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)
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)
Artwork Details
- Title: Sopranino Clarinet in High F
- Maker: Boisselot aîné
- Date: ca. 1780
- Geography: Montpellier, France
- Culture: French
- Medium: Boxwood, ebony, brass, ivory
- Dimensions: Total length 460 mm.
Bell diam. 67 mm.
Mouthpiece length 63 mm.
Barrel length 38 mm.
Upper body section 146 mm.
Lower body/bell 180 mm. - Classification: Aerophone-Reed Vibrated-single reed cylindrical
- Credit Line: The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
- Object Number: 89.4.898
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
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