Clariofon Bass Clarinet in B-flat
Losschmidt developed this type of bass clarinet, which he called the clariofon, in 1852. It follows a contemporary fashion of substituting brass for wood.
Serial number 8
Overall size: 850
Bore: 15.5
Technical description: Brass body with German silver keys and ferrules. Four pieces: mouthpiece, crook, one-piece-body and bell. Metal mouthpiece with integral brass bell intended for a ligature. Brass crook. Two speakers, speaker tone hole on the back of the instrument featured with a chimney. Speaker liner projects almost to the centre of the bore. Key to close thumb hole. All other tone holes coverd by plates or keys. Throat A♭ for R2 like on an English simple system clarinet. No cross B♭3/F♮5. Shaped thumb rest with sling ring above. Chromatic extension to C3. Brass protection to prevent the F♯3/C♯5 and F3/C5 keyheads from being damaged. Wooden device to fix the instrument to a string or the musicians west. 19 keys, 3 plates. Bell with a German silver rim.
L0: Thumbhole; speaker1 ; speaker 2; C♯3; C3.
L1: P; throat A♮.
L2: P; throat A♭.
L3: C4/G5.
L4: C♯4/G♯5; E3/B♮4; F♯3/C♯5.
R0: D3; D♯3.
R1: B♮3/F♯5; side F4/ C6; side E♭4/B♭5.
R2: P.
R3: G3/D5; side B♮3/F♯5.
R4: F3/C5; G♯3/E♭5.
Keyhead type: shallow cup
Keymount type: screwed in pillars with push pins.
Inscribed on main section " No. 8 / FR LOSSCHMIDT / k.[aiserlich] k.[oeniglich] ausch.[leisslich] priv[iligierter] Instrumenten Fabrikant / in Olmuetz"
(Heike Fricke, 2014)
Serial number 8
Overall size: 850
Bore: 15.5
Technical description: Brass body with German silver keys and ferrules. Four pieces: mouthpiece, crook, one-piece-body and bell. Metal mouthpiece with integral brass bell intended for a ligature. Brass crook. Two speakers, speaker tone hole on the back of the instrument featured with a chimney. Speaker liner projects almost to the centre of the bore. Key to close thumb hole. All other tone holes coverd by plates or keys. Throat A♭ for R2 like on an English simple system clarinet. No cross B♭3/F♮5. Shaped thumb rest with sling ring above. Chromatic extension to C3. Brass protection to prevent the F♯3/C♯5 and F3/C5 keyheads from being damaged. Wooden device to fix the instrument to a string or the musicians west. 19 keys, 3 plates. Bell with a German silver rim.
L0: Thumbhole; speaker1 ; speaker 2; C♯3; C3.
L1: P; throat A♮.
L2: P; throat A♭.
L3: C4/G5.
L4: C♯4/G♯5; E3/B♮4; F♯3/C♯5.
R0: D3; D♯3.
R1: B♮3/F♯5; side F4/ C6; side E♭4/B♭5.
R2: P.
R3: G3/D5; side B♮3/F♯5.
R4: F3/C5; G♯3/E♭5.
Keyhead type: shallow cup
Keymount type: screwed in pillars with push pins.
Inscribed on main section " No. 8 / FR LOSSCHMIDT / k.[aiserlich] k.[oeniglich] ausch.[leisslich] priv[iligierter] Instrumenten Fabrikant / in Olmuetz"
(Heike Fricke, 2014)
Artwork Details
- Title: Clariofon Bass Clarinet in B-flat
- Maker: Franz Losschmidt (Czech, active Olmütz 1852–1867)
- Date: after 1852
- Geography: Olmütz, Czech Republic
- Culture: Czech
- Medium: Various materials
- Dimensions: Length (bell to bend at base): 853 mm.
Diameter of bell: 157 mm.
Length of tube (approx.) 1925 mm.
Mouthpiece: 92 mm.
Crook (approx.) 300 mm.
Tube length
left side of tube (bell end to bottom of bend): ca. 660 mm.
right side of tube: 650 mm.
Bell: 210 mm. - Classification: Aerophone-Reed Vibrated-single reed cylindrical
- Credit Line: The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
- Object Number: 89.4.2459
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
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