Contrabass Digest

2001-03-26

From: "Peter Boris Koval"
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 22:51:59 -0300
Subject: Re: [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

A misprint for sarrusophone seems the most likely answer!
Peter Koval

---------------------------------------------------------

From: "Peter Boris Koval"
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 22:49:54 -0300
Subject: Re: [CB] Reed contrabasses and Rothophones
 

> I've gone mainly on the writings of Günther Joppig (e.g.,
> http://idrs.colorado.edu/Publications/Journal/JNL17/JNL17.Joppig.Sarru
> s.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'.

In 1999, I tried to check on the Mang article cited in the New Langwill, and
the Univ. of South Dakota library drew a blank--some problem apparently with
the numbers quoted which didn't coincide with those on the holdings of
Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau (I don't remember at which library--not
USD). If anyone can trace the article, I would like to have a copy.
The tutor book should be able to be checked easily by someone visiting
Milan, although no date of authorship is mentioned. However, the authorship
by one of the Bottali brothers is a fair indication that they used the name
Rothphone for the instrument. Again, I would love to see a copy of the tutor
book.
The next time I am in Europe, I will follow up these items again.
Regards, Peter Koval

---------------------------------------------------------

From: "Dave Spiegelthal"
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 10:34:53 -0500
Subject: Re: [CB] To Craig (re: "new" contra-alto clarinet owner)
 
 

----Craig asked about my new removable low-D extension for bass clarinet, made
of PVC pipe and scrap tenor sax parts.  I suppose I could document its design
best via some dimensioned drawings, so I'll take this project on when I get some
spare time (ha ha ha!).  A better approach to the problem (IMHO) would be to get
a junked bass clarinet lower joint (brand/model/material not really important)
and make the extension out of that, but at the moment I don't have a bass
clarinet carcass to work with so I made my "working prototype" out of PVC pipe
(a "T" section, actually, using the side pipe cut down to be the tonehole).
Keep in mind that although it works reasonably well, this prototype (a) is
extremely ugly!, and (b) although the intonation is good, the tone quality is
not --- it's rather stuffy and uncharacteristic-sounding, probably because of a
bore diameter mismatch between the inside of the pipe (about 1.05") and my bass
clarinet lower joint (about .930").  Using actual bass clarinet parts should
improve the tone quality somewhat.  I'm very eager to built a more finalized
version, possibly going all the way down to low-C as originally intended, out of
a real bass clarinet lower joint and using bass clarinet key parts.
----My next project will be an add-on altissimo vent for the contra -- I hate
not being able to play above high C --- on my bass clarinet I can easily play
chromatically an entire octave above that, and I want that capability on the
contra.  My plan is to install a separate small register hole next to the
tonehole opened by the l.h. index finger, operated by something like a Bb
soprano clarinet register key which is tabbed to also push down on the normal
l.h. index finger key when pushed, but can shut independently.  A very simple
concept, but the devil is in the details!  I'll keep the list posted on how this
turns out.
     Dave Spiegelthal
     Calverton, VA
 

***End of Contrabass Digest***

 
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