Clarinet in B-flat

Hawkes & Son

1878 · Ebonite, nickel-silver · Musical Instruments

Hawkes & Son is a firm of instrument makers and publishers founded by William Henry Hawkes in 1860 as Hawkes & Co. In 1876 started a partnership with Jules Rivière as RIEVIERE & HAWKES, later as Hawkes & Son. In 1930 merger with Boosey firming Boosey & Hawkes. Overall size: 679 Bore: c-hole 15.0; f-hole 15.0 Conical part: 160 Technical description: Ebonite with German silver nickel plated ferrules and keywork. Five pieces: mouthoiece, barrel, upper joint, lower joint, bell. Rosewood mouthpiece intended for a ligature stamped "HAWKES & SON". Curved speaker with a chimney on front of the instrument. Long tailed British throat A♭ key. Barret action: Apollon Marie-Rose Barret (1804-1879) was the solo oboist of London's Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden, for 45 years. He was also an innovative oboe designer, devising many mechanical & acoustical improvements still in use today. His so called "Barret action" enables the player to change quickly between E♭4 and F4. Barret added a spectacle key to the upper section of the instrument, which operates E♭4 and F4 with just one key for R1. Shaped thumb rest. C sharp mechanism. 12 keys, 4 rings. L0: T; speaker. L1: T; throat A♮. L2: T + ring; throat A♭. L3: T + ring; cross E♭4/B♭5. L4: C♯4/G♯5; E3/B♮4; F♯3/C♯5. R1: T; Barret action (F4/ C6; E♭4/B♭5); side trill key for throat A-B♮ and B♭-C. R2: T + spectacle. R3: T + spectacle (forked B♭3/F♮5); cross B♭3/F♮5. R4: G♯3/E♭5; F3/C5. Keyhead type: modern Keymount type: screwed-in pillars Inscribed on lower section "HAWKES & SON / LONDON / 1878"; also "X1" above thumb rest. Mouthpiece inscribed "HANKES & SON". (Heike Fricke, 2014)

Artist

Hawkes & Son

Date

1878

Medium

Ebonite, nickel-silver

Culture

British

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

Gift of William J. Maynard, 1997