Sopranino Clarinet in High F

Clarinets in F replaced shawms in Janissary music and were widely used in military music until the mid-1800s.

Pierre Boisselot, called "Boisselot aîné" (born circa 1738, died 1818) had his workshop in Montpellier flourishing 1772-1813. (Denis Watel, 2015, 28)

Overall size: 460
Bore: c-hole 11.9; f-hole 11.9
Conical part: 135

Technical description: Boxwood with ivory ferrules and brass keywork. Five pieces: mouthpiece, barrel, upper section, middle section for the fingers of the right hand, lower section with keys and integral bell. Unstamped blackwood mouthpiece grooved for cord. Barrel unstamped. Speaker liner projects ca. 2 mm into the bore. Levers for L4, tone-hole and key for R4 mounted in a fusiform swelling. Integral wooden rim. Three short keys SATB, two long keys SATW, a combination that is often found on French instruments of this period.

L0:   T; speaker.
L1:   T; throat A♮.
L2:   T.
L3:   T.
L4:   E3/B♮4; F♯3/C♯5.
R1:   T.
R2:   T.
R3:   T.
R4:   T; G♯3/E♭5.

Keyhead type: flat square
Keymount type: square turned wooden rings, swelling. SATK and SATB.

Inscribed on upper and lower secction "BOISSELOT / AINE / MONTPELLIER / I",
and on middle section "BOISSELOT / AINE / I".

Playing accessories: one reed (modern) and a black string.

General usage of type: instrument for military use

(Heike Fricke, 2014)