphony This clarinet exceptional Contralto . range.

Contralto clarinet in Eb the rest: foldedback octave. Composers wood, itextendsto metres long.Made instrument iswhat on itself,itis2.31 The shapeofthis sets itapartfrom more andmore. are turning to it are turning from metaland clarinet inBb a lowBbbass

Contrabass clarinet in Bb

three xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:03Page4 four Jean-Claude Veilhan. Y Sébastien Fontaine Frédéric Loué thank: to precious advice,wewouldlike For theirkindness,availabilityand Acknowledgements: Marc Rouvé Studio Trente Quarante,J.-C.Meignan Photos: www.edipso.com Edipso Communication,Paris13 Graphic designandprinting: Yves Writt Contents annick Ducasse en by: Guilloux A glanceattheSelmercatalogues Henri SelmerParis oftheclarinet History The clarinetfamily T The &thereed Clarinet making aking careofyourclarinet Henri Selmer&Cieattheheartof20thcenturyresearch Centered Tone, BennyGoodman’s favourite clarinet of the20thcentury The Albertsystemclarinetwasverymuchinvogueatthebeginning The Müllerclarinetisstillcopiedbymany 1839: theBœhmsystemfluteisadaptedforclarinet Müller inventsthe13-keymulti-toneclarinetin1812 First appearancesoftheclarinet Jacob Denner, BeerandBartholdoptimizethetones The French ‘’ofmediaevaloriginbecomestheclarinet Care The artofassemblingtheinstrument What youneedtoknow Select piecesoftheclarinet The finish,adecisivestep Crafting theinstrument Granadilla woodtakestheformofaclarinet Selmer, aselectionoftop-of-the-rangeandprofessional clarinets New classificationofclarinetsinApril1987 The Marchi-system clarinetortheSelmerrevolution and Series9*seriesin1961 Radio Improved clarinetsin1934,Centered Tone in1954andnewSeries9 The 1935/1936catalogue Selmer today A highlydiversifiedactivityin1950 of theBalancedActionsaxophonein1936 Consolidation oftheAdolphSaxcompanyin1928andbirth A successstorybetweenParisandNewYork thankstotheclarinet 1910, Selmeralready offers alargenumberofmodels 23 22 20 18 13 5 2 xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:03Page5 History contributions madetoitsdevelopment. From to the the Bœhmringmechanismin1839.Notforgetting baroque present day very beginning of the 18th century andtheapplicationof beginningofthe18thcentury very it hasfollowedsinceitsinventionbyDenneratthe of the contemporary andjazzmusic.Butwhatofthepath contemporary as wellcomposersoftraditional, instrument ofchoiceforsymphonyorchestras limitless rangeofexpressionmakesitthe Much lovedforitstonalqualities,fromthe covering threeoctavesandonesixth.Its softest tothesharpest,warmthofits register, the clarinetinBbistodayarealdiva deep registerandthevivacityofitshigher clarinet

five xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:03Page6 six unprecedented breath ofmusicalcreativity: thewholeofEurope was intunewithinventorscontinuallywideningthe was born. was born. instruments (rangeofvoice,melodyorinstrument,from the the 12thkey:clarinet lowest tothehighestnote),adaptingfingeringand the Bbkeyuptobecome securing abettersoundproduction. most importantly, moved If we turn toItaly,If weturn itwasBartolomeoCristofori,in1700,who body usingabelland, created thefirstpianoforte,aninstrumentverycloseto cord. Heextendedthe harpsichord inshape,butwhichintroduced the mouthpiecebyasmall nuances, thankstoitssystemofsmallhammers. and asinglereed attachedto “chalumeau” (pipe),whichhadtwokeys(AandBb), Moving ontoFrance,itwastheHotteterre dynastyofLa of research. Dennerhadtheideaofdeveloping Couture-Boussey inEure, ofwhichJacques,knownasthe Roman, wasthemostillustriousrepresentative, thatwasto in theearlyyearsof18thcentury, aftertenyears further thecauseofwoodwindinstruments. (Leipzig 1655- 1707)inventedtheclarinet And finallytoGermany, where JohannChristophDenner T now attaches mouthpiece. he startoftheageenlightenmentbrought an The ligature (small cord) the to the reed the piano and ambitus forte of 1980). made in V Laurent (copy by 1720 around it wasin Denner, as Cby in clarinet 2-key erjat copy ofDenner’s The 12thkeyon Laurent Verjat’sLaurent twelfth key. it intoaclarinetwithbelland genius laysinhisabilitytodevelop Johann ChristophDenner, whose to haveaverystrong influenceon same pipethat,inGermany, was overtones. Itwasneverthelessthis it wasimpossibletoproduce exceeding thetenth,meaningthat Its rangewasverylimited,not boxwood andusedanaturalreed. had eightholes,wasmadeof the 12thcentury, thisFrench pipe prevailed and,towards theendof Over time,thenamechalumeau Érec andÉnide. of chalumeauat (circa 1135–1183)playedatype example, thatChrétiendeTroyes the clarinet.Historyhasit,for precise evidenceoftheorigins century helptoprovide increasingly French records from the12th becomes theclarinet mediaeval origin ‘chalumeau’ of The French clarinet. the weddingof xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:03Page7 (1744-1812), forhispart,startedto the rightthumb.JosephBeer thus addinganewkey, playedwith the instrumenttoincludealowE, eldest son,Jacob,whoextended problem wassolvedbyDenner’s B sound,onetwelfthhigher. This it impossibletoproduce anatural could notgobelowF, whichmade range ofnearlythree octaves,it clarinet couldbeplayedovera instrument. However, althoughthe build-up ofmoisture withinthe inside theBbholetoprevent the a smalllengthofcopperpiping Denner alsohadtheideaofadding the tones optimize Beer andBarthold Jacob Denner, expertise ontoMichelYost, leader influence inFrance,passinghis Beer wentontobeamajor twelfths, C#andD#. and lowG#,aswelltheir enabled musicianstoplaylowF# these twoadditionalkeys,which Fritz Bartholdasbeingbehind 1837, evenifothersources cite musicians publishedinBrussels in hisuniversalbiographyof introduction ofthefifthkeytoBeer century musicologist,attributesthe François-Joseph Fétis,a19th and bodyguard forsome20years. where heworkedaschiefmusician Duke ofOrleansinaround 1767, and entered intotheserviceof theclarinetatageof14 learn 5-key clarinetbyBaumann(circa 1754 to1786. of theFrench clarinetschoolfrom cathedral, whowrote his Faber, kapellmeisterofAnvers as of1719andJeanAdamJoseph Antonio Caldarain1718,Telemann R.V. 560. Grosso ConcertosR.V. 559and clarinets andtwooboesinhis pleasure incombiningthetwo Tr honour inhisopera was thefirsttogiveitaplaceof unanimous intheirpraise.Vivaldi beginning ofthe18thcenturywere clarinet, composersatthe Captivated bythetoneofnew theclarinet of First appearances iumphans 1790) inthetimeofMozart. Not forgettingofcourse in 1716,takinggreat Juditha Mass for

seven xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:03Page8 eight (circa 1820), clarinet by multi-tone design of Müller’s Lefêvre clarinet 13-key 1812. using clarinettist. Nevertheless,the , thefamous – twomajorworksdedicatedto for clarinetandstringsK581 concerto K622 course inhisfamous Divertimento K113 Mozart firstusedtheclarinetinhis Acante andCéphise opera new soundsoftheclarinetinhis to addhisorchestra withthe Jean-Philippe Rameauwasthefirst the Assumption Zoroastre (1791) and in 1720.InFrance, in 1749and in 1771,andof Clarinet in 1751. 1910. the firsttimein catalogue for the Selmer appearing in clarinet inBb Bœhm system Quintet (1789) importantly, theC#ofpipe. and,more G# ofthehorn finger ofthelefthandtoreach the around 1791,enablingthelittle the clarinetbyJeanXavierLefebvre Finally, asixthkeywasaddedto more ergonomic. fingering more rationalandaboveall extensive research tomakethe instrument toplay, leadingto clarinet remained averydifficult particular Lefebvre (whoactually the membersofCommittee,in rare narrow-mindedness among Müller wastocomeupagainsta re in1815and1820 multi-tone horns example, putforward designsfor Jean-Claude Labbaye,for others. Jean-BaptisteDupontand of toneswas,moreover, shared by idea offavouringthewholerange obviously aheadofitstime.The Conservatoire in1812was the committeeofParis submitted byIwanMüllerbefore The 13-keymulti-toneclarinet clarinet in1812 the 13-keymulti-tone Müller invents spectively. Unfortunately, Iwan and Alexandre Selmer. who wentontoinstructbothHenri illustrious discipleHyacintheKlosé, this newclarinet,aswashis Conservatoire, wasapartisanof Frédéric Berr, lecturer attheParis more effective instrument.Infact, clarinettists, whonowhadamuch considerable enthusiasmamong Müller clarinetaroused more practical.Inreality, thenew by metalligature, makingitfar bevelled holeswithareed attached use ofabrandnewlayout instrument wasrevolutionary inits mechanism in1832.Müller’s Théobald Bœhm’s newflute mind thesimilarfatereserved for questionable attitudethatbringsto and timeagain.Ahighly who rejected theinstrumenttime went ontoadoptMüller’s clarinet), system thatThéobaldBœhmhad potential benefitsofthenewring clarinet andcontemplatedthe entirely satisfiedwithMüller’s However, HyacintheKloséwasnot clarinet the adapted for system fluteis 1839: theBœhm xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:03Page9 clarinet, butalsotheyearthatsaw new typeofclarinet,the“ring-key” officially registered hispatentfora 1843 wastheyearinwhichBuffet born. clarinetwas 1839: themodern with thenewBœhmringsystemin Auguste Buffet tomaketheclarinet Hyacinthe KlosépersuadedLouis- unprecedented qualityofsound. keys andflatkeys,allowingforan connected toboththeannular made upofinterlinkedrod axles with screwed rests, andthatwas that obeyedthelawsofacoustics, Bœhm flutefeatured aholelayout before in1832.Indeed,thenew invented forthefluteashorttime clarinets. the oldboxwoodusedtomake as ebonywasslightlyheavierthan the additionofrightthumbrest, was alsoKloséwhogeneralized keywork oftheBœhmsystem.It account thenewlayoutofbilateral clarinet method,whichtookinto the introduction ofKlosé’s famous to the13-keyclarinet.There was in 1845,whoaddedtworingkeys key clarinetin1828andLefebvre Simiot, from Lyon, whobuilta19- These includedtheFrenchmen, looking toimprove theirinstrument. still countednumerous admirers Nevertheless, theMüllerclarinet stillcopiedbymany is The Müllerclarinet changes totheclarinet(oftenof Furthermore, alargenumberof and theBœhmsystem. advantages oftheMüllerclarinet which combinedtherespective commonly asthedemi-Bœhm, 2-ring clarinet,knownmore that there alsoexisteda15-key, wider body. Itisworthmentioning of theMüllerclarinetwithaslightly Brussels, whobrought thebestout least were theAlbertbrothers of complex mechanism.Lastbutnot the Müllerclarinetbutwithahighly system, verymuchinspired from forgetting, theGermanOehler tuning ofBœhm’s system,and,not but combineditwiththeaccurate r also Gyssensin1852,who etained Müller’s fingeringsystems

nine xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:03Page10 ten system clarinet available inthe beginning of catalogue the 20th of 1910. century, Selmer Albert at the 0hcentury 20th beginning ofthe much invogueatthe clarinet wasvery The Albertsystem a curvedpieceofmetal. fingering) andtheG#covered with the Bbfork(improving theBb4 which themostsignificantwere: second halfofthe19thcentury, of little worth)were madeinthe Henri Selmer’s passion 1935-1936 catalogue. appearance inthe making theirfirst system clarinetsinBb, Bœhm andAlbert for theclarinetis immediate withthe Success was instrument’s sound. vital tothe manufacture, so and their interest inreeds what fedhis the 1935catalogue. rubber, amaterialabandonedin ebony, granadillaandevenhard All instrumentswere madein of theBœhmandAlbertsystems. the 20-keymodel,acombination the lightofdayuptoandincluding other HenriSelmerinventionssaw curved G#leverandnumerous please saxophonists,whilstthe were fittedwithaflatthumbrest to players: Bœhmsystemclarinets seduce andwinoverclarinet thing. Everythingwasdoneto clarinet representing thenextbest Müller-inspired Albertsystem beginning ofthe20thcentury, the key Müllerclarinet,with,atthe very attachedtotheGerman13- However, clarinettistswere still Henri Selmer. and saxophonesunderthename clarinets, flutes,, needed togoonmanufacture the boostthatthisyoungcompany foundation. Infactitproved just eleven yearsafterthecompany’s Montpellier Exhibitionin1896,just award ofthesilvermedalat xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:04Page11 catalogues. Amanufacturing the firstofitskindinSelmer now ametalsopranoclarinetinEb, the samecatalogue:there was clarinets were startingtoappearin As anothersignofthetimes,metal standard. international Bb hadimposeditselfasthe that theBœhmsystemclarinetin available, butthere isnodenying system 12and18modelswere still mechanism. Ofcourse,theAlbert now hadadoptedtheBœhmring history oftheclarinet,whichby marked amajorchangeinthe The 1935Selmercatalogue favourite clarinet Goodman’s Benny Centered Tone, inthe1954catalogue. which featured ToneBenny GoodmanplayingthemythicalCentered clarinet, in the1930s. United States conquered the T Improved andBalanced the mythicalRadio company wentontomake The HenriSelmer nostalgic. fair numberofclarinetplayers and which,eventoday, makesa extremely precise andelaborate, process considered tobe one clarinetsthat Series 9*forsymphonyorchestra). in 1961(Series9forjazzand the Series9and9*clarinets catalogue, steppingasidefor appeared inthe1954 Centered Tone first favourite clarinet.The Benny Goodman’s Centered Tone, legendary The revolution came withthe

eleven xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:04Page12 twelve clarinet inBbbyanextraoctave, the rangeofBœhmsystem high andtopregisters andextending key, improving pitchandsoundin brought abouttheadditionofa17th than 20yearsleadingresearch that Indeed, JosephMarchi spentmore and addedrepertoire. terms ofinstrumentcraftsmanship contributions ofthe20thcenturyin r catalogue inAugust1975, first appeared intheSelmer the Marchi systemSelmerclarinet Series 9and9*in1968,while The Series10followedonfrom the century research theheartof20th at Henri Selmer&Cie epresenting oneofthemajor in BbandA. professional Selmerclarinets r today, theOdysséeandArtys couture Selmer rangewhat Signature clarinetwastothe As ofMarch 1997,the the 10SIIinMarch 1994. Prologue inMarch 1992,and Récital inOctober1984,the in August1977,themythical with theintroduction ofthe10S The Selmerclarinetsagacontinued commercial success. the critics,enjoyedlimited clarinet, which,althoughpraisedby the 17thkeyondouble-Bœhm Houvenaghel, in1948,alsofavoured nevertheless worthnotingthat contemporary repertoire. Itis thereby preparing itfor epresent theverylatestin is tofashion,and, mechanism onthe which enabledthe extended byone instrument tobe system clarinet, 1975 Marchi range ofthe haute 17th key octave. clarinet asit appeared in appeared catalogue. the 1975 system Selmer Marchi xp plaquette Selmer •NEW• GB 8/10/02 13:04 Page 13

Henri Selmer Paris

A wind of creativity since 1885

The 19th century witnessed a num- ber of inventions still used on wind instruments today, inclu- ding Henri Blühmel and Friedrich Stölzel’s valve in 1813 and Buffet and Klosé’s Bœhm system clarinet in 1839. The family of saxhorns

created by Adolph Sax in thirteen 1840, followed by that of the , also had an influence on new musi- cal trends. 1928 will always be remembered as the year in which Adolph Sax & Cie was taken over by Selmer, making Henri Selmer & Cie the sole legatee of the his- tory of the . xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:04Page14

at 4,placeDancourt. fourteen heart ofMontmartre of the20thcentury, workshops takeup At thebeginning r esidence inthe the Selmer specially writtenin1843forthenewBœhmsystemclarinet. During thesecondhalfof19thcentury, clarinettistswere also giventhechoicebetween13-keyMüllerclarinetandits various by-products, andthebrandnewBœhmsystem. However, theinstrument’s manufacture atthetimestillposeda number oftechnicalproblems anddidnotalwaysleave 1896 andabronze medalattheParisExhibitionin1900. musicians feelingentirely satisfied. r Reeds alsosuffered from unreliable andsometimespoor launched abusinessspecialisinginthemanufacture andfittingof production, henceHenriSelmer’s decisiontoundertaketheir Lamoureux Orchestra andtheFrench RepublicanGuard, manufacture himself. From 1885,HenriSelmer, clarinettistfortheFrench Opera, eeds thatwonhimasilvermedalattheMontpellierExhibitionin Alexandre andHenriSelmer.Alexandre under thenewKlosémethod, Selmer (1858-1941)hadlearned the ParisConservatoire, Henri clarinet underHyacintheKloséat H aving studiedthe (1898-1901), theCincinnati the BostonSymphonyOrchestra brilliant career asaclarinettistwith United Statesin1898toleada of HyacintheKlosé,leftforthe brother ofHenriandalsoastudent Alexandre Selmer(1864-1953), and employedsome25workers. Montmartre (4,placeDancourt) established intheheartof The Selmerworkshopswere catalogue waspublishedin1935. abandoned whenthenew and evenhard rubber, amaterial were availableinebony, grenadilla makers andthatallinstruments of theFlorentin Barbierflute acquisition oftheproduction rights also announcedSelmer’s kinds ofreeds. Acataloguethat flageolets, saxophonesandall bassoons,flutes, English horns, to clarinets,featured oboes, 1910 catalogue,which,inaddition company foundedin1885thanits r What betterexampleofthe catalogue ofproducts extensive offers an 1910, Selmeralready eactivity ofthismusicalinstrument xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:04Page15 in NewYork City. Thiswasthestart an importandretail salesbusiness In 1906,Alexandre Selmerstarted the clarinet New York thanksto between Parisand A successstory Louis ExhibitioninMissouri. a goldmedalin1904attheSaint thecompany furthermore, earned United States;demandwhich, ever-increasing demandinthe the companyinParis,thankstoan major leverageeffect onthegrowth clarinets, veryquicklyprovided a now playedonlyHenriSelmer fame ofAlexandre Selmer, whoby Orchestra (1909-1911).Infact,the and theNewYork Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (1902-1906) house thefirstSelmerfactory. 60 milesfrom Paris,waschosento In 1911,thesiteofGailloninEure, meet thesharpgrowth inbusiness. were nolongerlargeenoughto workshops onPlaceDancourt Paris, however, thesmall r contributed totheinternational of agreat USadventure that enown ofSelmerinstruments.In production ofSelmer Gaillon in Eure takes Gaillon inEure In 1911,thesiteof over fromPlace Dancourt inthe instruments. Henri Lefèvre drawing andforgingdieforclarinet the manufacture ofblanking, milling andplaningofwoodbutalso Factory activitycentred onthe Selmer’s ownson,MauriceSelmer. Henri Lefèvre, aswellHenri and managedbyMaurice bringing thetotalheadcountto34, more workerswere hired, 15

fifteen xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:04Page16 sixteen twenty people. r halt tothisimpressive growth, unfortunately puttingatemporary with theFirstWorld War George M.Bundy(1886-1951), distribution businessoverto France in1911,passingtheUS Alexandre to Selmerreturned order tomeethighmarketdemand. designed tocutnaturalreeds in that asmallseriesofmachineswere keys. Itwasduringthissameperiod educing theworkforce tojust took off onanunprecedented scale. Selmer. Themanufacture ofbrass was alsoconsolidatedwithin specialised inwoodsandbrass, Millereau company, which saxophone. TheSchoenaers- sole legateeofthehistory thus makingHenriSelmer&Ciethe &C was theyearinwhichAdolphSax V 1930s atitsfactoryinMantes-la- ofthe of 180peopleattheturn company already hadaworkforce Henri Selmer&Cie,the Registered in1928underthename saxophone in1936 and birthofthe company in1928 of theAdolphSax Consolidation ille, whichopenedin1919.1928 ie wastakenoverbySelmer, 1973. Super Actionuntil followed the saxophone The MarkVI and righthandbassscale. different keyworkwithalargerleft the endof1980,wasgivenaslightly another favouritebetween1974and the endof1973.TheMarkVII, VI seriestakingoverfrom 1954until and theendof1953withMark stole thelimelightbetween1948 Its successor, theSuperAction, saxophone. for themodern saw thelightofday, pavingtheway of BalancedActionsaxophones while in1936,thebrandnewseries 1922, knownasthemodel22, launched itsfirstsaxophonein saxophone intensified.Selmer At thesametime,research onthe under thesound-board. addition ofasoundboxglued trapezium-shaped holeandthe favourite guitar, notedforits created DjangoReinhardt’s guitarist andguitarmaker, who of MarioMaccaferri,famous enthusiasm withthecollaboration The guitaralsoaroused great a smallkeyboard thatwasa Selmer in1954,withtheClavioline, Electronics wasintroduced to activity in1950 A highlydiversified xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:04Page17 from Ernest Ferron,from theFrench Ernest Va contemporary music.The appreciated intheinterpretation of impedance andwasparticularly which variedtheiracoustic clarinets, saxophonesandflutes, tuning andcontrol devicefor distribution oftheVariospec, a Selmer alsooversawthe A littlelater, inthemid-eighties, saxophone, were addedin1967. instruments, initiallyusedforthe box thataltered thesoundofreed cellular microphone andacontrol ), whiletheVaritone Hawaiian guitar, flute,horn, cello, saxophone,,, string andwindinstruments(violin, which reproduced thesoundsof forerunner tothesynthesiser, and riospec wasmadeunderlicence focusing itsenergiesonthe of 2001.More thanever, Selmeris Odyssée andArtyssincetheend range, closelyfollowedbythe r The Signature andRécitalclarinets employs sixhundred people. currentlyfactory inMantes-la-Ville arrondissement ofParisandthe Fontaine auRoiinthe11th offices are locatedat18,ruedeLa geographical zones.Itshead distributors ineachofthese giving exclusiverightsto Middle EastandSoutheastAsia, North andSouthAmerica,the T Selmer today the system. acoustics specialistwhoinvented epresent thetopofSelmer oday, Selmerispresent inEurope, Henri SelmerParisin2001. The companychangeditsnameto Jérôme SelmerGeneralManager. and Dupont-Selmer Vice-Chairman and ChiefExecutiveOfficer, Brigitte T 1990s. the companyuntiltheendof the JacquesSelmermanaged and Jean Selmer, GeorgesSelmer wind instrumentsworldwide. manufacture anddistributionof acoustic research, aswellthe company aleadingplayerin activities iswhatmakesthe musicians. Thiswiderangeof demands oftopinternational range ofinstrumentstomeetthe brass instruments,offering avast development ofwoodwindand oday, PatrickSelmerisChairman

seventeen xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:04Page18 eighteen and warm,centredsoundoftheSignature. does theincomparabledynamicrangeofRécital instruments theperfectacousticandartisticchoice,as Odyssée andbrillianceoftheArtysmakethese professional musicians.Theroundnessandeaseofthe wood, areaimedatestablishedstudentsand which aretodaymadefromMozambiquegrenadilla As top-of-the-rangeinstruments,Selmerclarinets, intertwine. the aestheticsoundsofFranceandGermanysubtly oftheclarinetinwhich ofthehistory unrivalled overview Since 1910,Selmercatalogueshaveprovidedan A glanceatthe Selmer catalogues appeared. in whichthesemetalclarinets The 1936editionwastheonlyone of itskindintheSelmercatalogues. the sopraninoclarinetinEb,first are nowpartofthebrochure with Another notablefact,metalclarinets contrabass modelsavailable. and 18,there are now system modelsprevail, numbers12 Bœhm system.OnlytwoAlbert Bb islargelyinkeepingwiththe catalogue of1935,theclarinetin Sign ofthetimes,innewSelmer catalogue The 1935/1936 alto clarinetinF. goes downtolowC,calledthe inF,included abassethorn which later. Notethatthecataloguealso thatwere tocome featured, withtheexceptionof Alto andbassclarinetsare also Albert systemclarinet. and itsby-products suchasthe but alsothe13-keyMüllerclarinet Bb withits6ringsand24holes, 17-key Bœhmsystemclarinetin devoted entirely tothem.Itliststhe woodwind instrumentsasitis the Selmerhouse’s interest in The 1910catalogueclearlyreflects xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:04Page19 including a17thkeytoreach topG featured 7ringsand20keys, (for Système along withanewcomer, the into the1,2,3,4,6and8models, August 1975cataloguewasdivided The Series10(BbandA)inthe revolu clarinet ortheSelmer The Marchi-system The in 1961 Series 9and9* in 1954andnew 1934, Centered Tone Radio Improved in joined thecataloguein1968. C models.Lastly, the the firstappearanceofEband 9 andSeries9*, Centered Tone catalogue brought togetherthe 23 and26.Shortlyafter, the1961 re clarinets, fortheirpart,were Alto, bassandcontrabass 2, 4,6and8. re The instrumentsbecame rational classificationofclarinets. and includedasimplifiedmore the launchofCentered Tone, The 1954catalogueannounced saxophones. of theBalancedAction Balanced Tone saxophone. Itwasfollowedbythe time astheRadioImproved 1934, wascreated atthesame published intheUScatalogue ferenced underthenumbers19, ferenced underthenumbers1, Radio Improved tion Marchi and thenew in 1936,memory thus orchestrating ), which clarinet, eis10 Series 8 SM Series - CNo.1and8. - DNo.1 - became availablein: Lastly theEb,DandCclarinets and A. only availableintheNo.1Bb Furthermore, theSeries10Gwas simplified in1954. 1936 catalogue,wasrefocused and This classification,inusesincethe clarinet inA. Bb, andmodelNo.11forthe 2, 6,8andSMforclarinetsin The 10Sseriesincludedmodels1, r No. 1BRF:withEbleverand No. 1B:withEblever No. 1RF:resonance ofF No. 1:thestandard BœhminBb into fourmodels: The RécitalinBbclarinetwassplit classifying instruments. introducing anewsystemfor April 1987catalogue,aimedat A majorchangewasmadetothe clarinets inApril1987 New classificationfor octave. The the clarinet’s rangehadgained an more easily. thisnewsystem, With The mythical part, firstappeared inApril1977. Series 9*wasdiscontinued. Bœhm) whiletheSeries9and the No.1(standard 17-key, 6-ring 10 Gseries were backedbythearrivalof aficionados inOctober1984,and in Awere firstmadeavailableto No. 1)andthe10S8SMclarinet esonance ofF. Eb RécitalandBbNo.1,8 eis10S, Series in BbandAbasedon Récital (Bb andthe for its models. the 22APAL, 23PAL and25PAL are availableinrosewood, namely Only bassclarinets22A,23and25, March 1992,the Newcomer tothecataloguein clarinets and professional of top-of-the-range Selmer, aselection the catalogue alsomarkedthearrivalof No. 1B(Eblever).The1992 in twomodels,theNo.1and model, asofMarch 1994itwassold instrument. Referenced asaNo.1 was marketedasastudent what the More recently, sinceMarch 2001, Series 10SII. catalogue, whilstretaining the r providing theperfectopportunityto featuring anEb,BbandAlever Signature At thetopofSelmerrange, way tothe In March 1996,thePrologue gave keywork. equipped withamore ergonomic 23/II and25/IIbassclarinets,all match formostprofessionals. with thenew emove theSeries10Sfrom the Series 10SII Odyssée haute couture appeared inMarch 1997, Prologue II. Artys clarinet istoSelmer Prologue in Bbandthe the perfect is tofashion, clarinet

nineteen xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:05Page20 twenty ntdStates. United enjoyed unprecedentedsuccessinthe Selmer launchedaseriesofmetalclarinetsthat a The beginningofthe1930snonethelessmarked in themanufactureofmouthpieces. muchused quickly abandoned,butwhichisstillvery 19th century, suchashardrubber, whichwas several othermaterialsweretriedattheendof places itinthewoodwindcategory, eventhough as wasthecasewithflutes.Itscurrentorganology number ofmodelswerealsomadefromgranadilla, Mozambique ebony, a althoughinthe19thcentury Formerly inboxwood,theclarinetisnowmadefrom Clarinet making new approachinthemanufactureofclarinetsas the formofaclarinet Grenadilla woodtakes process takesplace. stabilize itbefore themanufacturing humidity inorder toperfectly controlled temperature and three yearsinaroom with is thencarefully stored forafurther joint, lowerjointandbell.Thewood clarinet takeshape:barrel, upper the fourdistinguishablepartsto its middle,anditisatthisstagethat piece whilstaholeisdrilledthrough isusedtothineach outer turning of eachparttheclarinet.Aninitial scaled totherespective proportions the piecesofrough ebonyare incomparable finesse.Cuttosize, beautiful blackwoodisof r from Mozambique.Allperfectly long dryingprocess ofebonylogs The lifeofaclarinetbeginswiththe egular inaspect,eachpieceofthis xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:05Page21 adjusted andtested. the keysare hinged)are perfectly The rods andbridges(onwhich instrument’s keys,isdonebyhand. posts, whichhousethe machines. Lastly, thefixingof carried outwiththehelpofCNC boring oftheholes,whichis delicate operationssuchasthe Next comeaseriesofparticularly made withtheutmostprecision. mechanical componentsare also rings, platesandvarious Naturally, thekeys,posts,rods, the placementoftoneholes. along withtheindentationstomark instrument canbecarriedout ofthefourparts final turning Once theebonyhasstabilized, the instrument Crafting instruments around theworld. the musicalqualityofSelmer A numberofsoundtestsconfirms appearance. plays anditsexternal quality andconstruction,thewayit clarinet undergoestestsonits utmost care. Atthisstage,the instrument iscarriedoutwiththe mounted, whilethetuningof their padsare nowpermanently cork. Ofcourse,thekeysfittedwith placement ofallpads,feltand springs ontheheadsand includes theassemblyofneedle manufacture oftheclarinetasit This isakeystageinthe a decisivestep The finish,

twenty-one xp plaquetteSelmer•NEW•GB8/10/0213:05Page22 twenty-two The bottom liponthereed andthe amount ofpressure from the the thicknessoflips, that themusician’s morphology, although itmustberecognized clarinet’s production ofsound, one ofthekeyelementsin Alongside thereed, itrepresents sound. projection andtheroundness ofits quality ofitsintonation, way aninstrumentstrikesup,the important asitisdecisiveinthe choice ofmouthpieceishighly Clarinet playersallagree thatthe The mouthpiece mouthpiece selected above allmuchlesssensitiveto rubber, muchmore stableand 1850 withtheinventionofhard The clarinetwasrevolutionized in for theclarinet. 19th centuryatusingcrystal,solely aborted attemptattheendof r boxwood, servicewoodandeven woods, suchasgranadilla, made outofanumberdifferent Denner, themouthpiecehasbeen Since theclarinetwasinventedby the sound. held are allfactorsinthequalityof angle atwhichtheinstrumentis osewood. There wasevenan pieces of the & clarinet the reed traditional music. music asitdoeswithjazzand works justaswellwithsymphony brand newCS300mouthpiece Lastly,C andthebassethorn. the mouthpiece forclarinetsinBb,A, theCP100 basset horns; Eb andC,bassclarinets mouthpiece forclarinetsinBb,A, clarinet family;theC85 standard mouthpieceforthewhole range ofmouthpieces:the T for afargreater degree ofprecision. a machiningprocess, whichallowed manufactured itsmouthpiecesusing hygrometric changes.Selmer oday, Selmermarketsalarge xp plaquette Selmer •NEW• GB 8/10/02 13:05 Page 23

Taking care of your clarinet The reed It is important that you are well Poetically named the “musical” cane

by the inhabitants of the Provence acquainted with your clarinet and know region in France, the Provence reed what actions to take to maintain it. plant from which clarinet reeds are cut

is better known among botanists by What you need to know

the name Arundo Donax. Two sworn enemies: humidity and sudden changes in temperature.

First: do not leave the instrument in direct sunlight, in a Its culture is an art in itself: the marshes car, or next to a heat source or radiator. in which the reed grows are filled with Second: do not forget to swab the instrument after use, plants spaced eight metres apart to so as to avoid an abnormally high level of humidity. receive the maximum amount of sun on Lastly, common sense insists that you make sure the each one. Several months after being case is properly closed when carrying your instrument. cut, the thinning out of the canes requires great care. Then comes a two- The art of assembling the instrument

year period of drying to preserve the It will be easier to put your clarinet together if you

elasticity of the fibre. regularly grease the joint cork with cork grease.

The canes are cut into tubes before The instrument is assembled by mounting the top joint on the bottom joint while holding the Bb correspondence being split and sawed depending on the key down. Make sure both joints are properly aligned. type of the reed desired. Here, tabling Now simply add the barrel and the mouthpiece. consists in grinding the surface of the

reed to a precision of one hundredth of Care a millimetre to give it its final shape. twenty-three Wipe the instrument with a cloth after each use to

eliminate traces of acidity resulting from perspiration on

the hands. You must, however, be careful not to disturb

the mechanism by pressing too hard.

The bottom of the screws also requires close attention as

they are the ideal place for dust and grease to build up.

Of course, the inside of the instrument will be wiped by

passing the swab from the bell towards the top by

pulling gently on the piece of string. Make sure that the

swab is always clean and that it does not leave any fluff

inside the clarinet. xp plaquette Selmer •NEW• GB 8/10/02 13:05 Page 24

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