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NEW Volume 19 of the Historic Brass Society Journal (2007) is now at the printer. Cant' wait? Members can now view in online. You must log in with your assigned username and password for access. IP-based access will be finally be available for institutional subscribers within a few weeks. Institutional subscribers may contact Steven Lundahl for details.
NEW Change in EBF Housing Logistics
Contrary to the information listed in the EBF flyer that went out in a recent mailing, payment for the dorm housing at the Early Brass Festival at Loyola University in New Orleans will be payable directly to the HBS and not to Loyola University as previously indicated. Single rooms are $40 per night and double rooms are $30 per per person per night. The registration fee will also be payable to The Historic Brass Society
NEW New Trombone History Association
The Society of Trombone History of Central Germany (Verein für Mitteldeutsche Posaunengeschichte e.V.) has been founded in the city of Halle near Lipsia (Leipzig) by a small but enthusiastic group of trombonists, trombone manufacturers, and trombone collectors.
The region of Central Germany, with Saxony in particular, added fresh momentum to the trombone’s technical development: the modern trombone with its large-sized bore and bell was invented in Lipsia during the 1830ies by C.F. Sattler. His apprentice and son in law J.C. Penzel further improved Sattler’s invention, which later on was adapted by many other manufacturers in Central Germany. Migrants from Saxony disseminated the “Lipsia” or “Penzel” model; not only all over Germany, but also to Russia and America. Characteristics of the historic German Trombone are the snake ornaments and, frequently, the so called “Heckelrand” (i.e., the broad German silver bell-rim). The large bore and bell together with the relatively thin brass result into the typical dark and smooth sound with an extreme dynamic range as compared to its predecessor from the renaissance and baroque epochs.
The Society’s objectives are to perform research on the history of the trombone with regional focus on Central Germany (Saxony and Thuringia) and about biographies of trombone players and manufacturers. Another important aim of the association is to collect, conserve, classify and catalogue antique instruments with focus on the late 19th and early 20th century. Finally and importantly, expositions, workshops and concerts with historic trombones will be organized in order to keep Central German trombone tradition alive.
The Society’s official inaugural celebration will take place in Halle in the Gertraudenkapelle on June 15th, 3 p.m. The Society’s members will play compositions for four to twelve trombones on historic instruments. Dr. Enrico Weller from famous musical instrument manufacturer’s town Markneukirchen, who is an expert on Saxon wind instrument history, will give the commemorative speech about trombone makers from Vogtland (South-Saxon central region of musical instrument producers).
Contact (chairman): martin.majewski@gmx.de
NEW Monk Workshop
Jeremy West provides a first-hand report on activities at the Monk Workshop in the aftermath of Keith Rogers's death.
I spent last week at Keith's home and workshop with Kathryn and with Nicholas Perry. Nicholas has now completed his first serpent (that is to say the pieces are all cut and together in one piece, prior to being finished and the whole prior to being leathered and keys fitted). This serpent is one that Nicholas started making with advice and guidance from Keith during the last months of his life. Keith's wisdom was poured out from his armchair in the sitting room (this an utterly uncanny echo of the situation in 1991 during Christopher Monk's decline, when I would visit him by his fireside at Stock Farm in Surrey for advice and guidance). Nicholas is encouraged by this first instrument; by the way he is getting the hang of Keith's copy router (the big Bridgeport cutter from Christopher had to be sold when we moved out of commercial premises in London to go to Norfolk); and he is (cautiously) expressing interest in carrying on serpentine work for the next generation. It is still too early to say how, or even if, this will happen, but the preliminary signs are promising.
---Jeremy West
NEW The Hunt for Arban's Recording
The following is a reproduction of Ed Tarr's letter to the editor of the HBS Journal regarding news of a recording of J. B. Arban
Wouldn't it be a revelation if we could hear how Arban played? Up to now it was thought that he lived too early for him to have made any recordings.
It has recently come to my attention, however, that J.-B. Arban in fact made at least one recording on a cylinder for the Edison Phonograph Co. shortly before his death in 1889! This was publicized in a Helsinki newspaper, Hufvudstadsbladet (no. 96, from April 11, 1890, p. 2), announcing two sessions in which the new-fangled phonograph was to be demonstrated in public. My Dutch friend Eric Roefs recently made this text available to me.
Here is a translation of the pertinent part of the text (from the original Swedish):
Phonograph: Today Mr. Gillin and Droese will give the first two phonograph shows in Helsinki. The lecture and demonstration of Edison's phonograph will take place in F. B. K.'s assembly hall at 2 and 8:30 [p.m.] with an admission fee of 2 [Finnish] marks.
Edison's phonograph will make its debut with us today with a rich phonograph repertoire such as speech, song, musical instrument solos, vocal and orchestral phonograms [i. e. recordings, translators' note].
Among the phonograms a particular one must be mentioned: a solo on cornet à pistons, played by the famous French virtuoso, Monsieur Arban, called “Fanfare d'Edison;” [another is] a phonogram for large orchestra, “Marche d’Exposition Universelle 1889” by Olivier Métra. This march was played by 60 military musicians in the presence of Edison when he visited the Exhibition [Universelle] in Paris last year. Further, a solo on the piccolo-flute, played by Monsieur Damaré, member of the orchestra of the large opera in Paris; [etc. etc.]
A Norwegian friend of mine, Ole J. Utnes, who helped with the translation, has put the pertinent information (including a facsimile of the article in question) on his website:
http://abel.hive.no/trumpet/arban/edison/
Since other recordings from this time period still exist, it is not too far-fetched to think that Arban's recording of the "Fanfare d'Edison" might survive in somebody's collection. I hope that ITG members with connections to record collectors and dealers will make a serious effort to locate this historic cylinder.
Best wishes,
Ed Tarr
2008 Natural Trumpet-Making Workshop The International Natural Trumpet Making workshop, which has been held each year since 1993, in Bloomington, Indiana, and in various European locations, will be offered again during the week of June 16 - 20, 2008 at the Hoosier Hills Career Center in Bloomington, Indiana, and in Rostock Germany, July 28 - August 1, 2008.
Under the supervision of Dr. Robert Barclay, assisted by instrument makers Richard Seraphinoff and Michael Münkwitz, participants will make a natural trumpet using the tools and methods described in Dr. Barclay's book, The Art of the Trumpet-Maker, and also illustrated and described in Making a Natural Trumpet, the new workshop guide for the course.
The design which participants will make this year will be based on an original by the Nuremberg maker Hanns Hainlein (1632). Familiarity with tools and metal working techniques is desirable, but not by any means necessary. In past workshops everyone has been able to complete a playable instrument over the course of the week. The work schedule consists almost exclusively of hands-on workshop time from 9:00am to 5:00pm each day, Monday through Friday. Most participants finish their instruments by Friday early afternoon, making it possible to depart from Bloomington that afternoon or evening.
Tuition for the Bloomington workshop is $660.00, which includes all materials, tools and supplies which will be used during the workshop, as well as a copy of "Making a Natural Trumpet - and Illustrated Workshop Guide", published by the University of Edinburgh. Enrolment is limited to 12 participants, and reservations are made on a first come, first served basis.
To reserve a space, send a check for $50.00 (payable to Richard Seraphinoff, organizer of the course) to the address below. This deposit will be refundable until May 1, 2008. The balance of $610.00 will be due on the first day on the workshop. Non-US participants may pay the entire amount on the first day, due to the costs of currency exchange and transfers.
Richard Seraphinoff 2256 Birdie Galyan Road Bloomington, IN 47408 Tel/Fax: 812-333-3114 E-Mail: seraphin@indiana.edu Web site: www.seraphinoff.com
For tuition and other details on the workshop in Rostock, or to reserve a space, see www.trompetenmacher.de