Streitwolf or warring wolf – what a fabulous name! This family name usually signified a bold or fierce character and was at times taken on to establish a heroic identity – a warrior, a fighter! Born into very modest circumstances, the instrument maker Johann Heinrich Gottlieb STREITWOLF didn’t begin life as a Streitwolf. But his remarkable creativity and exceptional skills in woodwind craftsmanship, along with his productive relationships with a prince, a composer, and a clarinet virtuoso, enabled him to establish himself as a formidable individual of his era.

Humble beginnings

The literature tells us that Johann Heinrich Gottlieb Streitwolf was born an illegitimate child in Göttingen on 7 November 1779. His mother was Johanne Hedwig Juliane LERCHE and his natural father was a servant called Johann NICLAS. His mother later married the son of a tailor called Johann Andreas Streitwolf. At the age of 14, Johann Heinrich Gottlieb Streitwolf began an apprenticeship as a town musician and became a cellist in the town’s music ensemble and played in the academic orchestra of the University of Göttingen. Streitwolf began to teach cello, guitar and voice, even composing for these instruments. At the age of 22, in 1801, he was earning a good living and married Marie Dorothee KAYSER, who was six years his senior and daughter of a wig maker.

Flutes first

Streitwolf’s first instruments were flutes which he started making in around 1809.  It appears that he managed to create flutes successfully even without any formal instruction – or at least no record of any instruction is recorded. The precision in his work and the beautiful tone of his flutes made them highly sought after and well-known in many areas. His fame as a talented instrument maker grew rapidly and he appeared listed in the district registers for the first time in 1812.

In 1814 he went back to university to attend academic studies, including mathematics, chemistry and everything else that he deemed relevant to his career. He then turned his attention to the construction of clarinets, adopting Müller’s model. It is even documented that Iwan Müller (1786-1854) met Streitwolf in the town of Göttingen. Further success inspired Steitwolf to expand his portfolio and production to include the entire range of woodwind instruments. His instruments were famed for their easy response and pure sound and he soon had to employ workers.

A triangular relationship

At some point, the typical triangular relationship that drives the evolution of instruments began. In this instance, the composer known for consistently creating music at the forefront of available techniques and advancing the art was Louis SPOHR (1784-1859). The instrumentalist, who developed ever better techniques in order to meet the challenges of the repertoire was the clarinet virtuoso, Simon HERMSTEDT (1778-1846). Then there was the instrument-maker, there to effectively refine and innovate the instruments – our Streitwolf.

This triangular relationship would be under the patronage of no other than Prince Günther Friedrich Carl I of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1760-1837). The Prince was an enthusiastic patron of the arts, establishing a theatre in Sonderhausen Palace as well as an orchestra and concerts. He was also an avid musician himself – learning to play the clarinet with Hermstedt as his teacher.

Inventions

Steitwolf became a successful supplier to the court and the military. He made improvements to existing instruments. Once such improvement was making it possible to extend all three parts of, for example, his flutes by way of a brass extension piece. The flutes could be tuned down by up to half a tone or even more. The extension device was not visible from the outside and the instrument retained its stability.

Soon he started studying new, fundamental instrument designs. In 1820, he invented the chromatic basshorn. He described it as like the English bass horn, a refined serpent, but even more perfect, easier to play and, thanks to its very simple fingering, easier to learn. It had ten keys and two fingerholes to give every note in the entire chromatic scale power and richness.

Then in 1828, he created the first truly “usable” bass clarinet – his greatest achievement. His aim was to construct a large instrument with rich tone and precise intonation which was also comfortable to hold and play. He described it has having the external form of a bass horn with wing, butt, bass joint and bell. The mouthpiece was that of a basset horn, mounted on a crook with Müller’s clarinet type fingering. The first copy was sold to his patron the prince! He was awarded a medal by the Hannover trade association for his bass clarinet.

Streitwolf portfolio

Streitwolf’s catalogue of instruments included flutes, third flutes, flautos d’amore, oboes, bassoons, clarinets, basset horns, bass and contrabass clarinets as well as chromatic basshorns. He also made a copy of the William BAINBRIDGE (1768/9-1830) double flageolet and published a fingering chart. It was called “Tabelle nebst 14 Uebungsstücken für das Doppel-Flageolet” and was published around 1830.

He offered different woods such as ebony or boxwood and fittings for all of the woodwinds such as ivory, silver, brass or nickel silver. Other special requests were also accepted for the right price.

Streitwolf instruments were marked with the name and a maple leaf or linden leaf, sometimes both. Others were stamped with an additional crown and GOTTINGEN and a star.

It is known that Franz Carl KRUSPE (1808-1885) was trained by Streitwolf.