1 Shalamo: plainly an anglicisation of Chalumeau. It is far from clear what instrument is intended in this instance. Chalumeaux often appear in Gluck's scores, and are in his case usually assumed to be clarinets. Handel writes for two “Chaloumeaux” in the song “Quando non vedi” in Riccardo Primo. Is this another example of his use of clarinet ? Mr. Charles may possibly be identified with the composer of 5 livres d'Airs à chanter published by Baillard of Paris, 1717–1734.Google Scholar

2 This tutor only came to the notice of the writer after this paper had been read; its existence was entirely unknown. The publishers were Goulding, Phipps and D'Almaine. The basset horn was, like the early cor anglais, bent in the middle for convenience in playing. A good specimen of this model by Cramer of London may be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum. A later specimen by Key in the writer's possession, made between 1825–40, is entirely straight except for a slightly bent crook to carry the mouthpiece. Mahon's corno bassetta descended to low C sounding F, but lacked the two lowest semitones Eb and Db.Google Scholar

3 The best-known London makers were: 1775–1800, Collier, Miller, Cahusac; 1800–50, Key, Cramer, James and George Wood, Bilton, Monzani, Clementi, Prowse, Ward. Mahillon of Brussels also supplied many instruments to the English market. His instruments were considered little inferior to these of Albert, and were much used by military musicians.Google Scholar

4 It is difficult to say when the practice of resting the reed against the upper lip was discontinued in England. John Hopkinson in his New and Complete Preceptor for the Clarinet, published in the 1840's, states: “Foreigners play with it [the reed] downwards, the contrary is practised in England.” Fétis ascribed the superiority in tone of the German school over the French to the German practice of playing with the reed downwards. Berr introduced the German method into the Paris Conservatoire in 1831.Google Scholar

5 William Gutteridge was bandmaster of the Wiltshire Regiment. He proposed his modifications as early as 1813, but the execution of them was delayed by the ordering of his regiment to Spain. He wrote a tutor for his patent clarinet in 1824. His improved instruments were made by Clementi. A specimen is preserved at the Royal College of Music.Google Scholar

6 The band numbered forty-two musicians; two corni di bassetto, two serpents and four bass trombones were included. Eisert was a brilliant first clarinet.Google Scholar

7 Stohwasser played Weber's Concertino at the Reading Festival in this year. It was written for Bärmann in 1811. A Stohwasser preceded Willman as professor of the clarinet at the Royal Academy. The Concertino is still one of the most effective items in the clarinettist's repertoire, and has been brilliantly recorded by Charles Draper, Reginald Kell, and several others.Google Scholar

8 Eliza Salmon, née Munday (1784?-1849) made her début in 1803 and retired in 1825. One of her aunts, Mrs. Second, according to Parke, sang up to F in alt with ease, and was considered inferior only to Mrs. Billington. Another, Mrs. Ambrose, sang at the Three Choirs and other festivals. Three others also had fine voices.Google Scholar

9 George Hogarth writing in the Musical World about Willman, says “He peculiarly excels in playing obligate accompaniments … and those who have listened with delight to Gratias agimus, Parto, Non piu di fiori sung by one of our first vocalists, and accompanied by him, cannot but have remarked the exquisite skill with which he develops the beauties of his own instrument, while, at the same time, he strengthens instead of impairing, the expression and effect of the voice.”Google Scholar

10 Johann Simon Hermstedt (1778–1846) was Kapellmeister of the Ducal Orchestra at Sondershausen. He was a personal friend of Spohr who wrote four concertos for him.Google Scholar

11 Written before Mahon's tutor came to the writer's notice. Williams's work is of a more substantial and modern nature and incorporates many exercises from Klose's Boehm clarinet tutor of 1844. Williams used a thirteen-keyed instrument.Google Scholar

12 Alto Fagotto. This was the invention of a Scot, William Meikle, and was made by George Wood, who published a tutor for it about 1830. In appearance it resembled a tenoroon, and has often been mistaken for this instrument. It was blown with a small clarinet mouthpiece, was made in three pitches, and had a compass of three octaves. It was in effect a wooden saxophone, anticipating Sax's invention by at least ten years. A description of this instrument and a discussion of its nomenclature will be found in an article by the present writer in the Musical Times for December, 1932.Google Scholar

13 This concerto has never been printed. The next clarinet concerto to be heard at the Philharmonic was Stanford's, played by Charles Draper in 1904.Google Scholar

14 Date about 1860. Lazarus occasionally played basset horn obbligati in his earlier days. The instrument is stamped with the name of Pask, a London maker, but is probably of French manufacture. Fieldhouse was a London maker.Google Scholar

15 Clinton's instruments were made by Messrs. Boosey, who turned their attention to clarinet manufacture in the early 1880's. They have since achieved a very high reputation for excellence of workmanship and accuracy of tuning. His brother's combination clarinet was made by Jacques Albert of Brussels. A company was formed with Sullivan as chairman to promote its use, and recitals were given upon it at the R.C.M., by Gomez, Clinton and others. All George Clinton's clarinets incorporated the Barret action which was borrowed from the oboe and applied to the clarinet by both Mahillon and Albert of Brussels.Google Scholar

16 George Tyler was a member of the Royal Italian Opera orchestra and of the Philharmonic. The Musical Directory spoke of his death “as an almost irreparable loss” to the R.I.O. Another Tyler—Joseph—patented a C# key, a very valuable addition to the old system clarinet. The credit of this invention was also claimed by Lefèvre of Paris, as well as by Albert and Mahillon. The Boehm clarinet was advertised by Rudall Rose in 1854–5, and pictured by Tamplini in The Bandsman, published in January, 1857.Google Scholar

17 This necessitates the addition of an extra key for the low Eb at the bottom of the instrument. Sax made this addition in his improved clarinet in 1840. Stadler, Mozart's clarinettist, had extended the downward compass from E to C as in the basset horn and some bass clarinets, but his example was not followed, and Eb is now accepted as the limit of downward extension. Gomez made some additions and improvements to the Boehm clarinet. His complicated instruments were made for him by Messrs. Boosey.Google Scholar

18 Called after Carl Bärmann (1811–85), son of Heinrich. It is an improved Müller system clarinet. The Germans and Central Europeans have never taken kindly to the Boehm model.Google Scholar

19 Haydn Draper was the nephew and pupil of Charles Draper-Charles Draper has retired, at any rate for the time, from the exercise of his profession. Haydn Draper died some years ago in the full maturity of his powers. Like his uncle he was a scholar of the Royal College and was by way of being an accomplished player while still in his early teens. The present professor at the R.A.M., Mr. Reginald Kell, is one of his pupils. Mr. Frederick Thurston, the brilliant principal clarinet of the B.B.C. Symphony Orchestra, is a pupil of Charles Draper.Google Scholar

20 In Al desio di chi t'adora at an Antient Concert in 1834. This brilliant rondo for soprano was written by Mozart in July, 1780, for insertion in Figaro. The obbligati parts for 2 basset horns are florid and effective. The work might well be added to our concert programmes.Google Scholar

21 “Sketched” would be more correct. Mozart broke off work on it after 199 bars of the Allegro and on taking it up again in 1791 re-wrote the work for clarinet. The slow movement is particularly well suited by the placid, reedy tone of the basset horn.Google Scholar

22 The most striking feature of the basset horn is its reediness due to the length and smallness of its bore. This is entirely lost when it is replaced by one of the orchestral clarinets or by the alto or tenor clarinets. The latter have a more vigorous and open tone.Google Scholar

23 Contrabass clarinets are found in several French and Belgian works bands. The Garde Republicaine possesses one in addition to two bass clarinets. The Buffet instrument is made of wood, the Leblanc of metal. M. Houvenaghel, the technical adviser to the latter firm, has also evolved a sub-contrabass, two octaves lower than the bass.Google Scholar

24 The Greek Aulos (Methuen), pp. 96–103; and 106 seq.Google Scholar

25 Fuller Maitland and Mann, Catalogue of the Music in the Fitzwilliam at Cambridge, p. 221.Google Scholar

26 See the frontispiece to this volume.Google Scholar

27 These included a facsimile of an ancient Egyptian reed pipe lent by Miss Schlesinger, a facsimile of a two-keyed clarinet lent by the President, a five-keyed clarinet by Collier, London, circa 1775, several early nineteenth century boxwood instruments with from six to twelve keys, two sixteen-keyed instruments by Fieldhouse and Albert, formerly used by Lazarus, and two Boehm clarinets (one an early model) by Buffet, Paris.Google Scholar