Clarinet in C

Peter Marsh

1819-1836 · Wood, various materials · Musical Instruments

Peter (Perry) Marsh (born Calais, VT, 7 August 1796; died Northfield, VT, 18 February 1882) established his workshop in Calais in about 1819 and moved to Montpellier 1836. (Waterhouse, NLI, 253.) Overall size: 589 Bore: c-hole 12.8; f-hole 13.1. Conical part 103 Technical description: Boxwood with ivory ferrules and brass keywork. Five pieces: mouthpiece, barrel, upper section, lower section, bell. Long tenon ebony mouthpiece grooved for cord. English-style flask shaped barrel. Square wooden rings. Speaker liner projects almost to the centre of the bore. Speaker key guided with a pin. Very unusual arrangement. Levers for L4, tone-hole and key for R4 mounted in a bell-shaped swelling. Zig-zag F♯3/C♯5 lever guided with a pin, which is an elegant solution. The usage of guidance pins for two of the keys and the robust appearance of the instrument leads to the assumption that this instrument was intended to be used by beginners. Bevelled G♯3/E♭5. L0: T; speaker. L1: T; throat A♮. L2: T. L3: T. L4: E3/B♮4; F♯3/C♯5. R1: T. R2: T. R3: T. R4: T; G♯3/E♭5. Keyhead type: flat square. Keymount type: turned wooden rings and swelling. Inscribed on barrel "P.MARSH", on all other pieces except for unstamped mouthpiece "P.MARSH / CALAIS VT." Playing accessories: one reed and a string (not original). (Heike Fricke, 2014)

Artist

Peter Marsh

Date

1819-1836

Medium

Wood, various materials

Culture

American

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

Purchase, Clara Mertens Bequest, in memory of André Mertens, 1990