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This book continues the stories presented in The Baroque Clarinet and The Clarinet in the Classical Period. Now attention is turned to large size clarinets—clarinet d'amour, alto clarinet, basset horn, bass clarinet, contra alto, and contra bass. Each chapter is devoted to a specific instrument or instruments and offers a meticulously researched history and insider's look at terminology, definitions, design features, documentation, makers, composers, musicians, and music. Research illustrates how makers experimented with instruments to address the specific musical needs of composers and players for chamber ensembles, wind bands, and opera orchestras. Brought to life are the people surrounding the instruments— the virtuosi, soloists, and orchestral and band musicians, as well as the instrument makers and composers from F. J. Gossec to Smetana who wrote for them and, the instruments themselves become characters in the story. Based on careful study of primary sources—musical compositions, patents, memoirs diaries, and many historical instruments—the presentation is nothing short of exhaustive. There are black and white photographs, tables, and musical examples. There are four appendices.

The article briefly reviews the use of the clarinet in England and Great Britain from 1726 through the 1750s; and describes construction characteristics of two of the earliest extant English clarinets by John Mason (c1765) and Thomas Cahusac (i) (c1767) purchased by collectors in 2015 and 2016. It highlights differences in both clarinets' construction and design and compares them to eight English eighteenth-century clarinets, an anonymous English clarinet (c1760-80), clarinets by George Miller, John Muraeus, Thomas Collier, Henry Kusder, and to two German clarinets made during the 1770s for the English market by Heinrich Carl Tölcke and Carl Hespe. The discovery of the Mason and Cahusac clarinets provides crucial evidence about the design and development of the earliest English instruments, and gives us points for comparison with English clarinets made later in the eighteenth century. Dating of the English clarinets has been refined by referring to the date of the maker's clarinet advertisements; a comparison of John Hale's 'IH' stamp placed under the keys; and the maker's purchases of insurance from the Sun Fire Office in London, indicating the beginning or an early part of their production. Five additional English makers who made or advertised clarinets during the 1760s and 1770s are listed before the conclusion of the article. This analysis sheds some light on the evolution of the English clarinet during the 1760s and 1770s.

Over the course of a playing career that spanned roughly fifty years, John Mahon (pronoucned M’hone) introduced and popularized the clarinet as a solo and chamber instrument throughout Britain. He performed extensively in London and in many provincial towns. This article presents biographies of John and William Mahon, illustrations of contemporary clarinets and a basset horn, Mahon as a teacher, his music, and his influence and legacy. William Mahon’s concerts and reviews and a conclusion end the article.

Time was limited for the preparation of this book, which was reviewed by Jenny Nex in the previous issues of the Galpin Society Journal. Information is provided that could not be included in that publication.

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 utilizing small clarinets; and provide a list of extant small clarinets 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, E♭, E, F, G, A♭, small A, small B♭, 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.

A two-key C clarinet stamped 'I SCHERER' was purchased in 2007 from an Italian dealer by the clarinetist and collector, Rocco Carbonara; the author was able to study the instrument in 2010. This article focuses on the makers of all known two-key clarinets made between 1700 and 1810 and three-key clarinets, clarinets d'amour, and alto clarinets made between 1730 and 1790. It describes the activities and instruments produced in the woodwind shops headed by Johann Scherer II (1664–1722) and his son, Georg Heinrich Scherer (1703–1778) in Butzbach, Germany, and gives a detailed description and photographs of the only clarinet known by Johann Scherer II. The Johann Scherer II clarinet and the Jacob Denner clarinet in Brussels (no. 912) are compared, as are the eight extant clarinets by Georg Heinrich Scherer. The author concludes that the Johann Scherer II clarinet in Rocco Carbonara's collection has turning and dimensions that are very similar to Jacob Denner's clarinet. The comparison with the eight surviving Scherer clarinets suggests that the Johann Scherer II clarinet was made about 1720. It is one of the earliest extant two-key clarinets and an important example from this early period.

Lodewijk Plattner was a German musician who moved to Rotterdam in 1802 and in 1805 took over the music business of Nicolaas Barth following his bankruptcy. Plattner was a successful businessman, introducing lithographic music printing to The Netherlands in 1809; he published about 700 musical works, some in collaboration with other publishers. His music store sold a variety of instruments and after his death in 1842, the next year a public auction was held over three days. This article describes the types of instruments sold including prices paid as noted in the notary records of the Rotterdam City Archives. An alphabetical list of makers with instrument type is given for bowed and plucked string instruments; pianos; brass and woodwinds; and bows; a variety of strings for various instruments are described. Excerpts from the catalogue are included with brief summaries of each category, the instruments and their characteristics (following the order of the catalogue), and summaries of prices paid in guldens (f.).