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Clarinet in B-flat

ca. 1805
Not on view
The composer and pianist Muzio Clementi (born Rome, Italy 23 January 1752, died Evesham/Worcestershire 10 March 1832) established in 1802 a piano manufacture in London. He also sold woodwind instruments (Waterhouse, NLI, 65).

Overall size: 665
Bore: c-hole 13.6; f-hole 13.6.
Conical part: 198.

Technical description: Boxwood with ivory ferrules and brass keywork. Six pieces: mouthpiece, barrel, upper section, middle section for the fingers of the right hand, lower section with keys, bell. Long-tenon English-style ebony mouthpiece grooved for cord. Waisted English-style barrel. Rudiments of square wooden rings. Speaker liner projects almost to the centre of the bore. Levers for L4, tone-hole and key for R4 mounted in a bell-shaped swelling. Zig-zag F♯3/C♯5 lever guided in a rudiment of a square wooden ring. Bevelled G♯3 touchpiece.

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

Keyhead type: flat round.
Keymount type: blocks and swelling.
Inscribed on all pieces except for the unstamped mouthpiece "CLEMENTI & Co. / LONDON"
(Heike Fricke, 2014)

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Clarinet in B-flat
  • Maker: Clementi & Co. (British, London 1798–1828)
  • Date: ca. 1805
  • Geography: London, England, United Kingdom
  • Culture: British
  • Medium: Boxwood, ivory, brass
  • Dimensions: L. 66.6 cm (26-1/4 in.)
  • Classification: Aerophone-Reed Vibrated-single reed cylindrical
  • Credit Line: Gift of William J. Maynard, 1997
  • Object Number: 1997.219.3
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

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