C Clarinet

This clarinet is made up of four boxwood parts with horn rings. It has eleven brass keys and an ebony mouthpiece. This specimen features very particular construction details, especially the hole so-called “chimney” at the bottom, that is a hole located on a small raised circular portion of the instrument’s body, to obtain the note “F”. We find this special feature also in another clarinet that belongs to the Sforza Castle’s collection. The latter is attributed to a craftsmanship operating in Bohemia or Vogtland (Inv. ST. MUS. 411). Hence, the origin of this unusual detail (the chimney) remains open. It was usually attributed to the above regions, but this clarinet from Maldura chronologically anticipates the oldest Bohemian and German clarinets known to date which present this particular detail (dated to the early 20th century).