I have obtained some documents that Heckel used during the 1975 time frame.Several of these documents had been used for years.A document showing the intonationtendencies of Heckel bassoons; serial # 11176 was used to produce thischart.A line drawing of the two modelsof Heckel bassoons offered in 1975: the 41i and 41p.An order form for a Heckel bassoon in 1975;this was a working order form for 12262. The handwritten figures were thetranslation of Deutsch Marks to dollars at the time.The most blessed event; the letterthat you receive informing you that your new Heckel bassoonis nearly completed. Time to warn your banker!
In the past, Heckel offered a wide array of models of bassoons.At the time of Heckel's 100 year anniversary (1931) the Heckelcatalog listed 25 models of the Heckel bassoon--including the model 41metwhich had a metal body! This model was reportedly produced for tropical climates.Keywork options were offered by way of these different models.The model number 41 has always been used for the German system bassoons,while the model number 42 was the designation for the World Systemkeywork (left hand French system, right hand German system).
20th century fox bassoon serial number
Heckel bassoon serial numbers are assigned when the wood for the instrument is chosenfor construction. After the serial number is assigned the wood is cured for at least 12years. This can cause variations in serial number/year progression; it is possibleto have a lower serial number shipped after a higher serial number has shipped.Heckel bassoon serial numbers are not continuous. There are known gapsin the serial numbers.The reason for these gaps is not always known even by the factory.For example, according to company sources:...we can confirm that there are no instruments [bassoons] from [serial numbers] 11389 to 11501 ever built;maybe we had a design change during that time.
This web page uses the convention serial/manufacturing mark,e.g., serial number 7273, manufacturing mark 2 would be displayed as 7273/2.This number is sometimes erroneously referred to as adesk number or abench mark.The manufacturing mark does not connect a specific instrument with a specific builder or build desk in any way.Construction Changes Through History Rubber bore linerThe hard rubber liner was introduced and patented by Wilhelm Heckel in 1889. Flat Back Long JointIn the late 4000s Heckel changed from building flat back long joints tothe current round cross-section shape.You can clearly see a flat back long joint on bassoon #4822.The back of the long joint is built with a plateau, similar to what is still made for the wing C# key. Long Bore/Short BoreDuring 1922 (around serial number 5711) Heckel changed from building small borebassoons to the wide bore bassoon.In order to accomidate this change, the wing, boot and long joint have shorter tubelengths. In America the wide bore instruments are frequently referred to as short bore bassoons.Before serial number 5711 (1922) only small bore bassoons were built; betweenserial numbers 5711 and 7700 (1935) both types were built and after serial number 7700typically only the wide bore was built. Thick Wall ConstructionIn 1963 (around serial number 10700) Heckel began making the walls of the bassoon thicker.The standard story explaining the reason for this changes was that the thinner walled instrumentstended to crack too easily, especially in the long joint tenons and the top of the boot joint.Very recently (the 15000 series) there is evidence that the wall thickness of the bassoons has been furtherincreased. Ivory Bell RingReal ivory was used for the ivory bell ring until the 13000 series.From that point on, a very good imitation made of plastic has been used.According to recent reports, Heckel has once again begun using real ivoryfor the bell rings due to successful African animal management programs.However, new bassoons sent to the US will continue to have plastic ringsdue to continued US ivory importation laws. Low D Key GuardThe shape of Low D key guard has changed over time.Originally, the Low D key guard was a half cap over the lower half of the Low D key cupas on 3050.By the time of the manufacture of 3221, the guard had changed to a metal rimas seen on 3221.Later the guard changed to a bar similar to the modern Bb key guard on the back of the boot jointas on 6126.During the 6000 series the Low D key guard became the shape that it continues to have today. Back Ab KeyHeckel bassoons until 7400 had the back Ab key as a separate tone hole on the back of the bootas seen on 7250. After 7400 the default mechanism for theback Ab key was to operate the front Ab key via a connecting rod through the boot joint.The back Ab key as a separate tone hole is still available as option 107. Low G KeyThe Low G key was originally connected from front to back by a keywork mechanism that wrapped aroundthe boot joint, as seen on 3221.This permanently changed between 4210 and 4230 to the modernmethod of connection by pressing a rod that passes directly through the boot joint.VariationsThe following is an explanation of some of the typical variations you may find in instrument descriptions: World SystemYou will notice some instruments listed as World System,French left hand,Muccetti system (after Enzo Muccetti)or Pezzi system.These were all attempts to blend the French bassoon key system (Boehm) with theGerman (Heckel) system.Typically this was done by building the left hand with the Frenchkey system and the right hand with the German key system, although the centennial 1931 Heckel catalogdoes contain some models that have right hand Boehm system keywork(models 41u, 41v, 41ur and 41vl). Bell ShapeHeckel builds bassoons with what the factory calls three different styles of bells;German,French and Italian bells (factory options 72, 72a and 72b respectively).This indicates only the external shape of the bell.This terminology should not be confused with the type of bell ring;a Heckel bassoon with a metal bell ring does not indicate a French bell;it is not uncommon to see a German bell with a metal bell ring.The French bell has a significantly different external shape,as can be seen in this picture of 15208(this instrument also has a divided long joint).I have been told by Roger Birnstingl that the Italian bell (also know as theMuccetti bell) has the same boreas a normal bell but has very thin walls and very little bulge.It is also quite a bit lighter, weighing in at around 250 grams versusthe 300 grams of a typical German bell. Gentlemen's ModelSome instruments are listed as a Gentlemen's model,or having a divided long joint.These instruments have a joint lower on the top of the long joint(between the Low B and C keys) which allows the instrument to be taken apart intosections which are more similar in length.Typically there is still a normal bell joint (option 85); however, there is an option tohave only the joint between the Low B and C keys (option 85a).Notes about the instrument tableSeveral instrument have notations indicating that they were mentioned/used in theJames Burton book. This is a reference toJames L. Burton's "Bassoon Bore Dimensions " D.M.A. dissertation, Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, May 1975.Some instruments also note their use in Mr. Burton's articleGraphing the Bassoon Bore in the publicationThe Journal of the International Double Reed Society, Number 3, 1975.Heckel Bassoon Serial NumbersFor your convenience, you may use the following hyperlinks to jump directly to a specificHeckel bassoon series:
Terry Ewell played a Heckel bassoon serial number 12859 with a Heckel C2 bocal. Lisa Hoyt played a Fox-Renard model 240, short bore, serial number 22116 with a Heckel CD1 bocal. Explanation of file namesFile examples: Mudx2ah.wav, Mubb1be.wav, Mud2ce.wav
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges.[1] It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity.[1] It is a non-transposing instrument and typically its music is written in the bass and tenor clefs, and sometimes in the treble.[1] There are two forms of modern bassoon: the Buffet (or French) and Heckel (or German) systems.[2] It is typically played while sitting using a seat strap, but can be played while standing if the player has a harness to hold the instrument. Sound is produced by rolling both lips over the reed and blowing direct air pressure to cause the reed to vibrate. Its fingering system can be quite complex when compared to those of other instruments. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band, and chamber music literature, and is occasionally heard in pop, rock, and jazz settings as well. One who plays a bassoon is called a bassoonist.
The extensive high register of the bassoon and its frequent role as a lyric tenor have meant that tenor clef is very commonly employed in its literature after the Baroque, partly to avoid excessive ledger lines, and, beginning in the 20th century, treble clef is also seen for similar reasons.
Music historians generally consider the dulcian to be the forerunner of the modern bassoon,[10] as the two instruments share many characteristics: a double reed fitted to a metal crook, obliquely drilled tone holes and a conical bore that doubles back on itself. The origins of the dulcian are obscure, but by the mid-16th century it was available in as many as eight different sizes, from soprano to great bass. A full consort of dulcians was a rarity; its primary function seems to have been to provide the bass in the typical wind band of the time, either loud (shawms) or soft (recorders), indicating a remarkable ability to vary dynamics to suit the need. Otherwise, dulcian technique was rather primitive, with eight finger holes and two keys, indicating that it could play in only a limited number of key signatures. 2ff7e9595c
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