B-flat clarinet – LAFLEUR & SON

Joseph-René LAFLEUR (1812-1874) was considered to be one of the best bow makers in Paris where he had a music shop.  Among his clientele was the French violinist, conductor and composer, Jules Prudence RIVIÈRE (1819-1900), who had settled in London in 1857 and fortunately for Joseph-René had learned to speak...

Clarinet – PÖSCHL, Joseph

Here we have a wonderful E-flat clarinet, crafted in grenadilla with nickel silver rings and fifteen nickel silver keys. It was made in around the 1920s by Joseph/Josef PÖSCHL (1866-1947).Joseph Pöschl was born in Graslitz, today’s Kraslice in the Czech Republic. He appears in the Munich address books in 1894...

Bass clarinet – MAINO & ORSI

This lovely bass clarinet is crafted in grenadilla and nickel silver. This bass clarinet was made by Maino & Orsi. It is a simple (Albert) system clarinet with two independent speakers.The company Maino & Orsi was the fruit of a collaboration and partnership between Paolo MAINO (?-1881) and Romeo ORSI...

Clarinet – BOCK, G

This antique B-flat clarinet was made around the beginning of the nineteenth century in Alfeld, which lies on the Leine river in Lower Saxony, Germany. The literature (Hart in the Langwill index) tells us that G. Bock’s instruments were similar to those produced by the STREITWOLF workshop in Gottingen. So, G....

Alto clarinet – V. KOHLERT’S SÖHNE

This E-flat alto clarinet is made of grenadilla wood and has nickel silver keys and rings. Its total length is 810 mm, including the mouthpiece. It was made by V. Kohlert’s Söhne, Graslitz and this is stamped on the upper joint.The Kohlert company was founded in 1840 by Vincenz Ferarius...

Clarinet – STEINER, Johann Georg

A five-keyed B-flat clarinet by the maker Johann Georg STEINER. He lived from 1783 to 1862 and worked as a woodwind instrument maker in Rottenburg am Neckar, which is now Baden Wuerttemberg in Germany. The instrument is made from Boxwood , with brass keys and horn rings, which is typical for...

F-clarinet – UHLMANN

This extraordinary F clarinet was made at the workshop of the Uhlmann family in Vienna, Austria. The company was an extremely important manufacturer of woodwind and brass instruments. It supplied the Austrian army and exported worldwide. The founder was Johann Tobias Uhlmann (1776-1838), who started the business in 1810. He...

Clarinet – WHITAKER

Here is a delightful, boxwood clarinet in C made by WHITAKER LONDON. According to Waterhouse, William ‘A Dictionary of Musical Wind-Instrument Makers and Inventors’, Whitaker can be traced as an instrument maker between the late 18th century and 1837. Since the signature does not include the addition ‘& Co’, which...

Thirteen-keyed B-flat clarinet by Giacinto RIVA

This 13-keyed B-flat clarinet is crafted in boxwood, with nickel silver rings and keys. The workmanship is of a very high level and the boxwood has a lovely, aged honey colour. It even has its original case!Giacinto Riva worked in San Giovanni in Persiceto in the province of Bologna, Italy...

Clarinet – PURDAY, Zenas Trivett

A five-keyed C clarinet by the English maker Zenas Trivett PURDAY (1792-1866).  He was the son of Thomas PURDAY (1765-1838) of Purday & Button, a music publishing house for mainly sacred vocal music. Zenas Trivett Purday had two brothers: a rival publisher and instrument maker Thomas Edward PURDAY (1971-1873) and...