Contrabass Digest

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2001-03-25

 
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 14:43:50 -0800
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] Reed contrabasses and Rothophones
 

>Hi, Peter Koval here.
>Although I have done a fair amount of woodwind research, I have never found
>an "original" document that terms these instruments "rothphones" or
>"rothophones" (such as a maker's catalogue or an exhibition catalogue or
>report). Since recent literature calls them by these names, there must be a
>point of origin. I do know that the instruments were patented by the Bottali
>brothers in Italy and then France in around 1911/12 (I don't have my
>documents with me to give exact dates) and no specific name was used for the
>instrument family in the patent document ( it only mentions "a new
>instrument, etc.") although a baritone "saxorusophone" or "rothphone" was
>illustrated and the family described. Orsi subsequently bought out or

I've gone mainly on the writings of Günther Joppig (e.g., http://idrs.colorado.edu/Publications/Journal/JNL17/JNL17.Joppig.Sarrus.html#anchor139249) and the New Langwill Index.  Langwill's entry on Fredrich Roth says, in part: "1911 invented 'Ròthfono' (rothophone) family of double-reed WWIs of saxophone-like construction 'a complemento del Contrabasso ad ancia', patented 1912 by Bottali; according to Mang, they were introduced at a Music Congress in Roma." citing, Mang in Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau 59.235.  The Langwill's entry for Fratelli Bottali says "1912 built family of 'Ròthfoni' (rothophones), invented by Friedrich Roth. *** Writings: Amedeo Bottali, 'Piccolo metodo pratico per ròthfono [copy at I-Milano-C]."  I-Milano-C is the Conservatorio 'Giuseppe Verdi'.

>inherited the Bottali brothers' business--it seems unlikely from all this
>that the name "saxorusophone" was merely a dodge to avoid calling the
>instrument a "rothphone". The Orsi factory in the early 1980s (and probably
>still) had prototypes of baritone and bass "rothphones", and was quite keen
>to make me one, but the cost was prohibitive in view of the limited use
>possibilities.

I hadn't realized that Orsi was the successor of Bottali and Roth. Perhaps there was some other reason for them to distance themselves from the Roth name?

Grant

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Grant Green
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---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 15:02:23 -0800
From: Grant Green
Subject: [CB] Today's puzzle
 

Or maybe this week's puzzle: what is a barrusophone?  While looking for rothophone information, I ran across one (and only one) cryptic reference, in the title of a talk by Günther Joppig about how to distinguish a barrusophone from a rothophone.  Anybody have the collected works of GJ handy?

Grant

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green
ecode:contrabass       http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
***End of Contrabass Digest***


 
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