Albert R . Rice | Claremont Graduate University (original) (raw)

Papers by Albert R . Rice

Early Music, 2005

An addendum to my article "The Clarinet in England during the 1760s', Early Music vol. 22, no. 4 ... more An addendum to my article "The Clarinet in England during the 1760s', Early Music vol. 22, no. 4 (February 2005), 55-64. Additional secondary sources are given concerning Mr. Charles; a score by Thomas Arne of his cantata, "Summer amusement (ca. 1766) reported to have clarinet cues, at the Bodleian Library, Oxford; and Charles Burney's Doctor of Music 1769 score with clarinet, the anthem called "I will love thee, oh Lord my strength".

rohrblatt, 2011

This is an German translation of an article entitled "The Earliest Bass Clarinet Music (1794) and... more This is an German translation of an article entitled "The Earliest Bass Clarinet Music (1794) and the Bass Clarinets by Heinrich and August Grenser" in 'The Clarinet' 38, no. 3, June 2011, 54-58. This article reveals that Heinrich Grenser's bassoon-shaped bass clarinet stamped with a date of 1793 was purchased in 1794 by Duke Carl of Östergötland in Stockholm from Grenser in Dresden.This article discusses the Stockiholm's Court's early employment of full-time clarinetists; its players and music, including the bass clarinet works; and the two bassoon-shaped bass clarinets by Heinrich Grenser and his uncle August Grenser. The author suggests that the composer and clarinetist, Johann Stranensky, who introduced the new bass clarinet to the Stockholm Court on 16 February 1794, may have played his "Polonaise for clarinet" on the bass clarinet, reproduced from the manuscript.

rohrblatt, 2009

This article first appeared in English in "The Clarinet" 36 no. 4 (September 2009), 54-59. Joanne... more This article first appeared in English in "The Clarinet" 36 no. 4 (September 2009), 54-59. Joannes Adamus Faber's 'Missa Mariae Assumptae" written in 1720 is one of the earliest surviving works for the Baroque two-key clarinet. The American clarinettist and curator of the Palais Lacaris in Nice, Robert Adelson, informed the author that he saw the long missing manuscript in 2006 as part of an exhibition at the Vleeshuis Museum in Antwerp called "Klank van de Stad" (Klang der Stadt). This article reports on the present day location of Faber's 'Mass'; reproduces parts of the score and the clarinet part; discusses the unusual notation used by Faber; lists possible makers of the clarinets utilized in the Mass before 1720, including the unreported Dutch maker, Jan Boekhout; reproduces a gilded statue of an angel playing a two-key clarinet (ca. 1750); and discusses reported and extant clarinet music written before 1750.

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 2012

Phillip T. Young began serious research on American wind instruments in 1959 following the gift o... more Phillip T. Young began serious research on American wind instruments in 1959 following the gift of a boxwood clarinet by Asa Hopkins from a colleague. His scholarly foundation is the basis of the work on American musical instrument makers for later scholars including Robert E. Eliason and Albert R. Rice. These two authors present biographical information on Asa Hopkins, his partner, Jabez M. Camp, and his successor Firth and Hall. Nine flutes and clarinets are illustrated from four museum collections.

Early Music, 2005

The 1760s in England was a period of innovation when new instruments such as the square piano and... more The 1760s in England was a period of innovation when new instruments such as the square piano and the clarinet appeared on the musical stage. As clarinet players from Germany arrived in England, composers incorporated its novel sounds and tone colors in several works. This article highlights the clarinet's early appearances in England, its rise in popular appeal, the beginnings of British manufacture and its musical use. As early as 1726 and 1727, the clarinet was played in a Double Concerto at three London concerts in 1726 and 1727 by two German clarinetists, The virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Mr. Charles (probably Charles Vernsberg) was a traveling performer in many of the English provinces and London from 1737 to 1757 where he entertained by playing the horn, and less often, clarinet, chalumeau, or oboe d'amore, During the 1760s through the 1780s, two clarinets and two horns played at one of the 28 London Pleasure Gardens from May to September, performing three nights a week from 6:00 to 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. The clarinet was introduced to the military band in England in 1762 with an instrumentation of two each of trumpets, French horns, and bassoons, and four oboes or clarinets. {The name "oboist' at this time was generally used to indicate musicians.) The band musicians were required to play other stringed or wind instruments on occasion by their commanding officer or other officers, and were trained in the 'Stadtpfeifer' tradition, that is, they learned a number of wind and stringed instruments that could be played at various functions. The earliest surviving clarinets were made and advertised in newspapers in 1765 and 1766 by the London makers John Mason and George Miller. A five-key clarinet by Thomas Collier of London has a date stamp of 1770, and is the earliest dated clarinet from any country.
Thomas Arne was the earliest important British composer to write for the clarinet. His successful opera, 'Thomas and Sally, or the Sailor's Return' of 1760 puts two C clarinets and two C horns on stage in the Overture for accompanying the rousing song, "The Echoing Horn". The prominent writing for clarinets and horns is simple enough for the musicians to memorize as they walk onto the stage playing. Arne literally opened the door to all later British composers many of whom wrote for the clarinet and horn. Other important composers of opera who wrote for the clarinet are: Johann Christian Bach in his first opera written in England, 'Orione, o sia Diana vendicata' (1763) written for D, C, and B-flat clarinets. Bach subsequently used the clarinet in many of his works. The Italian opera composer Mattia Vento composed in London from 1764 to 1777. He required clarinets in one or two arias of several operas from 1765 and followed the Italian convention of writing for B-flat clarinets using the tenor clef. The earliest British clarinetists were Thomas Habgood and Hugh Pearson who played at the Little Theater in Haymarket a Grand Concerto in 1758, with violins, oboes, bassoons, French horns, and an octave hunting horn . A firm foundation for the clarinet was made in many musical works and extant instruments. In Oxford, when the earliest British soloist John Mahon in 1772 played his solo clarinet concerto the clarinet was well established as a prominent and important instrument in English musical life.

Newsletter of the American Musical Instrument Society, 2009

While writing "From the Clarinet d'Amour to the Contra Bass: A History of Large Size Clarinets' (... more While writing "From the Clarinet d'Amour to the Contra Bass: A History of Large Size Clarinets' (New York, 2009), I received much information about instruments from researchers, players, curators and collectors around the world. Some of the reports arrived after the book cut-off date, but it is thought it is important and should be shared. Thus, the list and brief descriptions of instrument form the article. Some of the instruments are newly discovered; some are little known; and most are in small collections.

Musiques-Images-Instruments, Mélanges en l'honneur de Florence Gétreau, 2019

The purposes of this study are to document the clarinet in France and to observe how the instrume... more The purposes of this study are to document the clarinet in France and to observe how the instrument changed from 1753 to 1900 as indicated in instructional sources. During this period, musicians played clarinets with two and three-keys (baroque clarinets); four, five, and six-keys (classical clarinets); seven through fourteen-keys, and Boehm-system and Romero-system clarinets (romantic clarinets). 1 Encyclopedia entries, instrumentation treatises, fingering charts, and method books include engravings of clarinets with fingerings of the compass; how it is held; placement of lips on the mouthpiece; position of the mouthpiece and reed; articulation; breathing; the placement of fingers on tone holes and keys; music for amateur and serious performers; general music theory; reed making instructions; studies, etudes, duos, airs from popular operas and songs; and summaries of clarinet history. These sources reflect the society at the time they were written. They contain engravings of people playing, their clothes and furnishings; popular music; and study materials for beginners and professionals. Organized chronologically, each source is identified by author, title, plate number (when available), date, number of pages, and a summary of the content.

Larigot, 2021

The purpose of this article is to list and describe ten decorated clarinets and one decorated bel... more The purpose of this article is to list and describe ten decorated clarinets and one decorated bell dating from ca. 1815 to ca. 1850. No eighteenth-century decorated clarinets are known to the author. During the nineteenth century, clarinets were usually sold at relatively low prices in comparison to other woodwinds; decorated clarinets were occasionally made for wealthy customers, exhibitions, and as demonstrations of the maker’s skill. Instruments are described in five categories: decorative keys; decorative and faceted body, ivory keys; carved stock joint and bell; carved barrel and bell; and decorative keys with a faceted barrel and decorative body. Walking-stick clarinets were very frequently highly decorated and will be discussed in a separate article. The author would be grateful for any corrections and additions of decorated clarinets to this list at arrice@rocketmail.com.

rohrblatt, 2017

The purpose of this article is to list and describe 18 clarinets constructed from ca. 1740 to ca.... more The purpose of this article is to list and describe 18 clarinets constructed from ca. 1740 to ca. 1880, and to provide a brief biography of each maker or manufacturer. Ivory has been used in jewelry, decorative objects, and bowed or plucked stringed instruments for centuries. The earliest ivory clarinets were made in Germany ca. 1740-50. Examples include eighteenth and nineteenth century clarinets: six in Germany, three in France, two in Switzerland, two in Belgium, two in the United States, two in England and one in The Netherlands. These instruments are found in museums and in private collections. There are relatively few extant examples and each is carefully and beautifully constructed. Three clarinets in the Leipzig Museum were lost during WWII, but two clear glass negative images of two clarinets survive, reproduced here. Other examples are likely in private and public collections and the author would be grateful to hear of them at arrice@rocketmail.com.

Galpin Society Journal, 2017

Small clarinets are sparsely represented in the literature and what is available is often incompl... more Small clarinets are sparsely represented in the literature and what is available is often incomplete and inaccurate. These instruments are well-known in wind bands but their wider use and complex history are usually not explained. The purpose of this article is to define the group called small clarinets, report new information from tutors, treatises, photos, and archival documents: identify music utliizing small clarinets; and provide a list of extant small clarinet in the Appendix. Small clarinets are built in a higher pitch than the soprano C clarinet. They include instruments made (from lowest to highest pitches) in D, Eb, E, F, G Ab, small A, small Bb, and small C. Nineteenth-century examples of these clarinets are described in a table with their maker, city of manufacture, number of keys, date, location, and length in millimeters. Each small clarinet type is discussed beginning with its earliest documentation, makers, musical use, and examples of music in which they are required. Characteristics of construction are described for each of the 12 illustrated clarinets including decoration. An Appendix of 665 small clarinets lists makers from Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 2016

The earliest extant E-flat contra alto clarinets was made by Alessandro Maldura in 1881 for the M... more The earliest extant E-flat contra alto clarinets was made by Alessandro Maldura in 1881 for the Milan Exhibition of Industry. It is preserved today in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Its design is identical to Maldura's 1866 patent for a bass clarinet and ensemble music appears in Alessandro Vessela's "Studi d'instrumentazione per banda", Milan, 1897.
A more successful and widely marketed B-flat contra bass clarinet was designed by Gustave Besson's daughter, Marthe Josephine Besson, who trained as a maker under her father in Paris, and from 1878 was responsible for all the firm's patents. Marthe headed the firm after the death of her mother and married Adolphe Fontaine in 1880. Afterward, the company in Paris was named Fontaine-Besson and their London factory was F. Besson & Co. In 1888, Marthe became sole proprietress, supervising manufacturing and patenting a number of brass instrument designs. In 1889, a prototype contra bass clarinet was developed and illustrated in an 1894 advertisement. It was called a pedal clarinet in order to distinguish it from other bass clarinets. Marthe Besson summited a 15-year French patent for a re-designed pedal clarinet which was approved in 1890. Other patents for the pedal clarinet were approved in England (1891), Spain (1891), Belgium (1891), and Germany (1892). The pedal clarinet was also brought to the United States at the Chicago International Exposition and demonstrated by Louis-Albert Bretonneau, bass clarinetist of the Paris Opera Comique. Thus Besson promoted her pedal clarinet in six countries and in doing so, encouraged composers to write for it and music schools to purchase it. Today only six examples of the pedal clarinet have been located, but there others yet to be found. By the 1920s, Besson contra bass was superseded by Buffet-Crampon's Boehm-system contra bass clarinets.

In this study, the history of the clarinet d'amour is reviewed, and its characteristics such as t... more In this study, the history of the clarinet d'amour is reviewed, and its characteristics such as the bulb-shaped bell, brass crook, curved or straight wooden barrels, and the usual pitches of A-flat, G, less usually, C and A. The earliest eighteenth-century makers are identified as working in southern Germany, with migration occurring through the German-speaking domains, Basel, Copenhagen, Belgium, and Vienna. During the nineteenth century, the clarinet d'amour was made in Austria, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and England. The instrument was in use just over one hundred years from about 1730 to 1850.

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 1979

Lorents Nicolai Berg published an instrumental treatise entitled "Den forste Prove for Begyndere ... more Lorents Nicolai Berg published an instrumental treatise entitled "Den forste Prove for Begyndere udi Instrumental-Kunsten" (The First Lessons for Beginners in the Art of Instrumental Music) in 1782 in Kristiansand, southern Norway. It is one of the few eighteenth-century books on musical instruments printed in that country and both interesting and original in its content. This article briefly describes the treatise and provides biographical information about Berg. Berg's discussion of the clarinet provides information not found in any other contemporary source. He is the first to recommend the "lower lip" embouchure with the reed placed on the lower lip; and he prints a fingering chart for the three-key clarinet for beginners, although he describes the standard five-key eighteenth century clarinet. The Swedish text of the clarinet chapter is reproduced next to an English translation.

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 2009

The emergence of the saxophone in 1839 and the subsequent popularity of the saxophone family (sop... more The emergence of the saxophone in 1839 and the subsequent popularity of the saxophone family (soprano through bass) after 1870 in France is a unique development in music history. This development proceeded in two stages: the first, up to May 11, 1866, the date on which Adolphe Sax's patent expired under Sax's patent protection; the second, after this date when other makers developed their own models. The result was a rapid adoption of the saxophone family by composers and players throughout Europe and the United States beginning in the late 1880s. The first section summarizes Adolphe Sax's professional life and focuses on the development of the earliest saxophone and its evolution through May 1866. The second section discusses the saxophone after May 1866, emphasizing the explosion of saxophone makers and dealers after the expiration of Sax's French patent and the contributions of makers including Buffet-Crampon & Cie, Lecomte, and Besson. Fifty-four nineteenth-century saxophone makers and dealers are identified with examples listed in public and private collections.

Joseph Haydn wrote for the clarinet at the beginning and end of his long career. several of his w... more Joseph Haydn wrote for the clarinet at the beginning and end of his long career. several of his works in which clarinets are used are discussed and illustrated. The earliest works were very likely written for a three-key clarinet, the later works for the more flexible five-key Classical-period clarinet. Michael Haydn's solo use of the clarinet in A in his Divertimento in D (ST 68, 1764) is also discussed and illustrated. Three spurious works attributed to Haydn are mentioned and the Three trios for clarinet d'amour in B-flat, violin and basso published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1781 is described. Haydn's masterly writing for the clarinet in "The Creation" and other works is noted. The article ends with a complete list of Haydn's works written for the clarinet based on the index of his works in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.

Studies of performance practice in early American sheet music are quite scarce. This article beg... more Studies of performance practice in early American sheet music are quite scarce. This article begins to fill the gap by identifying and discussing four performance practices in American sheet music: 1) transposed melodies at the end of sheet music and the instruments for which the instruments were intended; 2) cues for instruments; 3) additional parts for instruments that supplement the vocal melody line; and 4) metronomic indications. It is based on my 1993 study of 551 published and unpublished sheet music items dating from 1793 to 1830 in the Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 1992

Michiel Van Bolhuis was wealthy member of the town of Groninen in northern Holland during the mi... more Michiel Van Bolhuis was wealthy member of the town of Groninen in northern Holland during the mid-eighteenth century, and a collector of books, music, and musical instruments. After his death an auction of Bolhuis' property began on October 16, 1764. The auction catalog in the Groninen Museum lists 2,793 books, 233 published and manuscript musical works, and 51 musical instruments, including two bows and one violin case, with the price achieved noted by hand in the margins. The musical instruments include folk and "art music" examples and comprise twenty-four bowed and plucked stringed instruments, eighteen woodwind instruments, six lip-vibrated instruments, two percussion instruments, and one virginal. These instruments are notable for their diverse types, the makers represented, and the special characteristics of several examples. This unusual variety of instruments and makers provides an invaluable view of the scope of Dutch musical life during the eighteenth century.

Musique-Images-Instruments, 2012

The purpose of this study is to briefly define the Boehm-system clarinet; discuss the constructio... more The purpose of this study is to briefly define the Boehm-system clarinet; discuss the construction of early ring key clarinets by Louis-Auguste Buffet; examine Buffet's 1843 patent; review Hyacinthe Klosé's 1843 letter to the Académie des Beaux-Arts of the Institut de France and the Académie's response; discuss Klosé's 1843 clarinet Méthode written for the Boehm-system clarinet; and list and describe early L. A. Buffet Boehm-system clarinets.

Quodlibet, 1998

PROLOGO Un obligado repaso al texto a continuaci6n traducido me hace asumir la autoria de este pr... more PROLOGO Un obligado repaso al texto a continuaci6n traducido me hace asumir la autoria de este pr6logo, sin duda alguna enteramente prescindible en un articu lo tan exquisitamente documentado. Durante unos dias he tenido la ocasi6n de disfrutar este trabajo de Albert R. Rice, que constituye una contribuci6n al conocimiento de diversas historias e iniciativas que dotaron de una uni.dad de sentido al desarrollo del clarinete en sus primeros aiios. Hoy dfa no es tan extraiio encontrar en nuestro pais clarinetistas que hayan dedicado al rnenos un tiempo a la practica de los instrumentos hist6ri cos, bi.en con serios objetivos profesionales, bien por simple curiosidad o par la honrosa necesidad de tomar contacto con un campo desconocido o de des pertar alguna vocaci6n dormida. Albert R. Rice, autor tambien de esenciales articulos y de libros coma Tbe Baroque Clarinet, es quiz.is uno de esos pione ros en el estudio de los instrumentos y modos de interpretaci6n denominados "hist6ricos" que nos han allanado el camino a las generaciones presentes para acercamos con creciente interes a tales materias. Este articulo va presentando, con certera selecci6n y secuencia, lo que las clarinetistas, constructores y maestros de los viejos dfas dejaron escrito en las multiples tablas de digitaci6n. Par el camino van constatandose, siernpre de forma coherente y bien probada, todas las peculiaridades de 1er historia del ultimo invitado a la orquesta clasica, a saber: fecha de arranque del clarinete, orden de aparici6n de las diferentes Haves (las dudas en la 4", 5" y 6") y de las orificios dobles, la forma de las instrumentos, las problemas de afinaci6n, la confusion entre chaiumeau y clarinete, el clarinete ambidextro, las clari netes en diferentes tonos, la progresiva extension y relleno de las registros, el cambio de embocadura, el uso del dedo de apoyo, ... iY hasta algun exceso publicitario! José Luis Estelles • "Clarinet Fingering Charts, 1732-1816". Galpin Society Joumal, num. 37 (1984). 96 \ I

This paper presents a chronological study of eighteenth and nineteenth century bass clarinet hist... more This paper presents a chronological study of eighteenth and nineteenth century bass clarinet history and instrument designs. The instruments discussed were made from the mid-eighteenth century to about 1860 in seven shapes: plank body; curved basset horn; bassoon; serpent; straight; ophicleide; and straight with a butt joint. Most surviving eighteenth and nineteenth century bass clarinets are made in either bassoon or straight forms. New discoveries include the reclassification of the instrument in Gilles Lot's 1772 magazine advertisement from a bass clarinet to a basset horn; a description of the earliest surviving bass clarinet solo in Saverio Mercadante's opera "Emma d'Antiochia" (1834); the approximate working period of Nicola Papalini's shop and dates of his serpent-shaped bass clarinets; a look at Frédéric Widemann's little-known ophiclede-shaped bass clarinets; and a examination of a straight bass clarinet with a butt joint.

Early Music, 2005

rohrblatt, 2011

rohrblatt, 2009

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 2012

Early Music, 2005

Newsletter of the American Musical Instrument Society, 2009

Musiques-Images-Instruments, Mélanges en l'honneur de Florence Gétreau, 2019

Larigot, 2021

rohrblatt, 2017

Galpin Society Journal, 2017

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 2016

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 1979

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 2009

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 1992

Musique-Images-Instruments, 2012

Quodlibet, 1998

Galpin Society Journal, 1995

Young's book is an important contribution to organology. It presents inventories of woodwind inst... more Young's book is an important contribution to organology. It presents inventories of woodwind instrument made by 2004 makers, located in over 700 public and private collections. No other research has compiled an equally comprehensive study. Young prints his lists by maker's last names in an oblong quarto format which allows the reader to compare information on the same instruments by one maker, the number of extant instruments, descriptions of each instrument including length and bore size, location, relative pitch, number of pieces, body mounts, shape of flaps, placement of key springs, doubled finger holes, vent holes, maker's stamps, and photo sources. Most types of woodwind instruments made from the sixteenth through the twentieth century are listed. This book remains an essential tool for researcher, collector, musicologist, instrument makers, and museum professional.

Performance Practice: Music after 1600, 1990

This review is concerned with woodwind and brass instrument of the seventeenth through nineteenth... more This review is concerned with woodwind and brass instrument of the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries and sekks to enlarge upon or correct certain points.

Performance Practice Review, 1991

Review of Performance Practice: Music after 1600, by Howard M. Brown and Stanley Sadie in Perform... more Review of Performance Practice: Music after 1600, by Howard M. Brown and Stanley Sadie in Performance Practice Review IV, no. 1 (Spring 1991): 76-79.

Galpin Society Journal, 1997

The Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet is a collection of twelve essays by fourteen leading Engl... more The Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet is a collection of twelve essays by fourteen leading English clarinetists and teacher edited by the clarinetist-scholar Colin Lawson. The second review is of Lawson's thorough and thought-provoking study of the most well-known clarinet concerto.

Galpin Society Journal, 2008

Sir Nicholas Shackleton (1937-2006) was very well known as a scientist and as the world's leading... more Sir Nicholas Shackleton (1937-2006) was very well known as a scientist and as the world's leading clarinet scholar and collector. His extensive collection of 880 instruments includes 817 clarinets, 42 flutes, 6 oboes, 4 bassoons, 3 French horns, mouthpieces and parts, a number of early reeds and a large collection of printed materials, primarily clarinet instruction books. This collection is the largest and one of the most wide-ranging since Shackleton travelled worldwide as a scientist and Cambridge professor, for over thirty years he searched for clarinets to purchase and studied in museum and private collections. The collection includes instruments made in London, Paris, Lyon, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dresden, Bayreuth, Munich, the Vogtland, Vienna, Prague, Italy, Denmark, and the United States. There are several important and early basset horns and bass clarinets. He was one of the earliest to make use of eBay auctions and was willing to trade instruments to improve his collection. The collection is rich in 19th and 20th century makers and includes a large variety of fingering systems: Romero, Müller type clarinets, Baermann, Pupeschi, German or Stark, Boehm, Half Boehm, Double Boehm, Reform Boehm, saxophone fingering clarinets, Schmidt-Kolbe, Meinl, Louf, Schaffner, McIntyre, Mazzeo, Stubbins, and Oehler. There are 1,024 clear photos in color and the catalog is highly recommended.

Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 2002

An important series of volumes of facsimiles of French clarinet method books and theoretical work... more An important series of volumes of facsimiles of French clarinet method books and theoretical works was published in 2000. This is a detailed commentary on this work and with corrections.

Notes for Clarinetists: A Guide to the Repertoire, 2017

This book offers important historical and analytical information about thirty-five of the best-kn... more This book offers important historical and analytical information about thirty-five of the best-known pieces written for the instrument. Numerous contextual and theoretical insights make it an essential resource for professional, amateur, and student clarinetists. With engaging prose supported by fact-filled analytical charts, the book offers rich biographical information and informative analyses to gain a more complete understanding of these works. Intended as a staring point for connecting performance studies with scholarship, the analysis helps to gain a more complete picture of a given work. It will be useful to musicians preparing and presenting programs with its detailed historical information about the work and composer, and encourage readers to explore other works in a similar way. Covering concertos, chamber pieces, and works for solo clarinet it is a handbook for students and professionals alike.

The Clarinet in the Classical Period, 2003

A detailed review of the Classical Period's most important clarinet makers, the innovations of cl... more A detailed review of the Classical Period's most important clarinet makers, the innovations of clarinetists, the practice of clef notation in manuscript and printed music when playing transposing clarinets; and the creative relationships of famous composers, makers, and performers. There are five chapters: General Design and Construction Characteristics; Historical Development; Playing Techniques; Music; and The Clarinet in Performing Groups.

From the Clarinet d'Amour to the Contra Bass, 2009

The first book-length study of the clarinet d'amour. alto clarinet, basset horn, bass clarinet, c... more The first book-length study of the clarinet d'amour. alto clarinet, basset horn, bass clarinet, contra alto clarinet and contra bass clarinet. Five chapters are written about: the clarinet d'amour and alto clarinet and their music; the basset horn; basset horn music; the bass, contra bass, and contra alto clarinets; and the bass clarinet, contra bass, and contra alto music. Four appendixes listing extant instruments. 2011 Winner of the Besseraboff Award from the American Musical Instrument Society for the best book-length publication in English that furthers the goals of the Society.

Four Centuries of Musical Instruments, 2015

A catalog of the one of the most important private musical instrument collection in the United St... more A catalog of the one of the most important private musical instrument collection in the United States, now at the Sigal Music Museum in Greenfield, South Carolina. It includes preface by Marlowe A. Sigal and brief descriptions and measurements of most of the instruments with color photos of each instrument. There are eight chapters for separate groups: keyboard instruments; flute & whistle instruments; double-reed instruments; single-reed instruments; free-reed instruments; cup-mouthpiece instruments; plucked & bowed stringed instruments; and percussion instruments.

The Baroque Clarinet and Chalumeau, 2020

Since the publication of The Baroque Clarinet in 1992, its conclusions have influenced the approa... more Since the publication of The Baroque Clarinet in 1992, its conclusions have influenced the approaches of musicologist, instrument historians, instrument makers, and clarinet performers. There are new chapters on chalumeau and clarinet music, insights on newly found instruments and additional material on the Baroque clarinet in society. Expanding the volume to include the chalumeau, predecessor to the clarinet, draws on nearly three decades of new research. Most importantly the chalumeau's substantial repertory of over 330 work by 66 composers, and more expansive list of surviving clarinet works, organized by date, composer, and tonality and range.

The Baroque Clarinet, 1992

A sourcebook for the historical study of the European clarinet during the first half of the eight... more A sourcebook for the historical study of the European clarinet during the first half of the eighteenth century. It is based on a comprehensive study of the theoretical, musical and iconographical evidence with many conclusions presented here for the first time. Five chapters on Origins from Antiquity through the eighteenth century; The earliest instruments their documentation, attribution, design and construction; Playing techniques; Music for the Baroque Clarinet; and Use by Amateurs and Professionals.